Blue Island takes commendable risks in form. The documentary follows a group of people arrested by the Hong Kong state during the anti-extradition law protests of 2019. The young arrestees (born as recently as 1997!) interview older citizens who fled mainland China during the cultural revolution under Mao, and even re-enact their grandparents’ ‘re-education’ as agricultural labourers with the use of time warps.
But, for all its variety of presentation, Blue Island’s execution feels lukewarm. The intergenerational conversations feel stilted and repetitive – lacking any real meat. Former activists, now middle-aged business men, lament their disillusionment with student leaders – while impassioned, younger men obsequiously insist this is a fight worth continuing with. Kenneth Lam for instance, is a solicitor who represents and advises the city’s debt-ridden working people. He nods to his former days of occupying public spaces by assisting those picked up by Hong Kong police for charges such as rioting… Full article
Like my work? Buy me a coffee by clicking here!