Screening of documentary on Hong Kong pro-democracy protests canceled

Beijing, Mar 16 (efe-epa).- A controversial documentary on Hong Kong pro-democracy protests was pulled out hours before the film was scheduled to be screened in the city.

“Inside the Red Brick Wall” covers 2019 clashes between protesters and security forces at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University was to premiere in the city on Monday evening.

The Hong Kong Film Critics Society said on its Facebook page that the screening had attracted “too much attention” and therefore they canceled it to prevent “possible misunderstanding.”

The society awarded the film and had scheduled to screen it at the Golden Scenes cinema hall on Mar.15 and 21.

The documentary’s producers, Ying E Chi Cinema, said it was apparent that in the future screening the film would get “increasingly difficult.”

They insisted that showing the film was “completely legal” despite doubts over whether it could be seen as violating the national security law.

The 88-minute film was made by anonymous Hong Kong filmmakers and won the best editing award at the prestigious International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam.

Last week, pro-Beijing Hong Kong dailies Ta Kung Pao and Wen Wei Po had published a series of articles accusing the documentary of glorifying violence and arguing that its producers were linked to the anti-government protests, which could be seen as a violation of the controversial national security law.

The law, designed and imposed by Beijing last year, carries sentences of up to life imprisonment for charges such as secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces.

Its implementation has led to a marked decline in the civil liberties enjoyed by the special administrative region.

On Monday, it was announced that the documentary “Do Not Split,” also about the Hong Kong protests, has been nominated for the Oscars under the best documentary short subject section. EFE-EPA

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