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Jugaad is a Hindi word that can be translated as "innovative or effective solution that bends the rules". It refers to the extreme capacity developed by Mumbai's inhabitants to adapt and get around any type of constraint or obstacle posed by the city's urban structure. In a relatively small piece of land where 21 million people live today, the inhabitants of Mumbai demonstrate great creativity when it comes to managing the spaces (for sale, for prayer, for traffic) and the flows that cross them every day. Without using language, Hong Kong artist Chak Hin Leung brings together in this video a dozen unique situations in which people, animals, vehicles and natural elements intermingle and brush up against each other, without ever colliding.

A Hong Kong documentary directed by Oscar winner Ruby Yang, chronicles the trials and tribulations of a group of under-privileged middle school students as they undergo six months of vigorous training to produce a musical on stage.

Simon Liu's eerie, entrancing portrait of contemporary Hong Kong tracks a series of strange disruptions to the city's urban infrastructure. Deceptively tranquil 16mm images of everyday life are accompanied by muffled music cues, ominous radio transmissions, and intimations of an impending hazardous event that may never arrive.

Hundreds of thousands − perhaps even millions − of protestors have taken to the streets of Hong Kong since early June. Sparked initially by the government's plans for a controversial extradition bill, the movement has now transformed into a broader push for greater freedoms and democracy, with anger over police brutality fuelling a cycle of violence. The protests are Hong Kong's biggest challenge to Beijing since its return to China in 1997. If We Burn looks at the movement through the eyes of Hong Kongers whose fates, like their city's future, now hang in the balance.

As pro-democracy activists and armed police battle in the streets of Hong Kong, ordinary citizens are choosing sides. Historically an outlier of both western and Chinese power, Hong Kong wields its own economic force, affording the city and its people a spirit of independence that has now erupted into clouds of tear gas. Filmmaker Bing Zhou uses a nimble camera to follow a group of protagonists—two opposing political candidates, a tea shop owner, a cab driver, a police officer, a paramedic—on two separate days of conflict. On September 21, 2019, protestors from three districts join forces, resulting in unprecedented violence. Just 10 days later on October 1, the National Day of the People’s Republic of China, previously undecided onlookers show their stripes. Thoughts transform into action in this demonstration of how mercurial and personal Hong Kong’s politics have become.

Stuntman, action director, and martial arts legend Mark Houghton tells his story of breaking into the Hong Kong film industry, his struggle with injuries and depression, and the promise he made his teacher, the legendary filmmaker Lau Kar Leung.

Experimental short made by Terry Tong in 1976. Taking the form of chess animation, the film is accompanied by a Chinese musical score of the same title. It expresses the confrontation and antagonism between two armies.

Hong Kong as seen through a cab window. Inhabitants discuss their lives, problems and dreams as they are driven to their destination through the chaotic streets of Hong Kong.

The director spent her childhood living apart from her family and knew very little about its history. This changed when she graduated from college and decided to face her parents with her camera in a search for answers to questions about her past.

Having devoted much of his career to programming and film history research, Law Kar, a.k.a. Uncle Kar, places himself before the camera for the first time. This nostalgic trip down memory lane, as he recounts his personal and cinematic experiences, from film criticism, experimental filmmaking to auditioning for Federico Fellini, cumulates in a brief history of Hong Kong cinema itself. Reflecting on the past 80 years, Law Kar's affectionate documentary sheds light on local movies and Chinese cinema, brooding over the socio-political transformation of our perplexed city, as the restless cinephile ponders the role cinema and art play in times of crisis.

Hong Kong and Taiwan are 2 islands inextricably linked by their huge neighbour. Modern metropolises full of eastern traditions, they're forging forward in the 21st century as China's little dragons. Traveller Megan McCormick begins her journey in Hong Kong, looking out at the incredible skyline from Victoria Peak. She then takes in the contrasts of the city before taking the ferry visit Tap Mum Chau and Lantau Island. After a flight to Taiwan she explores the capital Taipei, ending her trip with a visit to its most remote outpost - Orchid Island.

310 Tung Chau Street is a tenement building in Sham Shui Po. Three Vietnamese from the same province share a subdivided flat. Unemployment, drug addiction, and arguments brew and breed incessantly in this heated environment. During filming, the two young directors were encumbered by a series of obstacles, which turned the process into a chance to reflect on documentary truth.

Bill Wong works on a wide variety of films, some of modern setting, some with historical backgrounds; some are award winners, some lesser known. As a cinematographer, he does not strive for personal style. Instead, he concentrates on fulfilling the potential of the film and realizing his director’s designs. He is a consummate team player. This documentary features interviews with Wong and five directors with whom he has worked – Patrick Tam, Ann Hui, Tony Au, Lee Chi-ngai and Shu Kei, tracing the paths on which they have travelled together.

Until 2015, the government proposed land resumption without consultation to build a subsidized housing unit. In Hong Kong, where land is extremely expensive, it is not difficult to become a target for eradication if it is regarded as "no economic value". Cloth vendors roar for their common beliefs, between struggle and life, between politicians and bureaucrats, in Sham Shui Po "shacks", in the wind and rain, on sunny days, this is their living space.

On stage, senior Cantonese opera singer Sam Chan is bright and well-received. Yet at backstage, how could she deal with her fear and difficulties and a complaint against her regarding National Security Law in Hong Kong?

People wear vivid colours to express political stances in the demonstrations in Hong Kong and Taiwan. This digital video artwork explores how colour, particularly skin tone, is ideologically constructed in media and design. Through sampling, glitches, and critical overlays, the work questions the perceived neutrality of colour standards and highlights how visual systems encode racial and cultural biases. Blending theory with experimental aesthetics, it invites viewers to rethink how identity and power operate through the language of colour.

For many, home is a refuge and a sanctuary; for stray animals, however, a loving home remains a distant dream. From 2019 to 2023, director Au Cheuk-man followed the non-profit organisation Paws Guardian on their harrowing missions to rescue and rehome stray animals – many of whom were abandoned, abused, or tortured. The result is a heartrending collection of stories on survival and resilience, highlighting the brutal realities faced by stray animals: of the 40 stray dogs featured in this documentary, only four ultimately found new homes.

To the group of homeless people living under a bridge in Sham Shui Po, daily life involves coping with strange stares cast by passersby and dodging the frequent raids by the government. Fortunately, a group of volunteers led by a local pastor show them there are still some who care and are willing to lend a helping hand.

In the rural Liangshan Mountains, 14-year-old Qihuo and her friends embark on a road trip to find a skirt for her traditional menarche rite of passage.

A raw and intimate portrait of Vivian Siu, an amateur female racing driver with a burning desire to race the world’s greatest street track, the legendary Macau Grand Prix. Notorious amongst drivers for being the ultimate test of skill and courage, it’s terrifying blind corners and relentless high speed straights, present a unique challenge that has been the making of champions for 70 years. Senna, Schumacher, Hamilton and many other famous names all took on the formidable Guia circuit. Self-funded and with almost zero driving experience, Vivian leapt from junior karting to becoming the first female driver in Formula 4 Chinese Championship within just a few months. But the gulf between reality and her dream became evident on every level and most gave her little chance of success.

Footage of the investigation documentary telling about the extermination of African elephants lasted almost three years. The film crew traveled throughout 30 countries to make a route of ivory smuggling and to find out the true culprit of these crimes against elephants.

In Breaking the Willow, tells the story of two Chinese women, of different dynasty & society, their personal link to a bejeweled Phoenix Tierra. Cui, a woman of humble background, who divorce her husband to marry again for comfort, who dreams her husband will gain title and bring the official Phoenix Tierra to honor her. One day her dream come true but is too late. Hsiao Yu, a beautiful songstress from a royal decent of the past dynasty, meets the First Scholar and falls in love. The day after their wedding, the husband is called for the frontier. The fallen Princess wears her Phoenix Tierra to bid him fare well poetry.

Edmond Poon, a Hong Kong renowned DJ who hosts psychic programs, supported by the metapsychology masters and warlocks from Southeast Asia who acts as advisors, leads a psychic exploring team to scout for little-known mysterious and supernatural cases or strange customs including Soul-grabbing Witchcraft, Menstruation Witchcraft (Indonesia), Headless Horseman in Prince Hotel, Suicide Curse in Aokigahara Forest (Japan), and MTR Dead Omen, Lone Ghost in Regal Hotel and Secret Organisation Shadow Team (Hong Kong), just to name a few. Many precious clips are uncovered for the first time providing gruesome viewing experience.

Hong Kong is called many things, but "musical" is rarely, if ever, among them. Mak's semi-experimental documentary looks at a handful of local musicians who are actively forging creative havens in the city's most unexpected corners, from old dai pai dongs to major tourist hubs to childhood neighbourhoods. As Ah P, Billy and Dejay choose to express themselves wherever, whenever, Mak's latest explores social and political issues in the context of the physical space, contrasts the subjective with the objective, and proves that the city indeed has a vibrant indie music scene.

The documentary “Be Water” records the clash in West Kowloon on 20th October, 2019. Police issued objection notice to the march protest organised by Civil Human Rights Front. The march eventually turns into a clash. Protestors flowed like water, disperse and re-assemble while contending the police.

In 2013, My Voice, My Life followed classes of students from three high schools for underprivileged kids and one school for the visually impaired as they embarked on a voyage of self-discovery through taking part in a musical production. Six years later, what kinds of lives are they leading now? My Voice, My Life Revisited goes in search of four of those students: Ah Bok, Coby, Sio Fan and Tsz Nok, charting their transformation and how they have grown over these past few years, as well as the challenges they are facing today.

Using immersive camera work and a heart-pounding soundtrack, Faceless takes us to the frontline of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong to meet four young people who risk their lives and fly in the face of absolute power.

Overcoming a mid life crisis, an unlikely character inadvertently creates one of the world's hardest ultramarathons. This intrepid adventure becomes a journey into humanity’s indomitable spirit.

In Waziristan, "one of the most dangerous places on earth", Maria Toorpakai defies the Taliban, disguising herself as a boy so she can play sports freely. But when she becomes a rising star, her true identity is revealed and death threats force Maria to leave her country. Undeterred, Maria decides to return facing the danger and to play the sport she loves.

A short documentary commissioned by a Hong Kong local fashion brand Bread n Butter.

This timely documentary explores the singer's remarkable journey from Cantopop superstar to outspoken political activist, putting her life and career on the line in support of Hong Konger's struggle to maintain their political freedom.

'Trailblazers in Habits' is an intimate portrait of a group of American Catholic nuns, the Maryknoll Sisters, who have accompanied the disenfranchised in their struggle for social justice. By turns tragic and joyous, yet always inspirational, this insightful documentary is a revealing portrait of these courageous women. A moving and absorbing chronicle that spans 100 years and several continents, the film celebrates the intelligence and tenacity; the love, compassion and generosity of these early feminists.

The music documentary “L.O.V.E. in F.R.A.M.E.S.” is directed by Cheung Kit Bong, one of the backing vocalists of DUO band. It captures the behind-the-scenes of the “DUO Eason Chan Concert” between 2010 and 2012 and the making of the album “L.O.V.E.” in England, Guangzhou and Hong Kong over six years. The two-year “DUO Eason Chan Concert” is a tour of 66 concerts. During the tour, all members of the DUO band turned from strangers to friends, they have even become indispensable partners of each other. This two-hour documentary is all about capturing and sharing the loving memories of the DUO band with the audience.

Choying Drolma, a child of a forced marriage and a victim of domestic violence, seeks refuge in a Tibetan Buddhist monastery where she learns to sing. An American musician brings her music to the United States of America, from where she starts her global music journey.

Between 2009 and 2015, Wen Hai followed the lives of workers and worker activists in southern China, the world’s factory. His astonishing film gives nameless workers a face, shows their vital sense of justice and resistance to owners who are only interested in profits – and how they escape the role of victim.

A portrait of novelist Dung Kai-cheung alongside the social and political history of an Asian metropolis where mass protests now afflict the city and its people.

A story of Hong Kong told by three generations of real people: 'preschooled' children, 'preoccupied' young people, and 'preposterous' senior citizens.

The last Vietnamese refugee camp in Hong Kong was shut down in 2000, leaving a big group of refugees living on the streets. Some of them chose to live under the flyovers in Shum Shui Po. 2 or 3 things abt the bridge is a documentary short film on the Vietnamese migrant community that congregates under the Shum Shui Po flyover, in one of the poorest areas of Hong Kong.

Four years later, Hong Kong’s 2014 democratic Umbrella Movement has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, yet political backlash against protesters has intensified. Repeatedly the target of censorship*, Raise the Umbrellas traces the lineage of the massive Hong Kong protest to the global Occupy movement, 1989 Tiananmen, and its democratic struggles since British colonial days. Highlights range from the Umbrella Movement’s eco-awareness and its burgeoning aspiration for independence, to its empowerment of women -- “umbrella mothers” -- and the rainbow-bridging activism of LGBTQ iconic artists. Incisive and intimate, driven by stirring on-site footage in a major Asian metropolis riven by protest, Umbrellas includes anti-Occupy views that lay bare the sheer political risk for post-colonial Hong Kong’s universal-suffragist striving to define its autonomy within China.

Deep in the jungle of Central Vietnam, lies a magnificent underground kingdom. Hang Son Doong which translates as “mountain river cave”, is the largest cave passage in the world and a place of spectacular beauty. With more people having climbed Everest than visited Son Doong, its pristine charm has remained undisturbed for millions of years. In 2014, Son Doong’s future was thrown into doubt when plans were announced to build a cable car into the cave. With many arguing that this would destroy its delicate eco-system and the local community divided over the benefits this development would bring, the film follows those caught up in the unfolding events. Beautifully shot and scored, “A Crack In The Mountain” is a powerful exposé about how both good and bad intentions can ultimately lead to one of the world’s greatest natural wonders being trampled for money. As well as inspire those who care about our natural heritage to fight to protect it.

As the 'one country two systems' policy in Hong Kong has slowly eroded, resentment among the territory's citizens has steadily grown. What began as a series of spontaneous protests against an extradition law in March 2019 has now escalated in to a full-blown popular uprising that shows no signs of abating. ABC Four Corners reports from the frontline of the action, capturing extraordinary footage of the growing tension and violence.

Political engagement spawned the wildest of wonderlands for Hong Kong’s creativity – but as a new law annihilates freedom of expression overnight, underground artists and creatives find themselves targets, and their works disappeared. Together we race to preserve the creative uprising amid China’s crackdown.

Lost Course chronicles a grassroots democratic movement in the southern Chinese village of Wukan. The villagers protest against the corrupt local officials before ousting them and organising elections of their own. However, after taking control of their destiny, the villagers find themselves beset by the same corruption and cynicism endemic. Following three main characters, Li reveals the complexities of their struggles, triumphs and setbacks from the inside.

Student rebels, labor organizers, Trotskyites, anarchists, sojourners in Paris, and human rights activists are the cast of real-life characters featured in THE LIFE AND TIMES OF WU ZHONG XIAN. Based on a stage play, this DV feature traces the poignant trajectory of a rebel whose dream of world revolution first landed him in battles against British colonialism in the 70s, and later on his deathbed in the mid-90s, in agonies over the uncertain fate of a revitalized China. Revealing a little-known chapter of rebellion and idealism, THE LIFE AND TIMES OF WU ZHONG XIAN is a timely, resonant docu-drama for today's Hong Kong, China, and our ideologically-disillusioned era.

During the pandemic, the filmmaker’s son found himself stuck at home for a very long time. Ying Liang watched him cut out a portrait of Abbas Kiarostami from a book, and create a face mask on the face of the Iranian filmmaker. Liang observes how his son builds a ‘world’ on his bed, makes a paper airplane, and flies various places with his new friend Abbas Kiarostami. After spending the whole day flying, he falls asleep on that same bed with the family’s kitten. In his dreams, he uses the ‘magic’ he has learned from an online magic course to remove the face mask. With The World of Mindfulness, Chinese filmmaker Liang – who is now living in Hong Kong – creates a marvellously simple piece about the world of childhood, adding a touch of playful cinephilia.

Shot over an eight-year period (2007-2015), this documentary film aims to present women’s struggle in the private and public spheres, both in China and Hong Kong. It offers a view into the lives of female factory workers, artists, rights activists, and intellectuals – whom deal with political violence, sexual harassment, online bullying, long-term separation from family, arbitrary treatment by transnational factory management, and/or poverty in their home villages.

In the last episode of Patrick Tam’s anthology series “Seven Women” (1976), Lisa (Lisa Wang) suffers from "environmental depression" and those around her treat her like a lunatic. Joyce deploys a creative mix of dialogue and monologue to illustrate Lisa's complicated personality. She might act like any normal obedient daughter around her parents, yet other times she reveals her overly sensitive and suspicious mind as her moods run the gamut from poetic to violent. The villa where Lisa is sent to heal becomes a tumultuous battleground when a young doctor who has his own psychological hang-ups begins treating her and a conflict of egos is ignited.

Hongkongers have been experiencing extremely difficult times due to the political movement caused by anti-Extradition Bill since the summer of 2019 followed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This film explores Hongkongers’ fear in various dimensions, be it a concept or actual physical experience, personal or political, private or public, or the mixing of these pairs.

In March 1972, Rebecca Pan self-financed the production of the first ever Mandarin musical, Pai Niang Niang and performed for 60 times at Princess Theatre, Tsim Sha Tsui. This is not only a piece of history of Hong Kong art and culture, but also the most important milestone of Rebecca’s oeuvre. This work used the Broadway musical model to adapt the famous Chinese myth Legend of the White Snake. Bringing together Eastern and Western theatrical styles, the production combined Chinese traditional music, dance, costume and stage design with modern Western concepts. Despite this bold attempt, the resulting work was ahead of its time and was not a commercial success. Also, it was thought to have not been captured on film and faded into obscurity. In April 2023, however, a partial film record of the performance was miraculously discovered. The restored surviving footage has become the finale of this documentary, Pai Niang Niang: The Last Osmanthus Blossom.

In the life of Mr. Lai Man-wai, he had seen the most turbulent times of recent Chinese history. From the fall of the Qing Dynasty to the founding of the Republic, from the Sino-Japanese War to the founding of the People’s Republic. With a patriotic spirit, he joined the revolution and used the theatre to promote the revolutionary course. For a ‘stronger China’, and ‘education for all’, he chose film as his life long goal and career. Lai was more than the father of Hong Kong cinema was; he was also one of the pioneers of the Chinese cinema. He made Hong Kong’s first short fiction film ‘Zhuangzi Tests His Wife’. He opened the first Chinese owned cinema, the New World Cinema, in Hong Kong…. In the several decades, Lai had devoted his life and fortune in writing this glorious inaugural chapter in early Chinese film history. The technical enhancement, the introduction of foreign techniques and equipment were all part of his contribution to the Chinese cinema.

This documentary records the precious memories of Chinese artist Huang Yongyu during the celebration of the Lunar New Year in 2012, showing his life details and personal emotions.

The masterful new documentary from Wang Bing is an intimate, observational portrait of a peasant family who eke out a humble existence in a small village set against the stunning mountain landscapes of China's Yunnan province.

Sparked by the demolition and reconstruction of its century-old campus, Ying Wa Girls' School embarks on a project to chronicle the transformation of its students through the camera of director Mabel Cheung, its distinguished alumna. Following a group of young students since 2011, the documentary captures the trials and tribulations that go with the most turbulent decade in Hong Kong's history.

In the majestic tropical island of Palawan, three environmental crusaders confront murder, betrayal and political corruption in this thrilling documentary about land defenders battling to save and preserve paradise in the Philippines.

Poet and author Xi Xi is one of Hong Kong's most treasured writers. Though also acclaimed in Taiwan and mainland China for seminal works like the essay Shops, her writings are firmly rooted in the spirit of Hong Kong. Leave it to Fruit Chan, another staunchly grassroots auteur, to make a documentary on Xi Xi's career. Chan sought out renowned critics and writers to discuss Xi Xi's works, starting with 1979's My City. He also juxtaposes photos of a changing Hong Kong with readings of her writings, and even playfully inserts characters from her stories into the film.

Grandpa Chan, 73 and Grandpa Wong, 82, run into the mist of teargas and try to protect the young protesters from any harm. With all the dangers and hardships they have been through, to them retreat is never an option.

Pan lives two lives. During the day he is the son of a traditional Hong Kong family. But at night he transforms into the unapologetic drag queen Pansze Diva entertaining the underground of the city. Ultimately looking for acceptance by their parents, what does a death in the family change?