Kong King-chu, once a newspaper journalist, now a book person, a writer and a community film director. She made her first film in 2004, a docudrama on sex workers in Hong Kong, and has not stopped making films since on activism and activists.
Booklovers, booksellers, storytellers and writers can easily squeeze into various demos of important issues. This documentary brings this group of people in the limelight, discussing the value of art space in bookshops. The book-loving director Kong King Chu visited independent bookshops in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia for three to four years, tried to understand how a bookshop can become a dynamic, inspiring and heartwarming space, even these booksellers carry different attitude towards life, books and community, as well as management beliefs. These booksellers do not care about the commercial value emphasized by the capitalist society and they are content in their own way by sharing their enthusiasm about books with the others in spite of all difficulties. Thus, they keep trying new methods to sharpen their touch on social issues and become an important starting point for the general public to reflect upon conflicts in our society.
The Occupy Central movement called for civil disobedience in the middle of Hong Kong’s financial district, in pursuit of democratic elections. The movement attracted many sympathetic students and citizens, and became known around the world as the “Umbrella Revolution” in 2014. This film closely follows the action on the ground: debates within the movement, street speeches, the unofficial referendum which was held as part of the campaign, and the student-led protests at the Central Government Office. It examines the tumultuous thoughts and feelings of seven activists who were there at the heart of the struggle.
This year, like the year before, Franco Mella holds the Yellow Umbrella mass; this year, like the year before, he joins one demonstration after another; this year, like the year before, he travels constantly between Hong Kong and the mainland; this year, like the year before, he sings many, many songs… For Franco Mella, who has lived in the Orient for more than four decades, is this year really the same as the year before - unvarying, tedious and repetitive?
