Best Hong Kong documentary movies

A documentary focused on plastic pollution in the world's oceans.

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!

The Official Golden Harvest tribute to the Master of the Martial Arts Film, Bruce Lee.

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.

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.

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.

A documentary following Wong Kar-wai and his cast and crew through the production of his 2000 film In the Mood for Love.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

Invincible Fighter is a documentary on Jackie Chan

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

Although the Chinese government promised that Hong Kong would retain separate status until 2047, in recent years the Chinese state has consolidated its power over the metropolis. Large-scale protests by the populace have been brutally suppressed. This mix of documentary, fiction, and visions of the future reveals the current state of desolate depression among the people of Hong Kong. “A desperate attempt to capture the final moments of a sinking island”, as maker Chan Tze-woon himself puts it.

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.

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.

A father has been fighting for the rights of his daughter since she consumed tainted milk powder, yet fails to be understood. With a focus on the connection between father and daughter, the director returns to her own family, discussing love and growth. All of these efforts started with an experience dated back to her childhood.

Tracing the beginnings of Jet Tone Films, which was founded in 1991 by Wong Kar Wai for the production of Ashes of Time (1994), the film features never-before-seen materials, including deleted scenes, behind-the-scene footage, and selected narration by Wong Kar Wai.

Snuggle explores different generations' views on aging and death through the experiences of three families struggling with elderly caretaking and imminent loss. Commissioned by the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, the moving documentary was shot over two years, bearing witness to the difficult journeys and decisions of life and death confronted by ordinary people. The Lees face multiple tragedies in a short period of time as the patriarch, himself tormented with illness, deals with the grief of losing his daughter and wife. His son hopes that he will soon find peace in heaven. The Chans live in an elderly home and rely on their unmarried middle-aged daughter who has long carried the financial and emotional pressure of caring for them. Lam Siu Ming duly carries out filial responsibilities for the only family he has left, the cancer-stricken mentally disabled mother who abandoned him as a child.

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".

They are frozen in place, stagnating without any direction. Around them, things change rapidly.

Echoing with voices from the streets of Hong Kong, "Love in the Time of Revolution" documents the passion, spirit and sacrifice of ordinary Hong Kongers during a time of political and social upheaval. In 2019, Hong Kong government plans to introduce a law permitting the extradition of criminal suspects to Mainland China sparked a mass protest movement unprecedented in scale. The people of Hong Kong marched - 1 million strong, then 2 million - to save what they saw as the city's eroding freedoms and rule of law. When their demands went unheeded, the protests intensified, and the streets of Hong Kong became soaked in tear gas and blood as valiant frontline protesters clashed with riot police. Behind the frontliners stood a peaceful silent majority, committed to a hard-won solidarity as they attempt to save the city that they love.

As pro-democracy activists and armed police battle in the streets of Hong Kong, ordinary citizens are choosing sides. Historically an outlier of both western and Chinese power, Hong Kong wields its own economic force, affording the city and its people a spirit of independence that has now erupted into clouds of tear gas. Filmmaker Bing Zhou uses a nimble camera to follow a group of protagonists—two opposing political candidates, a tea shop owner, a cab driver, a police officer, a paramedic—on two separate days of conflict. On September 21, 2019, protestors from three districts join forces, resulting in unprecedented violence. Just 10 days later on October 1, the National Day of the People’s Republic of China, previously undecided onlookers show their stripes. Thoughts transform into action in this demonstration of how mercurial and personal Hong Kong’s politics have become.

Why does Old Granny seem less lovable as she ages? 82-year-old Granny lives with her fifth son in a Guangzhou apartment, but spends most of the time by herself. Two of her children are dead, another two have their own families, and a further two divide their time between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The only connection among members of this family seems to be the annual grave sweeping ceremony.

After a night of planning and mourning, a storm is brewing at early hours of 1 July, 2019. In face of the absurdity of the government's indoor flag ceremony, protesters question the usefulness of peaceful protest and hope to storm the Legislative Council Complex as a last-ditch effort to ignite change in the movement. As they confront pro-democracy councillors outside the complex, their pent-up anger and despair explode.

Until 2015, the government proposed land resumption without consultation to build a subsidized housing unit. In Hong Kong, where land is extremely expensive, it is not difficult to become a target for eradication if it is regarded as "no economic value". Cloth vendors roar for their common beliefs, between struggle and life, between politicians and bureaucrats, in Sham Shui Po "shacks", in the wind and rain, on sunny days, this is their living space.

Behind the gas masks of Hong Kong’s democracy movement, the often very young activists are just as diverse as the youths of the rest of the world. But they share a demand for democracy and freedom. They have the will and the courage to fight – and they can see that things are going in the wrong direction in the small island city, which officially has autonomy under China but is now tightening its grip and demanding that ‘troublemakers’ be put away or silenced. Amid the violent protests, we meet a 21-year-old student, a teenage couple and a new father.

A story of Hong Kong told by three generations of real people: 'preschooled' children, 'preoccupied' young people, and 'preposterous' senior citizens.

This anthology film, whose Chinese title begins with a romantic name for human excrement, premiered internationally at Rotterdam and won Best Screenplay from the Hong Kong Film Critics Society. A variety of Hong Kong people wrestle with nostalgia when facing an uncertain future. Their stories give way to a documentary featuring a young barista turned political candidate.

In 2015, Tsai Ming-Liang was once again invited by the Hong Kong International Film Festival to make the opening short film. This time, he selected Shibuya station in Tokyo as his main filming location and invited the famous Japanese actor Masanobu Ando to appear alongside Lee Kang-Sheng. They sleep separately at a capsule hotel and cleanse themselves at a public bath. Their fatigued bodies yearn for sleep but restless minds keep them for falling asleep. "No No Sleep" won the Best Director Award at the Taipei Film Festival.

Stuntman, action director, and martial arts legend Mark Houghton tells his story of breaking into the Hong Kong film industry, his struggle with injuries and depression, and the promise he made his teacher, the legendary filmmaker Lau Kar Leung.

A chronicle of the grassroots effort to save the iconic State Theatre in North Point from demolition. This evocative documentary is also a deep dive into the eye-opening story of Harry Odell, the theatre’s founder and Hong Kong’s first impresario, who brought Xavier Cugat, Isaac Stern, and other legendary musical figures to the city. Rich with local history, and possessing a surprising connection to local singer Hins Cheung, the story of the State Theatre and Harry Odell is a celebration of Hong Kong’s dynamic culture and indomitable spirit.

Sparked by the demolition and reconstruction of its century-old campus, Ying Wa Girls' School embarks on a project to chronicle the transformation of its students through the camera of director Mabel Cheung, its distinguished alumna. Following a group of young students since 2011, the documentary captures the trials and tribulations that go with the most turbulent decade in Hong Kong's history.

BTS's Love Yourself World Tour in Asia included concerts in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand.

Three provincial girls departed for Beijing. Yu Quin works as a hostess in a night-club, leaving her two-year-old daughter in someone else's care. Hu Jin is a bit part player and runway model. Zun Ji worked as a dancer in a discotheque, but returned to her hometown after she became a drug addict.

Political engagement spawned the wildest of wonderlands for Hong Kong’s creativity – but as a new law annihilates freedom of expression overnight, underground artists and creatives find themselves targets, and their works disappeared. Together we race to preserve the creative uprising amid China’s crackdown.

"I feel like a piece of neon, I'm just a gas inside a tube." — 'Christopher Doyle: Filming in the Neon World' is part of NEONSIGNS.HK — an online exhibition on Hong Kong's neon signs.

The story focus on Caridad and Georgina, who had learned the art of Cantonese Opera in Havana as a young age and performed as divas for over a decade before their lives were changed by Fidel Castro's revolution.

A sober exploration of this generation's hopes, dreams and fears for themselves and for post-Umbrella Movement Hong Kong.

How challenging is the Hong Kong university entrance exam? Is failing it the end of the world? Popular Youtube Channel “Trial & Error” spent 8 months documenting the journey of Hong, an exam candidate that doesn’t give much thought to his future. With the help offer by the team, will Hong be able to make up for the lost time and secure a spot in university?

A documentary study of martial arts films and their leading protagonists. Included are profiles of such artists as Bruce Lee, Cynthia Rothrock, Jackie Chan, Jean-Claude Van Damme and John Woo favorite Chow Yun-Fat.

In the wake of her passing, fans of the late Hong Kong icon Anita Mui strive to save and return a collection of fan-given gifts that are destined for the landfill. As the items find they way back to the original senders, personal stories of friendship and fandom with the superstar begin to emerge.

The sequel to "Top Fighter" focuses on the importance of women in martial arts movies, from starting as the "hero's girl" to becoming superstars by themselves. Featuring Angela Mao, Michelle Yeoh, Cynthia Rothrock and more.

The turmoil that has overtaken Hong Kong since its return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 has spawned a new generation of young, passionately committed activist filmmakers; they want to tell Hong Kong's story with Hong Kong voices. And the best indie documentary to have emerged so far from the HKSAR is this year's Yellowing, by Chan Tze Woon, a 29-year-old with degrees in policy studies and film production. Hong Kong's fraught, tense relationship with its mainland Chinese overseers came to a head with the Umbrella Movement of 2014. A crowd of protesters stormed Civic Square on September 27. The next day police shocked most residents of the HKSAR by attacking the growing crowds with volleys of tear gas, whereupon a wide cross section of Hong Kongers occupied the streets in several areas and stayed for almost 6 weeks. Chan took his camera on the streets for 67 days during these events.

Edmond Poon, a Hong Kong renowned DJ who hosts psychic programs, supported by the metapsychology masters and warlocks from Southeast Asia who acts as advisors, leads a psychic exploring team to scout for little-known mysterious and supernatural cases or strange customs including Soul-grabbing Witchcraft, Menstruation Witchcraft (Indonesia), Headless Horseman in Prince Hotel, Suicide Curse in Aokigahara Forest (Japan), and MTR Dead Omen, Lone Ghost in Regal Hotel and Secret Organisation Shadow Team (Hong Kong), just to name a few. Many precious clips are uncovered for the first time providing gruesome viewing experience.

A full journey from the beginning of "Swordplay" movies in Shanghai, growth in Hong Kong cinemas in the 60's and 70's and Ang Lee's epic "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in 2000. The series also features interviews with such luminaries including John Woo, Chu Yuen, Lau Ka Leung, Gordon Lau Ka Fai, Sammo Hung, David Chiang and Cheng Pei Pei.

James Wong and his female assistant visited various kinds of pleasure-houses, including invisible dens, high-tech private dens, smuggling blackpoints and famouse tryst places, both large and small ones, throughout Hong Kong. They also looked back to the Scientific Beauty in Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park, striptease in the Kowloon Walled City and the old stories in fish-ball stalls. There are also interviews of call-girls and grooms.

This film is a portrait of unique cultural space for Spirits, Gods and People. While permanent theatres are commonly built in most cosmopolitan modern cities, Hong Kong preserves a unique theatrical architecture, a Chinese tradition that has lasted more than a century - Bamboo Theatre.

Former classmates Alexandra and Alexis may share the same name, but they couldn’t be more different. Alexandra is beautiful, intelligent, rich, and completely insufferable. Self-centered and patronizing, she’s an expert in quick put-downs, nasty name-calling, and brokering gossip into profit. Alexis is a simple-minded, pure-hearted, and hard-working gal who is constantly bullied by her future sister-in-law’s family with whom she stays. Crossing paths again by chance, the two girls don’t want anything to do with each other – until a freak accident causes them to switch bodies!

A documentary team takes on an expedition to an exotic country in Southeast Asia in search of paranormal phenomena. What they never expected is a horrifying journey with encounters of unexplained occurrences. Led by a notable parapsychologist, the encounters are so gruesome and hone chilling beyond what they can bear, ranging from paranormal phenomenon such as poltergeist, exorcism, haunted house to supernatural force like witchcraft, spells, voodoo, curse, tec. Based on Hong Kong Cable TV’s popular paranormal phenomena program of the same name, “The Unbelievable” is a documentary-style movie that throws the audiences to the twilight zone…and beyond! Rated Category III for its shocking scenes of horror, violence and nudity, the reality program-turned-movie features extreme content that makes the TV version look tame in comparison. I’m a fan of the HK TV program. If you like paranormal stuff, check this out!

Director Shu Kei travelled to Venice, Canada, London and Hong Kong, collecting accounts of the Tiananmen impact. Among his interviewees are: award-winning Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien; Hong Kong director Alfred Cheung, a witness to the massacre; actress Deanne Ip, whose national consciousness is fired by the event; as well as his own brothers, one who soon migrates from Hong Kong, and the other, already an Australian emigre. Their personal testimonies are pieced together into a mural of the Chinese people united in their horror and outrage.

After the failed Umbrella Revolution in 2014, lives go back to normal, but the scenes of the great protest are like yesterday for Billy and Popsy, students in the University of Hong Kong who took part in the movement. One of them now becomes a student leader, while the other chooses a low-profile life as a private tutor. Amid the rapid social changes, when the Communist Beijing government is extending their influence to Hong Kong to take away the freedom and democracy, how would the youths see their future? Do they still see hopes, when both peaceful protests and radical actions seem to be futile?

My granny is old, she suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, hardly remembers anything, hardly walks, hardly speaks. She even spits everywhere while eating. Granny becomes a "child", and her daughter becomes her "mother". She takes care of her, hoping that my granny will get better someday, just like a child will finally grow up. But people can only get older and older. Granny is too old, the only thing she can remember, is the date of her grandson's birthday, June 30th."

A short visual meditation, OF THE UNKNOWN is set in Hong Kong where millionaires and the ‘working poor’ live side by side in one of Asia’s wealthiest and most densely populated cities. The film explores how our notions of freedom and happiness are shaped by the place we occupy, both literally and metaphorically, in our society. What is the importance of freedom when one faces a daily struggle for survival? Is it even possible to have dreams, or to dream, if one was never given any opportunities in life? https://vimeo.com/113548756

Mr Yuen Tai-Yung (b. 1941) is a Chinese artist known for his creation of over 200 iconic Hong Kong movie posters - which include many films from the Bruce Lee, Hui Brothers, Stephen Chow, Jacky Chan and Sammo Hung's kung fu and comedy series. This documentary chronicles the director's quest to find the reclusive master and subsequent encounters with the man within a period of 12 months. It captures the life and art of the self-taught genius who single-handedly depicted the look and feel of what can be describe as the Golden Era of Hong Kong Cinema from 1975 to 1992. Western audiences might recognize some familiar faces from the prolific painter's recent works - undeniably breathtaking - such as the portraits of Marlon Brando, Michael Jackson, James Dean, John Lennon, Audrey Hepburn and Anne Hathaway.