Kenny Chiu, former Conservative MP for Steveston-Richmond East, said he was “deeply moved” after watching a controversial film about the democratic protests in his hometown of Hong Kong.
All 2,300 tickets for the Vancouver screening of Revolution of Our Times, a 152-minute documentary detailing the 2019 to 2020 Hong Kong pro-democracy protests, sold out within minutes.
The documentary paints a clear picture of the anti-extradition law movement and the emotional journey most Hongkongers have been through over the past few years.
Chiu, who was born in Hong Kong and invited to screening earlier this week, said he admired fellow Hongkongers for their courage to fight against tyranny.
“We also need to keep in mind that it’s not just a small group of people from Hong Kong who were fighting for their freedom. Instead, Hongkongers from different age groups and walks of life were joining the fight together,” said Chiu.
Event organizer Sam Lung said he didn’t expect the feedback from the local community would be so overwhelmingly positive.
“Our email box has been flooded with tons of requests to ask for more showings. In response to the increasing demand from the public, we will add another 14 screenings between February and March 13,” said Lung.
Black banners and Post-It notes were set up at the theaters screening the documentary so attendees could share their thoughts, said Lung, noting the idea was inspired by the Lennon Wall.
Another Richmondite, Victor Ho, a political commentator on Hong Kong issues, said the movie brought him tears and revealed new insights into the democratic movement in Hong Kong.
“Although Hong Kong seemed to have fallen under China’s rule and Hongkongers’ freedom has been taken away, the real spirit of Hong Kong still exists. Hongkongers show the world how to stand in solidarity to fight for freedom,” he said.
In addition to Vancouver, the documentary was screened in Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto.
Revolution of Our Times could not be screened in Hong Kong and China, but was shown in France, Taiwan, Japan and the United States.
