of “Blue Island” A hybrid documentary-drama directed by Chan Tze Woon, a real-life student from contemporary Hong Kong reenacts the political struggles of a previous generation.
Two students, Anson Shyam and Siu Ying, follow in the footsteps of Chan Hak Chi and Git Hing, a couple who fled the Cultural Revolution to Hong Kong in 1973. Part of a re-enactment of the breakout is cross-cut with documentary footage of the 2019 Hong Kong crackdown on protesters. Elsewhere, student activist Keith Fung Chunying meets and plays Kenneth Lam during his visit to Beijing in 1989. In solidarity with the protesters in Tiananmen Square.
The young subjects’ recent experiences color their descriptions. “You’re not just playing 20-year-old Kenneth in the ’80s. In one of the many moments when the film breaks the fourth wall, the director directs Fong. Elsewhere, Raymond Young tells Imprisoned by the British in 1967 for a bulletin he circulated, Kelvin Tam Kwanlong, a student protester playing him (he was charged with rioting and is himself awaiting trial) ), who tells him that time will erode his ideals.
“Blue Island” shows how Hong Kong residents have redefined themselves over time. While playing Young in 1967, Tam defiantly told a British official that he was Chinese. The visible Tam claims to the interrogator that he is Hong Kong and not Chinese.
The film concludes with a long, silent montage of those accused of involvement in the pro-democracy movement. It is impossible to see the “Blue Island” without admiring their bravery. The parallel between past and present is provocative, but also faintly superficial. This is a way to eliminate distinctions and rationalize history.
blue island
Unrated. Cantonese, Mandarin, English, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 37 minutes. at the theater.