Hong Kong: City on Fire is a startling account of the pro-democracy movement that shook Hong Kong and prompted an exodus of white collar refugees to the United Kingdom.

Taking us from Hong Kong’s 1997 handover from British rule into Chinese administrative control, and all the way to 2019 when a controversial extradition bill is greeted with massive street protests, this urgent film beds in with Hong Kong’s pro-democracy demonstrations, offering a frontline portrait of four young protesters through a year of struggle. We see their hopes for a freer life and feel their fears as the authorities crack down. Pulse-racing scenes bring the viewer to street level, where peaceful protest is met with fury and tear gas.

Clear-eyed about the complications and contradictions that come with a movement that changed Hong Kong forever, Hong Kong: City on Fire is a brave document of troubled times.

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