Favoriten shows us a multicultural Austrian elementary class' world (Film review)

  

48th Hong Kong International Film Festival 

advertising by the side of a street

 

Favoriten (Austria, 2024)

- Ruth Beckermann, director and co-scriptwriter (with Elisabeth Manesse)

- Part of the Hong Kong International Film Festival's Documentary Competition program

 

In what can seem like another life now, I aspired to be an educator.  Hence my often gravitating to books. TV shows and films with educational settings (including, to name just a few: To Serve Them All My Days; To Sir With Love; The Paper Chase; and Dead Poet's Society).  

 

If given the choice though, I'd focus on secondary or tertiary rather than primary education.  For, frankly, my sense is that the younger the child, the more difficult it is to deal with them!  So I am inclined to take my hat off the most to primary school teachers -- and was left in awe of the one we see in Favoriten -- who is obviously adored by her young charges, all 25 of them, the majority of whom she teaches and communicates with in a language that's not their first language.

 

Ilkay Idiskut is a teacher in the largest elementary school in Vienna, Austria.  Favoriten -- which takes its name from the working-class district in which the school is located -- documents the goings-on in her classroom over a period of three years as she guides her multi-cultural, co-ed class of students (many of them recent migrants and/or refugees from countries such as Turkey (where she herself originally hailed), Syria, Serbia, Romania and Ukraine) through the third to fifth grade of the Austrian school system.  

 

Director Ruth Beckerman and cinematographer Johannes Hammel also follow Ilkay and her class on trips to a mosque (where a student proudly reveals that his father is an imam) and a Catholic church (where it is revealed that none of the students are of the Catholic faith).  There are also scenes where the parents, with their children present, meet with Ilkay (where it comes to light that quite a few of the parents are themselves struggling with speaking German); and one where the school's head teacher holds a meeting with his staff (during which one gets the distinct sense that the school (system) is not as well-funded as should be the case).

 

In the main though, the focus in Favoriten is on the learning that takes place in the classroom; with Ilkay teaching the class about how to behave and treat one another as well as maths, German and other formal subjects.  And while Ilkay is the main "character" in the film on account of her being the teacher in charge and primary adult in the documentary, the students quickly show that they may be diminuitive in size but quite a few of them have outsize personalities, and presences that have an effect on their surroundings and others around them!

 

At one point during filming, director Beckermann gave the children camera phones and had them film and conduct interviews of their classmates.  This results in interesting footage and conversations.  But the actual film crew also appear to have been successful in getting the children to act naturally in their presence too; resulting in Favoriten being a remarkably intimate collective portrait of a group of children whose struggles along with endeavor are honestly shown, and who have been helped along for three years by the presence in their life of an exemplary educator who truly cared for them.    

 

My rating for this film: 7.0

Nine years on from the beginning of the Umbrella Movement

  

A glass I got from Chickeeduck with an image that helps ensure 

that I don't forget  the Umbrella Movement

 

My blog entry from nine years ago today.  And seven years ago today.  And six years ago today.  And four years ago today.  And three years ago today.  And two years ago today.  Suffice to say that I've not forgotten the (start of) the Umbrella Movement.  And that remembering it is something that is part of ensuring that Hong Kong will not be a part of the People's Republic of Amnesia (which, for me, is not only about forgetting what happened in Mainland China on June 4th, 1989, but, also, what's happened  to Hong Kong since its Handover by the British to China).            

In the words of Milan Kundera (which, of course, was quoted in the recently banned short story Our Time): 'The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting".  And for the record, this is what preceded those lines: "The first step in liquidating a people is to erase its memory. Destroy its books, its culture, its history. Then have somebody write new books, manufacture a new culture, invent a new history. Before long that nation will begin to forget what it is and what it was..."

 

So, remember, remember... not just the 5th of November and 4th of June but also the 28th of September, the 9th, 12th and 16th of June, the 21st of July, the 31st of August, etc.  And, also, remember that "Resistance is not futile" (and even the Borg can be, and were, defeated)!.

The arrests of two 29 year olds today makes it two more national security law and sedition law arrests in Hong Kong to date :(

Demosisto's stall in different times -- specifically,

at the 2019 Chinese New Year Flower Market
 

Tomorrow might see a decision made on whether the government's injunction to ban protest anthem Glory to Hong Kong will be granted by a Hong Kong Judge Anthony Chan.  After this happens, Google (who owns Youtube) will be asked to remove 32 Youtube videos of the song.  

 

For now though, the videos are available to view and listen to in Hong Kong and elsewhere in the world.  As is a 60 Minutes Australia segment on Kevin Yam and Ted Hui Chi-fung, the two Australin residents -- and, by the way, Kevin Yam also happens to be an Australian citizen to boot -- among eight Hong Kong dissidents who have had a HK$1 million bounty put on their head by the Hong Kong government.     

 

Thus far, the Hong Kong government are not able to get their hands of those eight individuals, all of whom currently are based outside of Hong Kong.  So it has turned its attention to relatives and friends of some of them.  Earlier this week, the eldest daughter, son and daughter-in-law of Elmer Yuen -- the last of whom happens to be pro-Beijing politician Eunice Yung -- were questioned for a number of hours by the police.  The same fate had already befallen the brother of former legislative councillor Dennis Kwok, the elder brother, sister and nephew of trade unionist Christopher Mung Siu-tat, and parents and elder brother of Nathan Law.     

Friends of Nathan Law who happened to be felllow members of the now disbanded Demosisto party and individuals with link to the Mee online shopping app have also been taken in by the police for questioning and even arrested.  And today saw two more of them taken into custody -- with Lily Wong and Chan Hok-kin, both of whom are 29 years of age, arrested "for suspected 'conspiracy to collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security" (national security law charges) and "accused of 'conspiracy to commit an act or acts with seditious intent' under a colonial-era sedition clause in the city's Crimes Ordinance".

 

I'll be honest: unlike Nathan Law or Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow, I wouldn't consider Lily Wong and Chan Hok-kin to be household names.  So it can feel like the authorities really have it in for Demosisto -- in that they are going for quite a few layers of that former political party's leadership.   

 

And it's interesting that Lily Wong and Chan Hok-kin have been slapped with sedition law as well as national security law charges.  More than by the way, an AFP article came out just yesterday about how, beginning in March 2020, for the first time in over 50 years, the sedition law created under British colonial rule has been used to prosecute less famous and prominent Hong Kongers as well as famous ones.  

 

"Their cases receive little public attention as they are swiftly convicted as national security threats by the city's lowest-level courts.  Their "seditious" acts have mostly involved criticising authorities -- the government, police and courts -- through posters, stickers or on social media platforms.  The trials are also handled by judges picked by the government to rule on security cases, and bail for defendants has become the exception, not the norm", the article has highlighted.  

 

"Prominent activists and journalists charged with sedition have put up high-profile legal defences, but most residents accused of the crime choose not to fight after they are denied bail, due to the perceived slim chance of success, former defendants and lawyers told AFP."  For those who've wondered why so many Hong Kongers whose prosecution has been seen to be political in nature have pleaded guilty, it's additionally worth noting that "Sedition carries a penalty of up to two years in prison, but a guilty plea can reduce the sentence by a third."  

 

Still, a legal admission of guilty does not necessarily mean that the individuals who pleaded guilty actually think they are guilty of a crime.  A 68-year-old homemaker charged with uttering seditious words "eventually gave up on her appeal [of innocence[ and served out her three-month sentence so that she wouldn't have to report to the police three times a week -- a bail condition stipulated for her appeal process.  After all that, "I still don't understand what sedition is about," she said.  "I have only learned that the red line can be very wide."" :(

Looking at (a video about) people who have chosen to stay in Hong Kong

 

Wishing readers of this blog "All the best" on 

the 15th day of Chinese New Year

 

I've spent the 15th day of Chinese New Year in a not particularly festive manner; including doing such as viewing a CNA documentary entitled Changed Lives in Hong Kong: Why Have They Chosen To Stay? Year of Ren Yin.  Produced by the same team that previously made a video entitled One Way Ticket Out: A Family's Journey, about Hong Kong’s great national security law-era exodus, this circa 45 minute video profiles four people who have chosen to stay rather than leave.  (Something worth noting: some 7.29 million people remain in Hong Kong.  The majority, rather than minority, in fact.)

 

I have a few quibbles with this CNA video, including: its description of the pro-democracy protests that began in 2019 having begun on June 12th, 2019, rather than an earlier date (say, late March; and talk of all Covid rules and regulations having been lifted as of December 2022.  Re the latter:  Actually, they have not all been lifted.  Even in February, I can say one word to disprove this: masks.  Also, it seems to imply that 2022, "the year of Ren Yin", has been Hong Kong's worst in a while.  But I feel like 2022 was just another terrible year after 2019, 2020 and 2021.  And I have little confidence that 2023 is going to be that much better. 

 

Still, the overall presentation is watchable, thoughtful and thought-provoking; and I must say that I do like the choice of quartet of people to focus on: two local born Hong Kongers; one Mainland Chinese transplant; and one Japanese expatriate.  This is not least because it offers up some diversity of experiences that is quite representative of that whose government likes to think of it as Asia's World City but actually is more of an East Asian city than anything else (including "just another Chinese city").

 

Ronson Chan is the chairperson of the city's largest journalist group, the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA).  He formerly worked for Apple Daily and Stand News, both of which no longer exist.  Midway through the filming of this documentary, he gets arrested -- but he is released and is (even) allowed to leave Hong Kong for a time to take part in a program at Oxford University.  

 

But even though some people, including his wife(!), urge him to stay abroad permanently, he is adamant that he wants to return to Hong Kong -- to do such as bear witness to what's happening to his home city.  He says of Hong Kong: "It's like the girl's not into you anymore but you still long for the sight of her".  It's pretty obvious from what he says, and his actions too, that this is a man who really f**king loves Hong Kong.  He knows that "It's not rational", but it is what it is.      

 

Stanley Lai is a photographer turned taxi driver.  He's had friends leave but he seems unwilling to do so himself.  Even though times are rough, and he finds it difficult to make a living.  He's not specifically asked, so doesn't explicitly state his reasons for staying.  My sense from the video is that he's one of those Hong Kongers who would not be comfortable anywhere simply because Hong Kong has been his whole world all of his life.  And for all the talk of Hong Kong being an international city, the fact of the matter is that there are many more people like him here than folks who have spent time elsewhere as well as here.

 

In contrast, Japanese bartender-bar owner Masahiko Endo has spent more time outside of Hong Kong than in it.  And yet, he's elected to stay.  This even with/after his wife, a fellow bartender by profession who lived and worked in Hong Kong for a time with him, returned to Japan one and a half years ago.  "Hong Kong has given a lot," he told the interviewer (Wei Du), "It's given me a stage to show my true skills".  It's been a place for him where, "I don't need to hide" -- unlike as would be the case, for whatever reason, in his native Japan.

 

I personally know Japanese people who've spent years here in Hong Kong but never considered it home nor feel that they owe it anything.  Somehow, Endo-san seems to feel differently.  I'm not sure for how long more he'll stay in Hong Kong.  But having endured through the times where bars were closed and he couldn't work as a result of pandemic restrictions, it sounds like he'll stay for a time.

 

The segments involving Ronson Chan and Stanley Lai are primarily in Cantonese; the ones with Endo-san mainly in English (with a bit of Japanese when he speaks to his wife -- over the phone -- or Japanese friends in Hong Kong; one of whom I personally know has since returned to Japan).  In contrast, three languages -- Mandarin, Cantonese and English -- are used in the segment involving Suki Liu, a Mainland Chinese insurance agent who came to Hong Kong for graduate studies and has stayed (like a Mainland Chinese-born friend of mine).

Also, like my friend, Suki Liu speaks in Cantonese, not Mandarin, with her parents -- who still live in Mainland China (though she can be seen in the video trying to persuade them to move to Hong Kong).  And the sense one gets is that she actually loves being in Hong Kong more because Hong Kong offers her more professional opportunities but, also, to be herself.  A reminder that even as many people leave Hong Kong because they feel it has become less free, there are others for whom it is freer than their homelands.

On the subject of freedom and restrictions: it's worth noting that the principal interviewer in this documentary, Wei Du, is a Mainland China-born journalist who used to be based in Hong Kong but currently "travels in the region to cover major news events and produce feature stories."  She also happens to be the wife of Tim Owen, the British barrister who's been barred from representing Jimmy Lai -- and even barred for a time from entering Hong Kong.  So it's kind of ironic that she's involved in making a documentary about Hong Kongers in Hong Kong, eh?!

Nicole Kidman shows the world, with the help of the Hong Kong government, how some animals are more equal than others in Hong Kong as well as Animal Farm

Now that's what I call a big screen!

 

The Hong Kong International Film Festival's younger, smaller and seasonal sibling, the Summer International Film Festival, began earlier this week -- but it is by no means the entertainment-related talk of the town in Hong Kong.  Instead, that (dubious) credit goes to Australian actress Nicole Kidman having been allowed to skip quarantine when coming to town -- to film an Amazon Prime series about privileged expatriates in Hong Kong that had already been derided by many Hong Kongers. 

 

Actually, this news has been reported internationally too (see here and here and here for starters).  And the Hong Kong government has only fanned the flames of indignation, in its distinctive way, by acknowledging that it had approved Kidman's quarantine exemption and sating that this should be okay because she's keeping away from Hong Kong people (prompting one wag to note that "She certainly did her research on the expat lifestyle"!) and not allowed to take any public transportation whilst in Hong Kong with a quarantine exemption!   

 

Even before this, it's not like people were feeling positive about the Amazon Prime production that Nicole Kidman is an executive producer for and, also, may be starring in.  Among other things, it didn't help that Expats' director, Lulu Wang, is the scion of privileged Chinese Communisty Party members, and seemingly unaware that Hong Kong has an established film and TV industry of its own and thus should not be the kind of place where you need to import cameras for your production!  Oh, and there's also the tone-deafness of choosing to make a contemporary TV show about Hong Kong expats that doesn't look like it'll acknowledge what's been happening to Hong Kong in the past two years (like, you know, protests and repression).  

 

If this wasn't bad enough, amazingly, Amazon has now committed to a secondly series focusing on Hong Kong expats: this one entitled Exciting Times -- and no, it doesn't seem like its title is meant to be ironic in any way -- based on a novel that rang at least one Hong Konger's alarm bells back in January of last year!  This all has prompted some people to wonder if it has to do with the Hong Kong government's plans to launch an international publicity campaign to promote Hong Kong as the "best place in Asia to live, work and invest in" post its hiring global PR firm Consulum FZ LLC (Consulum) to "relaunch Hong Kong" and make its image more positive post it being sullied by such as mass arrests of pro-democracy politicians and political activists, the shutting down of the territory's largest pro-democracy newspaper and the imposition by China of a national security law for Hong Kong.  

 

Speaking of negative Hong Kong news: yesterday saw the arrest of four University of Hong Kong undergraduates-- aged between 18 and 20 years of age -- for "advocating terrorism" (by having released a statement, which they later retracted, expressing “deep sadness” over the death of a man who had wounded a police officer this past July 1st and appreciation for his “sacrifice”); and the announcement of the imminent halting of operations of the 612 Humanitarian Fund established to help arrested Hong Kong protestors due its soon not going to have a bank account it can use. 

 

Then today also saw two members of the Hong Kong 12, Andy Li and Chan Tsz-wah, pleading guilty in a national security law case that is linked to jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai (as a result of what some suspect torture and other pressures), and tens of thousands of Hong Kongers holding British National Overseas passports being forced to leave behind their retirement savings when they leave for the United Kingdom.  And yes, I easily could have made one of these the main focus of this blog post -- and no, my not doing so doesn't mean that I think that all those happenings are not noteworthy.      

The reason why I've discussed in greater detail the Nicole Kidman quarantine exemption case, though, is because I think it shows so clearly how, in contemporary Hong Kong (not just George Orwell's Animal Farm), some animals really are more equal than others.  It also majorly highlights how Hong Kong's anti-pandemic measures don't seem to make complete sense if taken purely as medically-determined ones -- all of which doesn't exactly get people trusting the Hong Kong government with regards to anything, including its vaccination program.  Speaking of which: isn't it interesting and/or ironic that, even while it's younger Hong Kongers who tend to be seen as virulently anti-government, the least vaccinated of Hong Kongers currently are those who are over 70 years old?!        

The things that pro-Beijing officials and politicians do and say -- and, also, don't do -- which tells you so much about them

 

My purchases at this year's Hong Kong Book Fair

 

LGBT representation at the July 1st, 2016, protest rally

 

Like I intimated in my previous blog post, I actually came out of my visit to this year's Hong Kong Book Fair feeling better about things than I thought I would; this not least because I did find local booksellers at the event who were continued to be willing to sell thoughtful, thought-provoking works that many people living in Hong Kong at the current time would do well to read.  Adding to the sense that all is not lost -- and that we should retain hope that a better tomorrow is possible for Hong Kong -- was what filmmaker Kiwi Chow was revealed late last week to have done (and decided to tell the world).        

 

Still, for a quick measure of how big a task it'd be to right the many wrongs of contemporary Hong Kong, one just has to look at the slew of news reports detailing various statements made by government officials and pro-Beijing legislative councillors in recent days.  First off, ahead of the weekend, we had Carrie Lam saying that it's time to ramp up the implementation of the security law (which has already been used to put a good number of pro-democrat politicians and political activists along with folks like Jimmy Lai and Tong Ying-kit behind bars even before a decision is made in court about their guilt); this in response to China’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office director, Xia Baolong's "five demands" for and of the Hong Kong government.      

 

To judge from (new) police commissioner Raymond Siu's allegation that the student union of the University of Hong Kong might be in violation of the Beijing-imposed national security law for thanking the man who killed himself after stabbing a police officer, it would appear that ramping up the implementation of the security law also involves broadening the definition of what constitutes a violation of China's security law for Hong Kong to such an extent that it would seem that there are way fewer activities that would not constitute a violation of this vague as well as draconian law than there are ones that would constitute a violation of it.  (A few activities that Bloomberg's Matthew Brooker figures should still be okay: "breathing (unless being kneeled on by a police officer), eating (as long as not at yellow restaurants), shopping (not at yellow shops), reading (the good news about the party’s works)"!)   

 

And at the Hong Kong Book Fair yesterday, pro-Beijing politician Junius Ho -- yes, he of Yuen Long infamy -- continued to exhibit his rampant homophobia; this time by slamming new hit TV series Ossan’s Love for featuring same-sex romance and claiming in the process that promoting homosexuality is against China’s new three-child policy and its national security law!  A reminder: even if this were so, "neither China’s national security law nor its three-child policy apply to Hong Kong, although the city has its own Beijing-imposed security law."

 

Further idiocy came out of a pro-Beijing politician's mouth today when Elizabeth Quat -- she of defunct degree mill "qualifications" infamy -- asserted today that the government must tell voters who not to pick in future Hong Kong elections!  Honestly, I don't think I need to explain why this suggestion of hers is so very wrong, right?!

 

Along with the sense of tragedy and sheer injustice at so many (pro-democrat) politicians that so many people voted for now being disqualified and in jail or in exile, there is the frustration Hong Kongers have that so many pro-Beijing politicians and local government officials seem so wanting when it comes to possessing intelligence, empathy and a sense of duty to the people.  With regards to LGBT issues: It doesn't seem coincidental at all that the Hong Kong politicians and political activists most willing to stand up for the rights of these still-too-often-discriminated-against Hong Kongers have been pro-democracy rather than pro-Beijing.  (And for the record: heterosexual pro-democracy politicians like Claudia Mo and "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung -- two more personalities currently behind bars after being denied bail -- would attend the Pride Parades too.)  

 

Even at the level of the District Councils (which are being decimated by the oath-taking threat, with pro-democracy District Councillors who have resigned outnumbering those who have remained), I can personally attest to not having noticed my pro-Beijing District Councillor doing anything for the community when he was in office.  In contrast, my current pro-democracy District Councillor has done such things as fly to Japan during last year's mask shortage crisis to procure masks to give to her constituents and made sure to provide timely updates on social media whenever a water main has broke or some other mishap has occurred in the neighborhood.  In the grand scheme of things, her actions may seem on the modest side -- but at a time when it can feel too often like your very being and welfare is of little consequence to the powers that be, a small gesture of care and concern can seem significant and be much appreciated.

Film screenings back in the news again even while there's so much to report about what's going on in Hong Kong

Hong Kong can look really calm on the surface still

 

But, truly, it was not so long ago that things like this happened, and 

their reverbations most definitely still are being felt (Picture taken at 

the World Press Photo Exhibition the same day that I took the one above it)

 

Last week was such a terrible week for Hong Kong that I've still been fighting to get back to an even emotional keel in the days that have followed.  One way I've been doing so has been to fill my head with thoughts about movies -- particularly those I recently viewed at this year's Hong Kong International Film Festival (and writing reviews about them).  But the fact of the matter is that even thinking about movies can get me worrying about the deteriorating political situation here.

A reminder: one of the offerings due to open the Hong Kong International Film Festival this year ended up being withdrawn for "technical reasons" (the Mainland Chinese euphemism for censorship).  And on the same day (March 29th), it was announced that the Academy Awards ceremony would not be shown on TV in Hong Kong for the first time since 1969.  (It remains to be seen if the Oscars will indeed be viewable online in Hong Kong -- as many people are expecting -- or whether further internet censorship will come to Hong Kong on April 26th (next Monday).)

 

In addition, earlier in the month, what would have been the first screenings of 2019 Hong Kong Polytechnic University siege documentary, Inside the Red Brick Wall, in a commercial setting were cancelled after pro-Beijing mouthpiece Wen Wei Po called attention to, and criticized, those plans.  And today saw another pro-Beijing newspaper, Ta Kung Pao, and pro-Beijing legislative councillor, Holden Chow, mounting a similar attack on the plans by the pro-democracy Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (CTU) to privately screen the 2020 Hong Kong Film Critics Society Best Film awardee and two other protest documentaries, Eternal Springs in the Mountains (about the police siege of the Chinese University of Hong Kong) and the Golden Horse-nominated Taking Back the Legislature (about the storming of the Legislative Council on July 1st, 2019).

 

As has now become too sadly predictable, the private screening of Inside the Red Brick Wall that was scheduled to take place today has been cancelled -- or, at the very least, postponed; this after six officers from the Communication Authority went at the office of the Confederation of Trade Unions late in the afternoon and asked its representative to provide details of the screening.  One wonders whether this documentary (together with the likes of Taking Back the Legislature and Eternal Springs in the Mountains -- the last of which I can't find any English language information for) will ever get screened again in Hong Kong despite their not actually having been officially banned by the authorities (as yet). 

 

Amidst a climate of fear that descended upon Hong Kong after the coming into effect of China's national security law for Hong Kong, what we are seeing far more is self-censorship than official censorship, for now.  And it is not just the world of film festivals, awards and documentaries that are affected.  

 

Just today, we've seen veteran political commentator Michael Chugani announce that he's quitting most of his journalist posts in Hong Kong (and stating that "We all know that there are red lines, and I just want to think carefully [about] what these red lines mean for me, so that’s why I’m taking a break").  With another veteran journalist, Stephen Vines, recently having been dropped as a regular current affairs commentator on RTHK's Morning Brew programme after more than ten years, we could have done with more rather than less of Chugani's voice; and this even more so when one factors in the (self?) silencing of the likes of journalist-turned-politician-turned political prisoner Claudia Mo, and fellow pro-democrats Alvin Yeung and Ray Chan -- all of whom appear to have deleted their social media accounts while behind bars.  

Speaking of RTHK: Its Hong Kong Connection: Who Owns the Truth? episode about the July 21st, 2019, Yuen Long mob attacks has won the Kam Yiu-yu Press Freedom Award but the public broadcaster has announced that it will reject the prize!  Also today has come new of pro-democracy Reverend Lo Hing-choi having tendered his resignation yesterday from his post as the leader of the biggest umbrella group of Baptist churches in Hong Kong; and, for the second day in a row, of a pro-democracy district councillor having decided to step down (with North District Councillor Sea Yuen and Kowloon City District Councillor Timothy Lee adding to the growing list of resignations among pro-democracy district councillors elected to their positions just one and half years ago).       

 

In general, it's easy to conclude, as per the title of a Reuters special report out today, Hong Kong activists are retreating as China-style justice comes to the city.  So those who have not given up and are trying to fight back or at least resist are truly to be admired.  I think here of those good members of the League of Social Democrats who still are manning their "Free All Political Prisoners" stall (which was set up today in Causeway Bay), and every single Hong Konger who is still doing such as continuing to support the Yellow Economic Circle and helping provide financial and moral support to Hong Kong's political prisoners.

 

And then there's Jimmy Lai, Martin Lee and Albert Ho -- who have decided to appeal against their convictions and sentences for their roles in an anti-government protest on August 18, 2019 (and, in the case of Lai, also against the 14 month jail sentence he was handed for taking part in an unauthorised march in Wan Chai on August 31, 2019).  In doing so, they aren't only continuing to put up a fight but signalling that they still want to believe in the existence of rule of law in Hong Kong.  At this point in time, many will see their stance as Quixotic but, truly, one can't help rooting for them all the same.

Hong Kong news updates ranging from dark to light!

For better or worse, the sun's still shining 

very brightly in and on Hong Kong

And yes, there still are days when I look out and think

that Hong Kong can be pretty as a picture...

First, some updates about people I mentioned in my previous blog post: Yesterday, People Power's Tam Tak-chi became the first person to be charged with sedition since Hong Kong ceased to be a British colony back on July 1st, 1997, when it was decided that he would be charged under a (rarely-used) colonial-era law.  For those breathing a relief that he wasn't prosecuted under China's national security law for Hong Kong though: note that he's been denied bail until his case comes to court on November 17th, at the minimum.        

Also worrying -- in fact even more so -- is what's happening (or, actually not) with regards to the 12 Hong Kong activists caught in Chinese waters while attempting to flee by boat to Taiwan three Sundays ago now.  For despite repeated efforts having been made to do so, lawyers seeking to represent them have been denied access to this desperate dozen who now are in detention in Mainland China; with other lawyers reportedly having been appointed by the Chinese state to represent them instead.  

Sadly, there appears to be little most of us can do for them beyond continuing to publicize their situation to try to ensure that they don't end up being "disappeared".  And it is totally understandable that the families of these 12 people now detained in Mainland China are very scared and worried about their safety; with it not going to be any comfort if they were told that things have also deteriorated on this side of the Mainland China-Hong Kong border so that one no longer can expect to be treated justly and humanely post arrest by the local constabulary.

In these troubled times, knowing you have the support of others can mean a lot.  So it is heartening to see that Hong Kong bus drivers have come out in support of the colleague of theirs who was arrested on Sunday by the Hong Kong police; with the Bus Industry Union having threatened to go on strike unless the police respond to five demands they're making, including an apology for abusing their authority (by doing such as unjustly arresting and charging their colleague, who has been at least been released on bail but stuck with two different charges).  Also, the employers of the arrested bus driver have come out and stated that records from his vehicle show that he was driving at just 10 to 35 kilometers per hour at the time (and consequently unlikely to be guilty of "dangerous driving" as the police have alleged)! 

In perhaps the best news of the day for the territory, Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui was awarded the lifetime achievement award at the Venice Film Festival earlier today.  In her acceptance speech, the first female filmmaker ever to have received this honor said the following: "Thank you, Venice, for giving me this encouragement at this difficult time. You do not know what encouragement you are giving to the people of Hong Kong too."  And she then followed this up by stating that: "Above all I would like to revert this honor back to Hong Kong, the city where I grew up and lived my whole life. It had given me an education, my life experiences and my chances to find fulfillment."

Incidentally, Ann Hui's Our Time Will Come is one of those Hong Kong films I've been thinking a lot lately -- and not just because its title is so, well, inspirational.  Rather, it's a tale of ordinary people's resistance against those who sought to deprive them of their freedom; one which could seem too dangerous to be worth it and sometimes demanding much more sacrifice than one wishes would be required of any person, yet had people -- some more unlikely than others -- volunteering for the tasks.

And while we're on the subject of movies: Wowie re there being so many reasons to boycott the latest film adaptation of the tale of Mulan!  Lead actress Liu Yifei.  Lead actor Donnie Yen.  And now its Xinjiang connection too!  As Foreign Policy's James Palmer Tweeted: "Whoever was stupid enough at Disney to sign off on the filming of a movie *at the site of an ongoing campaign of cultural genocide* needs to be extremely fired."  So, no, it's not just Hong Kong political activists or even "just" Asian activists who are calling for the boycott of this movie -- which hasn't opened in Hong Kong yet, actually, and may never will! -- now!     

On a lighter note: Conan O'Brien's latest video clip has become a "must watch" for Hong Kongers because of the section that begins from minute 5:55.  (To make it easier to view it, just go here!)  There's some debate over whether Conan and Andy know the identity of the woman they made the butt of several jokes.  In any case, it's pretty funny to hear and see them saying things about Carrie Lam like “She doesn’t look like it but she is nuts!"; with the icing on the cake being that the particular image of Carrie Lam that they opted to use is that which identifiably dates to the day that she announced that she'd be withdrawing the controversial extradition bill back on September 4th, 2019!

The Wuhan coronavirus in the world and on the minds of many, even Funassyi's!

Musubimaru barriers spotted in Matsushima!

How long will be before I can visit the land of kawaii again? :S

My favorite Pear (fairy mascot) appeared on the Japanese version of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? last night and became only the third contestant ever in the TV show's close-to-10-year history to win the top prize of 3 million Yen!  My serious happiness upon learning this piece of news is a testimony to how much I love Funassyi but, also, how welcome it is these days to come by a piece of happy news.  I mean, we're currently living in times when even this wonderfully whimsical creation of a private citizen of the Japanese city of Funabashi has felt a need to Tweet about the Wuhan coronavirus, and the importance of wearing masks and washing hands (in addition to lighter topics such as Miruko's birthday and its hero, Ozzy Osbourne).    

In all seriousness, it really is pretty shocking how much the Wuhan coronavirus has spread in recent weeks; with confirmed cases of infection now having exceeded 100,000 in number.  Today, Hong Kong reported having its 108th confirmed Wuhan coronavirus case.  You'd not have thought it would be so maybe as late as a week or two ago but this number actually is considerably lower than the confirmed number of infections in the likes of the USA, Germany, France, Spain and Italy now, never mind Mainland China and South Korea.  
 

Very belatedly, the Hong Kong government appears to be doing some sensible things, on the health front if nothing else.  From midnight tonight, all travellers arriving at Hong Kong International Airport will be required to fill out and submit health declaration forms.  (This came after a number of imported Wuhan coronavirus cases put the spotlight on flight passengers.)  In addition, immigration officials have successfully intercepted 17 people who attempted to flee from the compulsory-14-day self-quarantine imposed on them after they returned from Mainland China and other areas with super high Wuhan coronavirus infection numbers.  

In all honesty though, I do reckon that the people of Hong Kong deserve far more credit for their efforts at preventing the Wuhan coronavirus from spreading faster and further than the government.  Even while authorities in a number of other territories are still maintaining that the wearing of masks is not necessary for the general populace, medical experts like Hong Kong's Dr Ho Pak-leung have stated that universal mask-wearing is a good preventative measure against the Wuhan coronavirus -- along with such as the disinfecting of public spaces on a scale that few other parts of the world can imagine.    

I was supposed to visit Penang last month but cancelled the trip a week before my scheduled departure.  At the time, the number of confirmed Wuhan coronavirus cases in Malaysia were lower than they are now and the sense coming out of there appeared to be that I was on the paranoid side with regards to my Wuhan coronavirus fears.  In light of the recent developments though, I think people there are realizing that my Chicken Little-like pronouncements may be valid after all. 

Speaking of that politically troubled land: Close to two weeks after the collapse of the country's Pakatan Harapan government, Malaysia is still without a health minister -- or, for that matter, any minister other than a prime minister who's compounded the political crisis by postponing the next meeting of the Malaysian parliament by two months.  It may well be entirely coincidental but since Dr. Dzukefly Ahmad vacated the health ministerial post, Malaysia's cases of Wuhan coronavirus infections has shot up quite a bit; with the country having had its biggest jump in infection numbers to date yesterday with the confirmation of 28 new cases and there being 10 more new cases reported today, bringing the total to 93.   

All in all, I think it indisputable that good governance and politics has an effect on many aspects of our lives, including our physical health and medical preparedness.  At the same time, as Hong Kongers have shown time and time again over the past 10 months or so, when the authorities don't do their job -- or just plain do it badly -- then people will rise, to help one another (including to procure face masks and other equipment that protects -- from viruses and also untrustworthy governments).  

Withdrawal seems to be the hardest word...

Cartoonist Ah To tries to teach Carrie Lam to say

the Cantonese word she seems unable to bring herself to say

Beleaguered Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam appeared in public for the first time since her 4am press conference on July 2nd earlier today, and proceeded to declare her hated extradition bill "dead" in English and supposedly also in Cantonese.  Within minutes of her speech though, large numbers of people were puzzling over the exact meaning of the Cantonese phrase she had used; with a number coming to the conclusion that the words she had uttered weren't quite synonymous with the English word "dead".

In the wake of her announcement, even more people were moved to wonder why she hadn't just used the word "withdraw" (in both English and Cantonese) since the withdrawal of the anti-extradition bill is what millions of protesters have clearly been calling for some months now.  So ludicrous indeed is her reluctance to utter that word that a Hong Kong-based German TV reporter ended up laughing when asked point blank by his network's English language news show anchor why Carrie Lam just didn't resolve things by saying that one word!

There has been laughing speculation that, since Carrie Lam is a Catholic, her saying that the extradition bill is "dead" doesn't preclude it getting resurrected at a later date.  More seriously though, the key problem that people have with the term she now is using for it is that it doesn't qualify as legislative language the way that "postpone" (which she had previously used with regards to the extradation bill's progress -- or not as the case may be) and "withdraw" are. 

Because this hated bill still hasn't been (officially said to be) withdrawn, the protests will surely go on.  And for those who say that protests cannot work: Well, one month ago, Carrie Lam was adamant that she was going to press on with her efforts to see the extradition bill passed.  And while opponents of the bill have not entirely achieved what we wanted, we do seem to be getting closer to our goal now than just a few weeks ago.  

Also, it's worth noting that three days after thousands of people rallied against the "dancing aunties" in Tuen Mun on Saturday, the "self-entertainment zones" in which those women had performed sexy dances (often for money) have now been cancelled.  So, yes, people power can bear fruit -- even in only partially democratic Hong Kong!

Time again for piggy-themed Chinese New Year decorations -- in Hong Kong, at least!

Piggy-themed Chinese New Year decorations 

can already be found all over Hong Kong!

 

 Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie -- the latter with 

a pig in hand -- on Causeway Bay's Fashion Walk :D

 

A Massachusetts-based friend posted a photo on Facebook a week ago that featured a Christmas tree that was still standing after all 12 days of Christmas had long passed.  Meanwhile in Hong Kong, Christmas decorations already started making way for Chinese New Year ones as far back as a fortnight ago.  

 

And because the upcoming Chinese New Year is that of the pig, this year's Chinese New Year decorations tend to be pig-themed -- at least in places like Hong Kong. Despite there being no pig image ban in place in Malaysia though, pig-themed Chinese New Year decorations are reportedly thin on the ground in that Muslim-majority country this year.

Maybe it's because I lived in Malaysia's one ethnic Chinese majority state when I was a child -- or maybe it was due to that now past time having been a more liberal one -- but I remember having seen quite a few porcine-themed decorations for Chinese New Year(s) of the pig when I was growing up in Penang.  In addition, my impression back then was the prejudice that people had about pigs wasn't as  strong as that of the mouse or rat (which also is one of the animals of the Chinese zodiac)!

 

As a matter of fact, while I can't recall Chinese New Year decorations meeting with much controversy in previous pig years, I remember many people being loathe to have rat or mouse-themed decorations adorning their house, store or other business premises when the rat year came along: that is, until some bright spark decided to co-opt Mickey Mouse into helping celebrate Chinese New Year!  (And for those who're wondering: there is no distinction between rats and mice in the various Chinese dialects.  Put another way: the same word is used for both these creatures that are quite distinct to English speakers!)

 

With McDull being a beloved local character, I wouldn't be surprised to see the porcine cartoon character pop up all over Hong Kong in the next few weeks the way that it (and its cousin, McMug) did the last time the year of the pig came along.  Thus far though, I've only see a whole host of Chinese New Year decorations featuring pigs that resemble McMug without actually being McMug.  Oh, and -- while walking around in Causeway Bay last night -- statues of Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie with a pig in one hand and a Chinese New Year greeting in the other for some reason! ;b