China has increased it's censorship of so called seditious material greatly over the last decade, using their monopoly on technology and media to prevent anti- government material from being published or seen. This, along with their continued arrests of political opponents and their encroaching into former neutral or independent Hong Kong and Taiwan, has made them a continually dangerous opponent of free speech. Artists, however, are still using their influence to push back, and are being recognized on a grand scale.
This years Golden Horse award, the Chinese equivalent of the Oscars which takes place in Democratic Taiwan every year, gave out one of it's most prestigious awards to a film documenting the human rights protest against the Chinese government in Hong Kong.
"Hong Kong director Kiwi Chow Kwun-wai’s 2½-hour documentary Revolution of Our Times, which takes its title from a widely used protest slogan, records how frontline demonstrators operated on the ground during months of unrest that became increasingly violent.
Chow previously told the Post the film would not be screened in Hong Kong, publicly or underground, because he did not want to risk the safety of his team, interviewees and cinema operators."
This movie has never been screened by the Chinese mainland, but that does not stop it from being appreciated by those who experienced the violent protests shown by the film. China has become increasingly separated from the culture of the rest of Asia.
"For the third straight year mainland China snubbed the awards and none of its films were nominated. The awards irked Beijing when a Taiwanese director called for the island’s independence in an acceptance speech at the 2018 ceremony, triggering the mainland film regulator to call for an official boycott the following year."
China's increasing encroachment upon Taiwan, and continued human rights violation against its own people, is a scary sign for what is to come. Artists and filmmakers have a duty to document these atrocities, and it is good to see appreciation for such a brave film standing up against a dangerous power.
I think it is exciting that this film won this award and shows the power of artists to speak about political and cultural issues in an innovative and accessible way.
I learned so much from reading this post. I had no idea about the ongoing attack on free speech by the Chinese government. When I think about the role of artists and filmmakers in society, I think of their responsibility to showcase the world in a reflective, critical, and insightful way. There is no way they can achieve this under the current encroachment on Taiwan. For the Golden Horse awards to celebrate such a prestigious and provocative film is both inspiring and hopeful. It is admirable to see Kiwi Chow Kwun-wai create such a daring piece of art. I hope it inspires more filmmakers to follow suit.
The situation in Hong Kong is indicative of China’s technological prowess. They are able to subvert the opinions and beliefs of a population by scanning the internet and identifying ‘dissidents’ based on social media activity. The personal risk Kiwi Chow Kwun-wai must have taken in order to produce this film was surely enormous. The tension in Hong Kong boils down to the Chinese Communist Party trying to establish its authority in a region that was and hopes to remain democratic. I have seen a lot of videos on YouTube that chronicle the lives of protests and the struggles they endure on a daily basis. I would be curious to watch the Revolution of Our Time to learn more.