Talk: Ordinary Heroes

Hong Kong, a city of cinema, is being shaken to its roots by a political and social upheaval that is calling into question the very existence of what makes Hong Kong unique.

We bring together for this panel discussion a group of Hong Kong filmmakers who are working now to respond to Hong Kong's situation in cinematic language, to give us urgent reports from the ground and to use their imagination and artistry to help us better understand Hong Kong’s struggle today. They represent Hong Kong cinematic creativity across genres: documentary, feature fiction, and short and experimental film.

Hong Kong has been, until recently, described by both its former British colonial rulers and its current masters in the PRC as an essentially apolitical city. That is of course a highly ideologically charged assertion itself. As one of the primary vehicles for the expression of Hong Kong's special, complex identities, Hong Kong cinema is uniquely valuable as an art form and an industrial practice that can teach us what the city thinks, and allow us to experience how it feels. Moderated by Clarence Tsui.

Tue 28 Jan, 16:30, Hilton Rotterdam, €6/€5