01
THE FILM
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English, Cantonese
Runtime: 114mins
Format: 2K/5.1
Logline:
Journalists are trained to be objective. How about when you work under an authoritarian regime while fearing for your life? "Rather be Ashes than Dust" is a first person documentary chronicling a journalist-filmmaker's struggle with his conscience while witnessing intense police brutality against protesters during the 2019 protests in Hong Kong.
Synopsis:
What are the challenges journalists face when covering increasingly challenging global crisis of war, civil disobedience, famine and hunger? Witnessing acts of government crackdown and injustice, should they remain objective? What are their choices when the government turns against them? Using the Hong Kong protest movement in 2019 as a backdrop, this film will follow a video journalist's four-years journey to find the answers to these questions.
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Although journalism is not listed as one of the most dangerous professions, journalists have been killed, kidnapped, imprisoned, attacked, and accused of spying while doing their job. The world has become increasingly hostile to journalists. This film focuses on Hong Kong, the latest casualty of this phenomenon.
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In 1997, when the former British colonial government returned Hong Kong to China, freedom of expression was guaranteed for 50 years. 20 years later, China imposed the National Security Law, many news organizations were forced to close. Publishers, editors, radio hosts, documentary producers were arrested, accused of sedition and collusion with foreign governments.
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This quick descent can be traced back to 2019 when the government proposed a law that would allow for the extradition of Hong Kong citizens to be tried in the courts of China. More than 2 million people -- almost 1/3 of the city's population, marched to oppose the law, the largest civil disobedience movement of the 21st Century. Dozens of journalists and filmmakers from all over the world covered the event. They documented the sense of euphoria and optimism of the people, who believed that their opposition would lead to changes.
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The government did not back down. Crackdown on dissent began with police shooting not only at protesters, but also at journalists. One veteran Indonesian journalist was blinded by a rubber bullet. Many journalists were injured and suffered PSTD.
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China responded by putting pressure on the Hong Kong government to end the protest
movement. The Foreign Ministry announced the termination of the Joint Declaration with Great Britain -- resulting in Hong Kong losing its political autonomy. In 2020, a year into the protest movement, China imposed the National Security Law on Hong Kong, taking away its judicial independence and the many freedoms promised by the Joint Declaration, including the freedom of expression. Many journalists had to decide: do I shut up, go to prison, or leave?
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This film is a first personal documentary of a Hong Kong video-journalist who recounts his
experience during the protest movement that leads to his decision to leave Hong Kong.
02
ARTISTIC APPROACH
The style of the documentary is different than other films on the protest movement. Using mostly vérité material, with very few edits within a scene, the film consists of all handheld footage with close proximity to police action. The position of the camera allows the audience to be totally immersed in the events, to be overwhelmed and shocked by the consistent use of brutal force by the police; to hear the anger of the crowd and the profanity the police use to address journalists; to feel the helplessness of the arrested. Violence presented in this film, though difficult to watch at times, is never gratuitous. It is to situate the audience directly at the scene, to see and feel what the journalist is witnessing, adding weight to the understanding of the director's dilemma.
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Several drone shots filmed above the main thoroughfares of the city, way above the skyscrapers, shows the city at night and in contrasting moods: the million people march; the empty streets during the curfew; and the destruction after the protests.
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The film also contains abstract presentations of the director's haunting nightmares -- scenes of drowning, and being kidnapped and left to die in a desolate wilderness.
As for the audio design, the location ambience sound of the protests is very powerful and we don't need to add any other effects or music. For example, chanting and singing of the million people peaceful march will be intercut with the sound of police warnings of the use of teargas to creates tension. We want to show the diverse groups of the protesters through the songs they sing, such as a group of middle aged supporters singing "Do You Hear the People Sing" of "Les Miserables", and a pastor leading his church group singing Christian hymns. During the confrontation scenes, the consistent popping sound of guns shooting tear gas and rubber bullets, and the explosions of the stunt grenades add to the intensity of the warlike atmosphere. There is no need to add any additional tracks. An occasional haunting music track will accompany slow motion shots.
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In between intense scenes of violence, the film will give pause to allow audience to take a break. There will be quiet moments in the film, such as the dark waters of the Hong Kong harbor, a misty morning, signs and protest banners across some of the iconic buildings of the city, and the Chinese national flag waving in the wind.
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03
STORY SUMMARY
This documentary is an account of Hong Kong protest movement of 2019, told from the perspective and personal journey of a video journalist - the film director. He began filming at the very beginning of the movement, in May 2019. He attended every rally and press conference. He had to stop filming two years later when many journalists were arrested for
violating the National Security Law. His hundreds of hours of video material covers these topics:
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- the background of protest movement;
- the escalation of violence from both sides: the protesters and the police;
- the collapse of the Hong Kong government under pressure from China, an authoritarian regime;
- and most importantly, the film director's personal journey and the dilemma he faced while covering events that challenged his objectivity, ethics, and moral conscience.
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The director had been involved in almost all the other documentaries made on the same protest movement. Many of these films used his footage and they focus on the stories of the protesters through interviews. "Rather Be Ashes than Dust" tells a different perspective. It is entirely told from a video journalist point of view. He narrates his thoughts during critical moments when he finds himself witnessing extreme police violence. He shares his struggle -- should I continue as a journalist or should I become an active participant in this fight for freedom and justice. The director had to make hard choices throughout the film.
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