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Deep Dive: Blue Island (2022)

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Blue Island
Blue Island is a 2022 documentary directed by Chan Tze-woon that examines the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests through a blend of narrative drama and documentary elements. The film is structured into segments that connect historical and contemporary figures and events in Hong Kong and China. It features stories from different periods, including the Cultural Revolution, the Tiananmen Square Massacre, and the recent protests against the Anti-Extradition Bill. The film includes personal accounts from representative figures like Chan Hak-chi, who escaped political turmoil in the 1970s, and Lam Yiu-keung, who witnessed the Tiananmen Square Massacre. It also contrasts the identities of individuals like Raymond Young, who defended Maoist thought during the 1967 riots, with Kelvin Tam Kwan-Long, who identifies as a Hongkonger during the 2019 protests. The final section reflects on the decline of protests in Hong Kong due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the National Security Law, concluding with a montage of individuals facing legal repercussions for their activism.

Why Watch

  • •See Lam Yiu-keung's firsthand account of Tiananmen Square.
  • •Meet protestors from the 2019 Anti-Extradition Bill protests.
  • •Find out how COVID-19 affected Hong Kong protests.

Did You Know

•Chan Hak-chi swam across the Shenzhen border to escape in 1973.
•Lam Yiu-keung witnessed the Tiananmen Square Massacre in May 1989.
•Kelvin Tam Kwan-Long was sentenced to three and a half years for rioting.

Perfect For

Hong Kong historyPolitical activismDocumentary filmmaking