The pro-Beijing “blue ribbon” group Justice Alliance has announced that they will begin shooting a movie called “Blood Umbrella”. The movie will imagine what Hong Kong could look like ten years time had the government been “successfully overthrown” following the 2014 pro-democracy Occupy protests.
The announcement on Thursday came weeks after dystopian movie Ten Years won “Best Film” at the 2016 Hong Kong Film Awards. Ten Years is also a dark socio-political fantasy which depicts how Hong Kong may look like in a decade’s time. The success of the film, produced on a low budget of HK$500,000, was deemed a “miracle”, despite a limited showing at cinema chains. Thousands of Hong Kongers flocked to see the movie at special screenings across the city in early April.
Leticia Lee See-yin, the group’s former president who was expelled over embezzlement allegations, did not attend the press conference. However, figures from fellow pro-Beijing groups such as Fu Chun-chung of the Defend Hong Kong Campaign and The Voice of Loving Hong Kong’s Patrick Ko Tat-bun, turned up to show their support.
Stability or ‘Syria’
The movie will be written and directed by Justice Alliance deputy president Choi Hak-Kin. Members and friends of the group will make onscreen appearances, Ming Pao reported. Choi said that the idea came about after he wondered what it would be like if the SAR government was overthrown by the “Umbrella movement” and became ruled by “rioters”. He said he hoped the movie would help Hongkongers reflect on whether they want stability and prosperity or whether they wanted the city to become like countries such as Syria and Iraq, where people are displaced and left homeless by war.
Shum Ho-bun, the group’s other deputy president, said that filming is due to begin in July and the movie will hit the screens in September. At least HK$1,000,000 will be invested into the production.
However, Shum admitted that they currently facing funding issues and are having problems finding actors. He urged young people not to turn away from the project merely because the movie carried a pro-government theme.
In 2014, the anti-Occupy Silent Majority group produced a four-minute video warning of the consequences Hong Kong could face should the pro-democracy protests take hold.
The clip warned that protesters occupying streets and tunnels would “kill” the city.
