Best Hong Kong documentary movies
Get ready to binge. We've found a collection of must-watch documentary films from Hong Kong, now streaming on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Prime Video, and other top services!
Jackie Chan: My Stunts (1999)
Jackie Chan: My Stunts (1999)
Jackie Chan: My Stunts shows some of the tricks of the trade that Jackie and his stunt team utilize to perform their stunts. This is not an endless gag reel of stunts gone wrong, but an in depth look at how timing and camera placement can make or break a shot. Jackie will show you what is done to enhance fights and protect the stuntmen from getting injured. Of course, if the character you are portraying is wearing shorts and a tank top, you just have to get hurt!
Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey (2000)
Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey (2000)
Documentary on the legendary martial artist Bruce Lee, with a focus on the production of his unfinished film Game of Death. Using interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, Lee aficionado John Little paints a portrait of the world's most famous action hero, concluding with a new cut of Game of Death's action finale, reconstructed from Lee's notes and recently-recovered footage.
Bruce Lee: The Legend (1984)
Bruce Lee: The Legend (1984)
The Official Golden Harvest tribute to the Master of the Martial Arts Film, Bruce Lee.
Jackie Chan: My Story (1998)
Jackie Chan: My Story (1998)
Jackie Chan is one of the world's biggest action stars, famed for his wacky sense of humor, remarkable martial arts techniques, and willingness to perform incredible stunts without the use of doubles -- or a net. This video takes a personal look at Chan as he works on screen projects in Hollywood and Beijing and candidly discusses his life and work.
Revolution of Our Times (2021)
Revolution of Our Times (2021)
Throughout Hong Kong’s history, Hongkongers have fought for freedom and democracy but have yet to succeed. In 2019, a controversial extradition bill was introduced that would allow Hongkongers to be tried in mainland China. This decision spurred massive protests, riots, and resistance against heavy-handed Chinese rule over the City-State. Award-winning director Kiwi Chow documents the events to tell the story of the movement, with both a macro view of its historical context and footage and interviews from protestors on the front lines.
Kung Fu Stuntmen (2021)
Kung Fu Stuntmen (2021)
A new documentary film revisits the golden age of kung fu stuntmen and action directors in Hong Kong during the 1960s-'80s, exploring their pain and struggles. The documentary is a tribute to kung fu stuntmen. “They risked their lives for stunts,” said kung fu choreographer Yuen Bin. In their heyday, these stuntmen and choreographers presented the best, most creative and most complicated kung fu fight sequences anywhere in the world, creating stunts that looked seemingly impossible.
@ in the mood for love (2000)
@ in the mood for love (2000)
A documentary following Wong Kar-wai and his cast and crew through the production of his 2000 film In the Mood for Love.
Sunday Beauty Queen (2016)
Sunday Beauty Queen (2016)
Beneath Hong Kong's glittering facade, Filipina domestic helpers work in relative anonymity and for near-slave wages. In a beauty pageant like no other, five helpers give themselves makeovers for a day and gleefully reclaim their dignity.
Bruce Lee: The Man and the Legend (1973)
Bruce Lee: The Man and the Legend (1973)
This documentary tells the story of Bruce Lee and his unsuccessful efforts to start a acting career in the U.S., he returned to Hong Kong where he became an international star, and his death at age 32.
Buenos Aires Zero Degree: The Making of 'Happy Together' (1999)
Buenos Aires Zero Degree: The Making of 'Happy Together' (1999)
A making of documentary for Happy Together. Includes interviews, on-set footage, cut scenes and footage of crew members revisiting the locations where Happy Together was filmed.
Keep Rolling (2020)
Keep Rolling (2020)
One of Hong Kong's most influential filmmakers, Ann Hui, becomes a “star” for the first time in Man Lim-chung's directorial debut. A forerunner of the New Wave, Hui’s tumultuous, forty-year career is an unequivocal testimony to her unyielding dedication to filmmaking, and her expedition into the metamorphic city. This biopic probes into the acclaimed director’s idiosyncratic world, where we witness her rashness and goofiness, as well as her humanistic concerns for the everyday nobodies which make her films so moving.
Top Fighter (1995)
Top Fighter (1995)
Welcome to the world of the martial arts. A voyage for the times of the martial arts cinema, from the beginning in China in the 6th Century A.C. by a Buddhist monk, Bodhidharma, until the actual time and the influence in the world, with interviews to actors and historians, and a review to the most important movies of all times and to the most famous action movies actors. A magnificent jewel of this genre what nobody wouldn't lose.
Walker (2012)
Walker (2012)
In 2012, the Hong Kong International Film Festival invited Tsai Ming-Ling to make the opening short film. Having grown up with Hong Kong's popular culture, Tsai Ming-Liang decided to pay homage by making a "Walker" film, contrasting the Walker's slowness with the frenzied pace of Hong Kong's cosmopolitan life. The film ends with a song by Hong Kong actor and singer Samuel Hui, who was Tsai Ming-Liang's idol during his youth. The film was invited to be the closing short film for the Cannes Film Festival in 2012.
Fish Story (2013)
Fish Story (2013)
J and Jacky are good friends who attend the same school. J is from a single-parent family, and will be taken care by Jacky’s family whenever his mother has to return to Mainland to renew her visa; such kind of story is not an isolated case. These families have been uprooted for a “better future” in Hong Kong, but is this “future” that the children really long to have? A Chinese saying: “How does one understand the joy of fish, if one is not a fish?” Will the adults really understand what the children want?
Boundless (2013)
Boundless (2013)
As Hong Kong's foremost filmmaker, Johnnie To himself becomes the protagonist of this painstaking documentary exploring him and his Boundless world of film. A film student from Beijing and avid Johnnie To fan, Ferris Lin boldly approached To with a proposal to document the master director for his graduation thesis. To agreed immediately and Lin's camera closely followed him for over two years, capturing the man behind the movies and the myths. The result is Boundless, a candid profile of one of Hong Kong's greatest directors and a heartfelt love letter to Hong Kong cinema.
Lost Course (2021)
Lost Course (2021)
Lost Course chronicles a grassroots democratic movement in the southern Chinese village of Wukan. The villagers protest against the corrupt local officials before ousting them and organising elections of their own. However, after taking control of their destiny, the villagers find themselves beset by the same corruption and cynicism endemic. Following three main characters, Li reveals the complexities of their struggles, triumphs and setbacks from the inside.
Inside the Red Brick Wall (2020)
Inside the Red Brick Wall (2020)
In 2019, Hong Kong was swept by demonstrations against the controversial extradition bill. At the Polytechnic University, a group of students also takes a stand for freedom and democracy. Negotiations with the police are chaotic and aggressive, conducted via megaphones and politically charged music played over loudspeakers. The colorful umbrellas which the young people use to protect themselves against the brutal police actions emphasize the group’s bravado, which borders on recklessness. What begins as an energetic battle against the establishment turns into a lopsided game of cat and mouse when the police decide to surround the building. Within its red brick walls, the university building becomes a prison. Over the nearly two weeks that follow, as fear and exhaustion grow among the hundreds of students, so does the uncertainty. Should they hang on inside, or leave the building to face the armed police?
The Best of the Martial Arts Films (1990)
The Best of the Martial Arts Films (1990)
The most explosive barehanded combat sequences ever filmed. An electrifying video of martial arts mastery and mayhem. This program takes a behind-the-scenes look at the weapons, the mystical eastern philosophy, and the incredible skills that have made martial arts films one of the most popular genres in the world today.
Elegies (2023)
Elegies (2023)
From Boat People (1982) to Our Time Will Come (2017), from family struggles to anti-Japanese history, Venice Career Golden Lion-winning auteur Ann Hui finally films a topic she holds most dear – poetry. Through her personal encounters with some of Hong Kong’s most notable poets, Hui shows the topography of contemporary poetry on and of the city. Two poles of reality, the unrestrained Huang Canran and the cosmopolitan Liu Wai-tong, are juxtaposed to reveal two distinctively different personalities, ideals, and ways of life. Seeing the late Xi Xi recite her own poem about the old Kai Tak Airport is a deeply heart-warming moment.
Jackie Chan - Invincible Fighter (1995)
Jackie Chan - Invincible Fighter (1995)
Invincible Fighter is a documentary on Jackie Chan
Lost in the Fumes (2017)
Lost in the Fumes (2017)
Edward Leung was an average student before he unexpectedly finds himself at the focal point of two Legislative Council elections. Despite winning over 60,000 votes in the by-election, his ticket to LegCo is forfeited when the regime imposes extra measures in the nomination process. On the other hand, Edward finds his free days numbered as he faces rioting charges for taking part in the Mong Kok Protest.
G.E.M.: G-Force (2017)
G.E.M.: G-Force (2017)
G-FORCE is a music documentary that tells an aspiring story of how an ordinary teenage girl from Hong Kong (G.E.M.) overnight becomes the biggest female singer in China. Through her devotion to music and jaw-dropping music talent G.E.M.'s music melted the hearts of millions in China, her success story has inspired many in her generation; G.E.M. is to the core the voice of the next generation Chinese. Award-winning director Nick Wickham takes you through this 90-min music journey to witness the rise of the Chinese superstar. Along with G.E.M.'s spectacular performances the director also shines a spotlight on her untold stories, the sacrifices she has to make for staying true to herself in the endless uphill battle. A one in a billion story of inspiring adventure, involuntary conflicts, and unshakable devotion, G-FORCE is a must-see for all dreamers.
Rebellion (2019)
Rebellion (2019)
As the 'one country two systems' policy in Hong Kong has slowly eroded, resentment among the territory's citizens has steadily grown. What began as a series of spontaneous protests against an extradition law in March 2019 has now escalated in to a full-blown popular uprising that shows no signs of abating. ABC Four Corners reports from the frontline of the action, capturing extraordinary footage of the growing tension and violence.
Umbrella Diaries: The First Umbrella (2018)
Umbrella Diaries: The First Umbrella (2018)
The film charts the origins of the Umbrella Movement through the eyes of the activists and ordinary people who made it happen. From the June 4th Candlelit Vigil until September 28th, this documentary puts us at the heart of the action, allowing us to experiencing the highs and lows of that remarkable summer, when Hong Kong witnessed a "blossoming of democracy."
KJ: Music and Life (2009)
KJ: Music and Life (2009)
KJ is a biography of a HK musical genius. At the age of 11, KJ won the Best Pianist price and went to Czech to perform with a professional orchestra. Touching on subjects such as the meaning of life, God and the artistic process, the director’s 6-year-conversations with KJ reveal how a young man inspires by his music teacher, Nancy Loo and how he conflicts with his peers and parents. KJ is not about the victory of a genius, but how he learns to be a "human being".
Four Trails (2024)
Four Trails (2024)
Hong Kong may be best known as an urban jungle, but it’s also home to dozens of hiking paths that offer breath-taking views of the city’s natural surroundings. In 2012, Andre Blumberg created the Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge (HK4TUC), a marathon of four Hong Kong ultra-distance trails totalling 298 km over three non-stop days. Chronicling the 2021 edition of what is now one of the hardest ultramarathons on the planet, Robin Lee’s riveting feature-length sequel to his award winning sports documentary shows runners facing a gruelling endurance test.
Distinction (2018)
Distinction (2018)
Two high school students from very different backgrounds participate in a musical with mentally disabled children, which eventually leads to the realisation of their dreams and aspirations.
Where Are You Going (2016)
Where Are You Going (2016)
Hong Kong as seen through a cab window. Inhabitants discuss their lives, problems and dreams as they are driven to their destination through the chaotic streets of Hong Kong.