#YingEChi #Ban #Documentaries
#Censorship: Hong Kong Authorities Accuse Protest Documentaries of "Constituting Criminal Offences"

The Hong Kong government's Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration (#OFNAA), which is responsible for approving films and printed matters for public distribution, accused two local documentaries of "constituting criminal offences" for showing footages of the 2019 Anti-ELAB movement.

The two documentaries “Taking back the Legislature" and "Inside the Red Brick Wall" were produced by Ying E Chi, a veteran non-profit independent film organization in Hong Kong.

The documentaries captured the pro-democracy protesters' siege of the legislative council on July 1, 2019 and the siege of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in November 2019, respectively.

Ying E Chi released a statement on Sept 21, 2020 and revealed how the OFNAA has made different attempts to bar the films from being shown in cinema. These included the request to re-edit; overturning past approved screening certificates; and classifying "Inside the Red Brick Wall" into a Category III film only 2 hours before its release.*

*In Hong Kong, Category III films are restricted to an audience above 18 years of age. In the case of "Inside the Red Brick Wall", Ying E Chi has to make refund to all underaged spectators.

Ying E Chi said the authorities has tried to "coerce the directors into making statements against their wills" and threatened to bar the films from screening.

Ying E Chi also expressed that "the opinion expressed in the statement issued by The Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration (OFNAA) does not reflect the views of the director and the production team".

According to Ying E Chi director Vincent Chui, four staff of the OFNAA were present to monitor the public screening on Sept 21, 2020.

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Ying E Chi expresses strong disagreement as the OFNAA:

1. Force the films to be edited under the pretext of protecting everyone, but in fact, only to protect their own interest

2. Request an announcement to be made at the beginning of the film, yet refused to be declared as the one who demanded the announcement

(See images in blue: https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/25425)

3. Overturn the previous certificate issued by the OFNAA with unspecified reason

4. Fail to issue the certificate on time as promised, whilst shifting the responsibility to the applicant

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The comments made by the OFNAA on the two documentaries are as follows:

“Taking back the Legislature”:
“This film records the serious incident of the storming of the Legislative Council Complex on 1 July 2019. Some of those depictions or acts may constitute criminal offences under prevailing laws.”

“Inside the Red Brick Wall:
“This film records the serious incidents at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and nearby areas in November 2019. Some of those depictions or acts may constitute criminal offences under prevailing laws. Some of the contents of or commentaries in the film may be unverified or misleading.”

Source: Ying E Chi; Apple Daily #Sept21
https://www.facebook.com/261128170659949/posts/3063984707040934/

https://hk.appledaily.com/local/20200921/KVBCY4X4LZG4DKOP6FJJIF34AE/

#VincentChui #PolyUSiege #LegCoSiege #1July2019 #IndieCinema #HongKongCinema

"Liberate Hong Kong" and "Save 12": Pro-democracy Slogans Appear Near University Before the One-year Mark of the Siege of #PolyU

On the eve of the one-year mark of the siege of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), protest slogans "Liberate Hong Kong" and "Save 12" appeared on a footbridge after midnight on November 12, 2020.

Since the #PolyUSiege, a wire fence has been install along the footbridge connecting the campus to the train station. The pro-democracy slogans were formed by padlocks of different colors attached to the fence.

Source: Stand News # Nov12
https://www.facebook.com/710476795704610/posts/3635976876487906/

#NeverForget #NeverForgive #Save12 #Save12HKYouths

#PolyUSiege
#PolyU University Managememt Suppresses Students' Union's Commemorative Events, Bans
Screenings and Newspaper Advertisement, Threatens Students with Penalties


On the eve of the one-year mark of the siege of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Students (PolyU), the Students' Union (#PUSU) planned to hold the screenings of two documentaries, 'Save PolyU ' and 'Inside the Red Brick Wall' on November 17 and 18, 2020, in addition to publishing a statement on the front page of Apple Daily.

However, the university management stated in an email sent to the Students' Union on Nov 11, 2020 that the screenings and the newspaper advertisement were banned. If the students do not comply, the university authorities will impose a series of punishments including terminating their use and management rights of the students' union venues; the university will also stop collecting the students union's fee for them, among other disciplinary penalties.

The Students Union condemned the university's intervention, describing it as an act intending to 'wipe out the bloody scenes in our campus'. Regarding the use of venues and operation in the future, the Union will rearrange the screenings and post the statement via their social media instead.

Source: Stand News #Nov12
#PoliticalSuppression #Censorship #University #NeverForget #NeverForgive

#PoliticalPrisoner #MassArrest
#PolyUSiege: HK Police Arrests 21 Civilians Including Student Standing in Public Exam

The police arrested 21 civilians in Hong Kong on the morning of April 26, 2021. The arrestees have refused bail in the Hong Kpng Polytechnic University (#PolyU) clash during the 2019 Anti-ELAB protest.

The Organised Crime and Triad Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force charged them with “perverting the course of justice” as they were suspected of assisting other civilians trapped in the PolyU campus to avoid from being tracked.

Stand News found that one of the arrestees is a public exam HKDSE candidate who was absent for the subject Liberal Studies - Paper 1 exam due to police detention.

His/ her educational pathway will be obstructed as this paper accounts for 56% of the assessment, which is a core subject and required to obtain at least a level 2 in university admission.

Source: Stand News #Apr23

https://bit.ly/3aCvqb2

#PoliceState #PoliticalSuppression

HK Documentary about #PolyUSiege Wins Grand Prize at International Documentary Festival in Japan

The documentary "Inside the Red Brick Wall", chronicling the 13-day police siege of #PolyU during the #AntiELAB movement, has won the grand prize at Japan's #Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival. This honor has never been won by a Hong Kong film in its three-decade history, until now.

The film was selected as the best Hong Kong film of 2020 by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society. However, it had been shunned by local cinemas after pro-government media labeled it anti-police and anti-government. Its premiere was cancelled only hours before its showing by the hosting cinema.

The panel of judges noted that the documentary showed citizens and students being trapped by the police inside Polytechnic University; it documented the reality of youngsters, including minors, as they faced these dire circumstances, whether or not they had food. Live footage also showed photographers being fired upon within the campus

[editor's note: according to statistics from Hong Kong Journalists Association, 3 journalists had been shot with pepper balls at close range].

The film itself carries historical significance.

The film's directors, listed as "Hong Kong Documentary Filmmakers", thanked the organizers through a pre-recorded video. They said that under Hong Kong's current oppressive environment, they must regroup and be formless like water, but believed that "we'll walk together again".

"To all who believe in freedom", they added, "The only response to oppression is resistance. We will keep moving, and keep on filming."

Source: Citizen News #Oct13
https://bit.ly/3awuc0v

#Film #Documentary #Resistance #ProtestArt #FilmFestival