Taking Back the Legislature
Across Asia
•
46m
Directed by Hong Kong Documentary Filmmakers • Documentary • 2021 • 46 minutes
TAKING BACK THE LEGISLATURE unspools over the course of a single day – one that marked a critical moment in the 2019 Hong Kong protests against the new extradition law.
On July 1, Hong Kong marked the 22nd anniversary of the territory’s handover from the UK to China. But this time, the ceremonies were overshadowed by the deaths of three protesters. What had begun as demonstrations against a new extradition law swelled into a broader pro-democracy movement.
Made by an anonymous collective, TAKING BACK THE LEGISLATURE documents the movement from the inside, as the mostly young protesters decide to storm and then occupy the assembly. Pro-democracy legislators try to dissuade them, arguing they are needlessly putting themselves in danger. Eventually, after battering at the building’s glass for hours, the demonstrators enter and take over the legislative chamber. TAKING BACK THE LEGISLATURE is an important historical document, offering insights into the dynamics of the occupation.
This film is a companion to INSIDE THE RED BRICK WALL, made by the same anonymous collective, on the November 2019 siege of Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Up Next in Across Asia
-
Ta'ang
Directed by Wang Bing • Documentary • 2016 • 147 minutes
Director Wang Bing brings his careful eye to the mountainous border-region of northeastern Myanmar in Ta’ang, a powerful and revealing observational documentary that follows members of the Ta’ang minority as they flee to China to escape an...
-
Inside the Red Brick Wall
Directed by Hong Kong Documentary Filmmakers • Documentary • 2021 • 88 minutes
In 2019, the world was captivated by pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. Demonstrators, many with colorful umbrellas, faced teargas and rubber bullets for calling to an end to increasing Chinese control of Hong Kong....
-
Bright Future
Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa • Drama • With Joe Odagiri, Tatsuya Fuji, Tadanobu Asano • 2003 • 115 minutes
"Casts its spell by drawing out the horror of everyday existence bit by bit, and then tossing in some otherworldly weirdness that makes the hair on the back of your neck try to run for cove...
