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.

INSIDE THE RED BRICK WALL takes us into the heart of one of these protests: the two-week occupation and siege of Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Filmed by an anonymous collective, the film captures the cat-and-mouse game played by protesters and police in the early days of the siege, followed by days filled with helplessness and desperation, as the demonstrators attempt to escape without being arrested and brutalized.

It is remarkable as a document of the siege and the government’s response—but also for its stunning visuals, including protesters in gas masks asleep on concrete steps and hardhats arranged on the ground to spell out “SOS”. Made without commentary, INSIDE THE RED BRICK WALL captures the urgency and chaos of the protests.

This film is a companion to TAKING BACK THE LEGISLATURE, made by the same anonymous collective.