It is really awful,but now it becomes truth,so sad!
20 Reviews
Horrible but true
yattyhou13 September 2019
Narrative sci-fi that's styled like a documentary
rockmt13 August 2016
A futuristic Hong Kong no one wants to fathom! The whole premise of the five clips that make up this film is bold. Having said this, there is a mix of good and bad in this film.
The first clip starts off too slowly. The dialogue is too full of British influenced Hong Kong slang and at times it is hard to understand, even for Cantonese speakers who do not reside in Hong Kong like myself although those reading English subtitles will have no problem. Too bad because the plot was a good one but it was just not well acted or scripted.
The second clip is almost unbearable to watch. It was too far into the sci-fi mode that it made the story unbelievable. The acting was wooden, the story line was wandering, the filming looked cheap, and overall it just looked amateur. Fast forward if you wish, nothing missed here.
The final three clips are why you should watch this film. All are spoken in standard Cantonese, all are well acted, the scripts all make sense, and the viewer ought to leave with a sense of wonder and amazement. I liked the fourth clip the best with superb directing, acting, and filming and this clip alone can carry the whole film.
Definitely a must watch but skip over the boring parts after the first time.
The first clip starts off too slowly. The dialogue is too full of British influenced Hong Kong slang and at times it is hard to understand, even for Cantonese speakers who do not reside in Hong Kong like myself although those reading English subtitles will have no problem. Too bad because the plot was a good one but it was just not well acted or scripted.
The second clip is almost unbearable to watch. It was too far into the sci-fi mode that it made the story unbelievable. The acting was wooden, the story line was wandering, the filming looked cheap, and overall it just looked amateur. Fast forward if you wish, nothing missed here.
The final three clips are why you should watch this film. All are spoken in standard Cantonese, all are well acted, the scripts all make sense, and the viewer ought to leave with a sense of wonder and amazement. I liked the fourth clip the best with superb directing, acting, and filming and this clip alone can carry the whole film.
Definitely a must watch but skip over the boring parts after the first time.
5 years
snowmalamute27 October 2020
Politically, I would called it "5 years" instead of "10 years", because some parts of it is already a reality in 2020.
The film itself is original and challenging to watch if you are not familiar with the situation in Hong Kong. Over the last decade, I lost interest in HK cinema, you rarely come across any new subject. However, this film is "a breath of fresh air". It separated into 5 parts, personally I would prefer to give each segment an individual score due to its uneven quality. Extras - 5; Season of the End - 3; Dialect - 7; Self-immolator - 10; Local Egg - 8. Overall, some of it are very well made, clever and classy actors, but it is a pity some parts of it are very long and the acting is somewhere between bad and mediocre.
The film itself is original and challenging to watch if you are not familiar with the situation in Hong Kong. Over the last decade, I lost interest in HK cinema, you rarely come across any new subject. However, this film is "a breath of fresh air". It separated into 5 parts, personally I would prefer to give each segment an individual score due to its uneven quality. Extras - 5; Season of the End - 3; Dialect - 7; Self-immolator - 10; Local Egg - 8. Overall, some of it are very well made, clever and classy actors, but it is a pity some parts of it are very long and the acting is somewhere between bad and mediocre.
Good anthology of what HK can become
mikayakatnt25 January 2020
Watched this film based on the discussion it stirred upon its release.
Ten Years is a collection of shorts that paint a bleak picture for the future of Hong Kong. One cannot feel but helpless while watching these shorts.
Yet, this movie is more for those living in Hong Kong than outside. People who have never been to Hong Kong will not be able to relate or understand without more context. Maybe that's why it didn't catch on for non-Hong Kong enthusiasts.
3.5/5. I enjoy the film. I understand the underlying stories. But the message could have been done in a better way.
Ten Years is a collection of shorts that paint a bleak picture for the future of Hong Kong. One cannot feel but helpless while watching these shorts.
Yet, this movie is more for those living in Hong Kong than outside. People who have never been to Hong Kong will not be able to relate or understand without more context. Maybe that's why it didn't catch on for non-Hong Kong enthusiasts.
3.5/5. I enjoy the film. I understand the underlying stories. But the message could have been done in a better way.
Exploring a collective fear of Hong Kong people
Gordon-113 March 2019
This is a collection of five short films on what Hong Kong could be like in ten years.
The second short film tries to be stylish and unusual, but it just doesn't make sense. In addition, it deviates from the theme of the other four shorts. As a result, it is out of place and is not likely to be appreciated by the viewers.
The other four shorts are to the point, concise and explores the deep seated collective fear of Hong Kong people. The stories are believable, and are easily connectable with everyday life. They are unsettling to the core.
The second short film tries to be stylish and unusual, but it just doesn't make sense. In addition, it deviates from the theme of the other four shorts. As a result, it is out of place and is not likely to be appreciated by the viewers.
The other four shorts are to the point, concise and explores the deep seated collective fear of Hong Kong people. The stories are believable, and are easily connectable with everyday life. They are unsettling to the core.
Ten Years, Five Stories, Three Good
politic19839 October 2016
Warning: Spoilers
'Happy Together' by Wong Kar-wai is one of my favourite films, an allegory of two gay men from Hong Kong travelling across Argentina, seemingly exiled from home. A film made just before the UK's hand- over of Hong Kong in 1997, the anxieties of what will become of Hong Kong over the next fifty years have been something looked at in the arts, as well as played out in the real-life streets of the SAR.
'Ten Years' is five shorts set in and around the year 2025, ten years after the film was made: in 2015, Maths fans. Each take a more-than-slightly controversial look at various aspects of life and how they could be changed in the future, as China's influence grows. I'm sure China took kindly to it.
'Extras', the opening tale, is regarding two Triads, chosen to be pawns in a political chess game with public opinion. The National Security chiefs feel that their role will be undermined, with little fear among the populace. Therefore, the two hapless Triads are offered big money to shoot at two politicians, creating public fear, highlighting the need for Security Forces. An inside act of terror, this is one for conspiracy theorists all over. The short itself, however, is fairly simplistic and feels a little amateurish in execution. It's probably best that this one flies by at the start.
The second is by far the strangest of the quintet, and left me feeling even the actors don't really know what is going on. A couple of 'specimen collectors' go about their 'research' in an abandoned building, but little is really clear as to what exactly they are doing, or why. With parts that remind of György Pálfi's 'Taxidermia' and others 'The Shining', this is a random collection of 'specimens' of scenes, thrown together with little coherent story to speak of.
The first two a bit weak, thankfully the third picks up the pace greatly. A taxi driver struggles with the new policy that all drivers must speak Putonghua instead of Cantonese to be able to pick up certain fares. This leads to comedy moments as he tries to learn pronunciations of words, such as 'David Beckham.' But for the driver that previously had to learn English to get work now struggles with another language being forced upon him, potentially taking his livelihood as a result.
The fourth is probably the most controversial, a mockumentary about someone self-immolating themselves outside the British Consulate. Speaking with various academics and writers on the subject of protest movements, it tells the story of a young student whose imprisonment inspired others, as they try to identify the silent protester. It speaks of many subjects, relevant in light of recent movements in Hong Kong, and how these could tragically develop as the years pass.
The fifth and final story is of a vendor whose son, along with all other children, has to take part in activities on behalf of the government, keeping surveillance on all shops and points of sale. The smallest of things will be noted, with common sense forgotten as the young children blindly follow orders. Picked up for advertising 'local eggs', when the approved 'Hong Kong eggs' should be used, he questions his son as to what it is he is doing in his role, concerned that his son is becoming a brainwashed trooper for the secret police. But soon he learns that his son has been assisting some of the shops he is sent to keep an eye on, showing that independent thought and protest are still alive and well in the future's youth.
These five Orwellian visions of what may become of Hong Kong are varied in quality, but all raise interesting anxieties present among a people as to what the future may hold. Well, maybe not 'Season of the End'. As a UK resident, while different in their circumstances, the situation in Hong Kong reflects the uncertainty that surrounds the UK's political future and what impacts, with various doomsday scenarios playing out in the minds of all concerned, if you're bothered, that is.
It could prove that there is little change afoot, but the human mind cannot cope with uncertainty, and Hong Kong has another thirty years of anxiety ahead of it before anyone's ideas can be founded.
politic1983.blogspot.co.uk
'Ten Years' is five shorts set in and around the year 2025, ten years after the film was made: in 2015, Maths fans. Each take a more-than-slightly controversial look at various aspects of life and how they could be changed in the future, as China's influence grows. I'm sure China took kindly to it.
'Extras', the opening tale, is regarding two Triads, chosen to be pawns in a political chess game with public opinion. The National Security chiefs feel that their role will be undermined, with little fear among the populace. Therefore, the two hapless Triads are offered big money to shoot at two politicians, creating public fear, highlighting the need for Security Forces. An inside act of terror, this is one for conspiracy theorists all over. The short itself, however, is fairly simplistic and feels a little amateurish in execution. It's probably best that this one flies by at the start.
The second is by far the strangest of the quintet, and left me feeling even the actors don't really know what is going on. A couple of 'specimen collectors' go about their 'research' in an abandoned building, but little is really clear as to what exactly they are doing, or why. With parts that remind of György Pálfi's 'Taxidermia' and others 'The Shining', this is a random collection of 'specimens' of scenes, thrown together with little coherent story to speak of.
The first two a bit weak, thankfully the third picks up the pace greatly. A taxi driver struggles with the new policy that all drivers must speak Putonghua instead of Cantonese to be able to pick up certain fares. This leads to comedy moments as he tries to learn pronunciations of words, such as 'David Beckham.' But for the driver that previously had to learn English to get work now struggles with another language being forced upon him, potentially taking his livelihood as a result.
The fourth is probably the most controversial, a mockumentary about someone self-immolating themselves outside the British Consulate. Speaking with various academics and writers on the subject of protest movements, it tells the story of a young student whose imprisonment inspired others, as they try to identify the silent protester. It speaks of many subjects, relevant in light of recent movements in Hong Kong, and how these could tragically develop as the years pass.
The fifth and final story is of a vendor whose son, along with all other children, has to take part in activities on behalf of the government, keeping surveillance on all shops and points of sale. The smallest of things will be noted, with common sense forgotten as the young children blindly follow orders. Picked up for advertising 'local eggs', when the approved 'Hong Kong eggs' should be used, he questions his son as to what it is he is doing in his role, concerned that his son is becoming a brainwashed trooper for the secret police. But soon he learns that his son has been assisting some of the shops he is sent to keep an eye on, showing that independent thought and protest are still alive and well in the future's youth.
These five Orwellian visions of what may become of Hong Kong are varied in quality, but all raise interesting anxieties present among a people as to what the future may hold. Well, maybe not 'Season of the End'. As a UK resident, while different in their circumstances, the situation in Hong Kong reflects the uncertainty that surrounds the UK's political future and what impacts, with various doomsday scenarios playing out in the minds of all concerned, if you're bothered, that is.
It could prove that there is little change afoot, but the human mind cannot cope with uncertainty, and Hong Kong has another thirty years of anxiety ahead of it before anyone's ideas can be founded.
politic1983.blogspot.co.uk
It gets worse before it gets better
gillarete23 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This is not one film but five, each a self-contained depiction of Hong Kong in the year 2025. While #3-#5 are well worth your time, you are advised to skip the first two.
Below is a rundown of the five films.
#1. Beijing wants to stage a political assassination to stir fear in Hong Kong. Now, if manufacturing fear is your goal, would you rather the incident take place at a rally in Victoria Park attended by thousands of people, or at a holiday celebration in a school auditorium with a few dozen senior citizens? The screenwriter prefers the auditorium. Then about 2/3 of the film is spent discussing which of the two possible targets should be shot in order to maximize the terror-inducing effect, and the conclusion reached at long last is that -- why didn't we think of that? -- BOTH should be shot. The plan is carried out, ending in what's supposedly a twist of fate for the assassins, but by that time if you're still watching, you will hardly care.
#2. Probably not the most pretentious film you'll ever see, nor the most unintentionally funny. But you get a bit of both. Man and woman have a job no real people have, talk like no real people do, and come up with an idea no real people (I hope) ever tried. At one point, the man ingests coagulant (that's THE IDEA), and somehow starts to feel like taking a walk, but finds his room locked. In a fit of anger he punches and shoves a cupboard so very gently that nothing breaks and a 1.5-meter-long ax sitting precariously on top of the cupboard does not fall. Then, still angry, he grabs the ax and judiciously chops away a tiny patch of wall between the cupboard and a full-length mirror, hitting neither the cupboard nor the mirror in the process. "Why is everything like this?" he protests. Indeed, why is everything in this film like this?
#3. We finally get to the better part. There is not a lot of story here -- just a cab driver's struggle with Putonghua -- but what there is, is quite realistic, and told in a natural, restrained tone without unnecessary fanfare. There is a poignant moment when another cabbie observes that Cantonese has never been the privileged language -- before Putonghua it was English. That's today's Hong Kong writ small: the absence of that which has never been, is now more acutely felt than ever.
#4. Arguably the best of the bunch, or at least one of the best, on a par with #3, but with a major flaw. The format (mockumentary) is prefect for the subject matter (a growing movement that calls for Hong Kong's independence). The premise -- after an activist died in a hunger strike, someone burnt him/herself in front of the British Consulate -- while bold, is not far-fetched. The voice of the majority of Hong Kong people (majority in real life now, and still majority in the film) who either oppose independence or do not really care -- this, however, is conspicuously missing. The only representative of such people is a racist store keeper who expresses himself primarily by throwing eggs.
#5. Not what I'd call a credible story (boy scouts turning into Red Guards?), but if you take it as a big metaphor for something untold in the film itself, it can be rather revealing. And no doubt it manages to capture the fear of many Hong Kong people. But to those who do not share the same fear, it may come across as contrived and paranoid.
Overall:
Worth watching, though more for the political perspective than for the aesthetic pleasure. And only for the last 53 minutes (thus just 6 stars for the whole thing) -- as is sometimes said in times of turbulence and uncertainty, it has to get worse before it gets better.
Below is a rundown of the five films.
#1. Beijing wants to stage a political assassination to stir fear in Hong Kong. Now, if manufacturing fear is your goal, would you rather the incident take place at a rally in Victoria Park attended by thousands of people, or at a holiday celebration in a school auditorium with a few dozen senior citizens? The screenwriter prefers the auditorium. Then about 2/3 of the film is spent discussing which of the two possible targets should be shot in order to maximize the terror-inducing effect, and the conclusion reached at long last is that -- why didn't we think of that? -- BOTH should be shot. The plan is carried out, ending in what's supposedly a twist of fate for the assassins, but by that time if you're still watching, you will hardly care.
#2. Probably not the most pretentious film you'll ever see, nor the most unintentionally funny. But you get a bit of both. Man and woman have a job no real people have, talk like no real people do, and come up with an idea no real people (I hope) ever tried. At one point, the man ingests coagulant (that's THE IDEA), and somehow starts to feel like taking a walk, but finds his room locked. In a fit of anger he punches and shoves a cupboard so very gently that nothing breaks and a 1.5-meter-long ax sitting precariously on top of the cupboard does not fall. Then, still angry, he grabs the ax and judiciously chops away a tiny patch of wall between the cupboard and a full-length mirror, hitting neither the cupboard nor the mirror in the process. "Why is everything like this?" he protests. Indeed, why is everything in this film like this?
#3. We finally get to the better part. There is not a lot of story here -- just a cab driver's struggle with Putonghua -- but what there is, is quite realistic, and told in a natural, restrained tone without unnecessary fanfare. There is a poignant moment when another cabbie observes that Cantonese has never been the privileged language -- before Putonghua it was English. That's today's Hong Kong writ small: the absence of that which has never been, is now more acutely felt than ever.
#4. Arguably the best of the bunch, or at least one of the best, on a par with #3, but with a major flaw. The format (mockumentary) is prefect for the subject matter (a growing movement that calls for Hong Kong's independence). The premise -- after an activist died in a hunger strike, someone burnt him/herself in front of the British Consulate -- while bold, is not far-fetched. The voice of the majority of Hong Kong people (majority in real life now, and still majority in the film) who either oppose independence or do not really care -- this, however, is conspicuously missing. The only representative of such people is a racist store keeper who expresses himself primarily by throwing eggs.
#5. Not what I'd call a credible story (boy scouts turning into Red Guards?), but if you take it as a big metaphor for something untold in the film itself, it can be rather revealing. And no doubt it manages to capture the fear of many Hong Kong people. But to those who do not share the same fear, it may come across as contrived and paranoid.
Overall:
Worth watching, though more for the political perspective than for the aesthetic pleasure. And only for the last 53 minutes (thus just 6 stars for the whole thing) -- as is sometimes said in times of turbulence and uncertainty, it has to get worse before it gets better.
Short films that explore the deep worries of Hong Kongers
aisuru200110 February 2016
This collection of five short films is an amazing selection of dystopic visions that explore the worries of Hong Kong citizens. Driven by the growing intervention of China in the former British colony, many are worried about the destruction of their way of life. Each of the films uses this general theme differently from conspiracies to the Kafkaesque, the shorts tell the story of the less fortunate, the scientists, the food sellers, the taxi drivers, and the localists who are fighting for the autonomy or even independence of China's special administrative region. Each of the episodes move the audience deeply. As the movie paints an increasingly negative picture of Chinese rule over the city, it is not surprising that articles in official Chinese government mouthpieces have chastised the movie. Even in Hong Kong, many movie theaters did not show this film, which is a true shame, considering that the others were often sold out. I am truly hoping for a DVD soon! This is a movie I must own.
Four to Six Years
Cineanalyst1 July 2021
If anything, this Hong Kong dystopian anthology film, "Ten Years," may've been overly optimistic. It only took four years from its release in 2015 and not ten to introduce an extradition bill as the opening salvo in the Chinese Communist Party's steamrolling of the rights of the citizenry of Hong Kong. Don't expect any more movies like "Ten Years" or many good movies for that matter coming out of the former-British-turned-Chinese colony from now on, either. Something about brutal and oppressive authoritarianism just isn't conductive to the freedom of expression required to make good art. When was the last time you saw a great movie to come out of Xinjiang, after all--"Mulan" (2020) included?
That said, I wish I could honestly say I found "Ten Years" a great film, what with its agreeable social commentary and that it reportedly won a Best Film award for which mainland China censored the awards show (and nobody even bothered to waste effort attempting to distribute the movie itself there). But, the anthology framework, filled as it is with some lackluster episodes, doesn't work very well. The second one, "Season of the End," is especially rather dull. Others, such as "Dialect," which follows a taxi driver forced to learn Mandarin in the once-Cantonese-dominant Hong Kong lest he lose his job, and "Self-Immolator," a mockumentary that seems especially prescient given protests and violence in Hong Kong in recent years, are better. I think the best is saved for last, "Local Egg," which ends with a bookstore's secret depository for contraband. It's the only kind of place where "Ten Years" itself could occupy in China now. An incredibly fitting end with one exception that I could spot: Captain America's shield. Once again, "Ten Years" may've been overly optimistic--in this case that Disney, or Hollywood and capitalism in general, wouldn't kowtow so shamefully to an authoritarian regime. Nope, that merchandise is more likely to be hanging in a politburo conference room than a hidden space for banned artifacts.
That said, I wish I could honestly say I found "Ten Years" a great film, what with its agreeable social commentary and that it reportedly won a Best Film award for which mainland China censored the awards show (and nobody even bothered to waste effort attempting to distribute the movie itself there). But, the anthology framework, filled as it is with some lackluster episodes, doesn't work very well. The second one, "Season of the End," is especially rather dull. Others, such as "Dialect," which follows a taxi driver forced to learn Mandarin in the once-Cantonese-dominant Hong Kong lest he lose his job, and "Self-Immolator," a mockumentary that seems especially prescient given protests and violence in Hong Kong in recent years, are better. I think the best is saved for last, "Local Egg," which ends with a bookstore's secret depository for contraband. It's the only kind of place where "Ten Years" itself could occupy in China now. An incredibly fitting end with one exception that I could spot: Captain America's shield. Once again, "Ten Years" may've been overly optimistic--in this case that Disney, or Hollywood and capitalism in general, wouldn't kowtow so shamefully to an authoritarian regime. Nope, that merchandise is more likely to be hanging in a politburo conference room than a hidden space for banned artifacts.
Prophecy on Hong Kong
beckytam21 April 2020
Pretty much what you'd expect
karsonelmgren31 December 2020
2 main criticisms: firstly, I don't feel like the film really gave me any new insights on the topic (rather, just illustrated some things that were already kind of obvious), and secondly, it made almost no effort to grapple with the technological dimensions, which I think is a major missed opportunity. It gets some points for feeling prophetic from the perspective of a viewer in 2020, but not enough for me to strongly recommend it.
Four out of five isn't bad
euroGary23 October 2016
Made in 2015, 'Ten Years' is a collection of stand-alone stories from different directors that speculate what Hong Kong might be like one decade hence. As such it is surprising the self-imposed authorities in Beijing allowed the film to be made, let alone screened, as most of the stories take a dim view of the Chinese Communist Party's stewardship of the former British territory.
Four of the five stories are interesting and enjoyable, so let's get the dross out of the way first: 'Season of the End', in which a dreary young couple collect specimens of smashed pottery, ash and the like in order to preserve them. Whether this refers to a fad in current-day Hong Kong I do not know, but there seems little purpose to the film, which meanders all over the place, including some ramblings about a holiday the pair took in New Zealand. Perhaps that is the last time they were happy; after sitting through this story, I know how they feel! It is interesting that the least political of the stories is the dullest.
Okay, on to the good stuff: In 'Local Egg' a shopkeeper wonders from where he will source his eggs following the closure of Hong Kong's last poultry farm, and also has to contend with his son's membership of a young communist group that reports deviations from approved labelling in shops. The prospect of children being used to inform on their elders is chilling but all too believable, and the actor playing the everyman grocer gives a nice performance of a man frustrated by petty regulations.
Another nice everyman performance comes from the lead actor in 'Dialect', in which a taxi driver finds his business shrinking because he does not speak well enough the officially-sanctioned Mandarin (Hong Kong's traditional language being Cantonese). This is another example of the Beijing authorities seeking to stamp out local distinctiveness (for an extreme example today, see Tibet). It is enjoyable, but for the viewer who speaks neither Cantonese nor Mandarin and is relying instead on the English sub-titles the full impact was probably lost.
'Extras' follows a plot by members of the Hong Kong elite to pave the way for Beijing to introduce a (presumably restrictive) national security law. Their plan is to shoot one of two politicians appearing at a neighbourhood rally. While discussions continue as to which politician to attack, the ethnic-Indian gangster charged with carrying it out tries to convince himself it will be a success. Shot in black-and-white, this is a suspenseful work.
'Extras' is very enjoyable, but it is beaten by a whisker as the best contribution by 'Self-Immolator', which seeks to assign responsibility for its former territory to the United Kingdom. As the story begins, we see the smoking remains of someone who has set themselves alight outside the British Consulate-General as part of a campaign to force the UK to challenge the Chinese authorities' behaviour. Using a mixture of straight drama and mock interviews, the film then goes back in time a few days, following the lives of various characters (including another ethnic Indian, this time a female student) one of whom, we are led to believe, is the suicide. There's a heart-breaking twist to this tale.
Overall this collection is politically rather one-sided: the only real acknowledgement that some Hong Kongers support Chinese control of the territory is in 'Extras', and I assume a bunch of people plotting assassination are hardly representative of most citizens of HK! But as long as the viewer accepts that (completely understandable) bias, this is - 'Season of the End' aside - a terrific collection of stories.
Four of the five stories are interesting and enjoyable, so let's get the dross out of the way first: 'Season of the End', in which a dreary young couple collect specimens of smashed pottery, ash and the like in order to preserve them. Whether this refers to a fad in current-day Hong Kong I do not know, but there seems little purpose to the film, which meanders all over the place, including some ramblings about a holiday the pair took in New Zealand. Perhaps that is the last time they were happy; after sitting through this story, I know how they feel! It is interesting that the least political of the stories is the dullest.
Okay, on to the good stuff: In 'Local Egg' a shopkeeper wonders from where he will source his eggs following the closure of Hong Kong's last poultry farm, and also has to contend with his son's membership of a young communist group that reports deviations from approved labelling in shops. The prospect of children being used to inform on their elders is chilling but all too believable, and the actor playing the everyman grocer gives a nice performance of a man frustrated by petty regulations.
Another nice everyman performance comes from the lead actor in 'Dialect', in which a taxi driver finds his business shrinking because he does not speak well enough the officially-sanctioned Mandarin (Hong Kong's traditional language being Cantonese). This is another example of the Beijing authorities seeking to stamp out local distinctiveness (for an extreme example today, see Tibet). It is enjoyable, but for the viewer who speaks neither Cantonese nor Mandarin and is relying instead on the English sub-titles the full impact was probably lost.
'Extras' follows a plot by members of the Hong Kong elite to pave the way for Beijing to introduce a (presumably restrictive) national security law. Their plan is to shoot one of two politicians appearing at a neighbourhood rally. While discussions continue as to which politician to attack, the ethnic-Indian gangster charged with carrying it out tries to convince himself it will be a success. Shot in black-and-white, this is a suspenseful work.
'Extras' is very enjoyable, but it is beaten by a whisker as the best contribution by 'Self-Immolator', which seeks to assign responsibility for its former territory to the United Kingdom. As the story begins, we see the smoking remains of someone who has set themselves alight outside the British Consulate-General as part of a campaign to force the UK to challenge the Chinese authorities' behaviour. Using a mixture of straight drama and mock interviews, the film then goes back in time a few days, following the lives of various characters (including another ethnic Indian, this time a female student) one of whom, we are led to believe, is the suicide. There's a heart-breaking twist to this tale.
Overall this collection is politically rather one-sided: the only real acknowledgement that some Hong Kongers support Chinese control of the territory is in 'Extras', and I assume a bunch of people plotting assassination are hardly representative of most citizens of HK! But as long as the viewer accepts that (completely understandable) bias, this is - 'Season of the End' aside - a terrific collection of stories.
Fable
christinelmh8 June 2021
Reality is always for imagination
fastchua30 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
All the imagination will be presented one by one after 5 years. This may not be a prediction, is reality. From the first story, we can see the bureaucracy is slowly eaten the Hong Kong political health, their ugly face is serving for the next generation of Hong Kong is how ridiculous.
And the third and fifth, horrible culture attack. Communist is losing their big country power, they cannibalize the culture of local is just for hide their inferiority.
The forth story is my fav part, it is so straight forward, not hiding for the hate of communist. But is sad for the director, everything is just some no point work for the hard communist. This is a sad prediction, no one can change anything. Form now to end.
And the third and fifth, horrible culture attack. Communist is losing their big country power, they cannibalize the culture of local is just for hide their inferiority.
The forth story is my fav part, it is so straight forward, not hiding for the hate of communist. But is sad for the director, everything is just some no point work for the hard communist. This is a sad prediction, no one can change anything. Form now to end.
Prophetic. Necessary viewing to understand the Hong Kong (and global) situation better
Chronic_Johnson20 July 2020
A collection of Black Mirror-style short films, each themed around the Hong Kong independence issue.
Each of them hit home with solid points. Not one bad short in the bunch. Though, the 2nd one was difficult for me to understand on first viewing. I'm not sure if this is one that people from Hong Kong would have a better chance of understanding, or if it was just ambiguous and artsy for the sake of it.
While some of the shorts are heavily dramatized, the truth behind them are not at all exaggerated.
This came out in 2015 and is set during times between then and 2025. We're halfway there in 2020 now, and we can already see both Hong Kong and even my home-country, Australia, heading down this very dark path.
It is depressing to watch, for the majority of it. And it has every reason to be. But it ends with a small glimmer of hope.
People need to pay attention, and stop things from getting worse before it's too late. And though it may seem as though it is too late for Hong Kong, the film would like you to think otherwise.
Don't get used to crazy changes happening in the world, when these changes don't have to happen.
And no matter what side of the political spectrum you are on, we could all benefit from thinking before following blindly.
Shorts ranked:
1. Self-Immolator - 9/10
2. Dialect - 9/10
3. Local Egg - 9/10
4. Extras - 8/10
5. Season of the End - ?/10
9/10.
Each of them hit home with solid points. Not one bad short in the bunch. Though, the 2nd one was difficult for me to understand on first viewing. I'm not sure if this is one that people from Hong Kong would have a better chance of understanding, or if it was just ambiguous and artsy for the sake of it.
While some of the shorts are heavily dramatized, the truth behind them are not at all exaggerated.
This came out in 2015 and is set during times between then and 2025. We're halfway there in 2020 now, and we can already see both Hong Kong and even my home-country, Australia, heading down this very dark path.
It is depressing to watch, for the majority of it. And it has every reason to be. But it ends with a small glimmer of hope.
People need to pay attention, and stop things from getting worse before it's too late. And though it may seem as though it is too late for Hong Kong, the film would like you to think otherwise.
Don't get used to crazy changes happening in the world, when these changes don't have to happen.
And no matter what side of the political spectrum you are on, we could all benefit from thinking before following blindly.
Shorts ranked:
1. Self-Immolator - 9/10
2. Dialect - 9/10
3. Local Egg - 9/10
4. Extras - 8/10
5. Season of the End - ?/10
9/10.
Realistic
zidanleexiaoyao28 December 2020
This is not look like a fictional movie because it's all based on the understanding of CCP and the realistic situation of Hong Kong. No one person hope to see it happen but it happens faster in the reality than in the film.
Fiction became a documentary
kshar228 February 2021
This film truly is something out of ordinary. The authorities tried to prevent its release, but it became a box office hit, defying all the odds. Upon release, it seemed to be an overly exaggerated prediction of days to come, and yet now it feels more like a documentary than anything else.
As it turned out, it didn't take 10 years for the future predicted in this anthology to come. What is more, the filmmakers' grim vision turned out to be an understatement! And viewing it post-factum, knowing of all the events that have happened since 2015, only makes each of these short films hit ever closer to home. I wouldn't say that the cinematography here is perfect and one would need to be introduced to the recent history of Hong Kong prior to viewing to fully understand the statements the film is trying to make, but I'd say it's worthy of your time.
We may only hope that the future of Hong Kong will be a bright one, yet can definitely say that it will never be as it was before.
As it turned out, it didn't take 10 years for the future predicted in this anthology to come. What is more, the filmmakers' grim vision turned out to be an understatement! And viewing it post-factum, knowing of all the events that have happened since 2015, only makes each of these short films hit ever closer to home. I wouldn't say that the cinematography here is perfect and one would need to be introduced to the recent history of Hong Kong prior to viewing to fully understand the statements the film is trying to make, but I'd say it's worthy of your time.
We may only hope that the future of Hong Kong will be a bright one, yet can definitely say that it will never be as it was before.
Perfect...
RosanaBotafogo1 August 2021
Passionate, 5 magnificent stories, Honconguese production with fantastic social criticism of Chinese politics, tight budget, stupendous result, the unsuccessful murder, the taxi driver in Cantonese dialect, in the face of the prejudice of Mandarin supremacy, the suffering and pain of self-immolation, and the less interesting, but unknown couple hunters of strange things and incomprehensible situations...
A prophecy of China Hong Kong
maymooday1 August 2021
Predicts future of Hong Kong. Except it doesn't have to take ten years and once what we thought impossible are becoming true stories. Didn't like segment "Self-immolator" as it was like a lot of HK movies, pretentious and ambiguous.
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