Every year the biggest happening within the film entertainment industry is the Oscars or Academy Awards. This year the awards is held April 25. The awards is split into several different categories stretching from actors, directors, documentary, picture, make-up and many more.
This year Hong Kong is represented in the Oscars. Both nominated as a country in the category of International Feature Film with the film Better Days and in the Documentary Short Subject category in the film Do Not Split as the main plot.
The film Better Days is directed by a Hong Konger named Derek Tsang. The film is a crime thriller that is based on a story about a high school girl who is getting bullied and she get protected by a street thug. They develop a strong bond and experience adolescence together. The film itself is mainly filmed in Chongqing, Sichuan, China and the language is mandarin, which it has gotten some criticism for. Both the main actors is from China, and not from Hong Kong. Some of the audience have criticised the film for plagiarising the novel of Higashino Keigo.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9586294/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
Do Not Split is about the protests in Hong Kong 2019 and the situation up to today. The film shows how the protesters are working, how the situation develops and features interviews with different people. It is directed by the Norwegian documentarian Anders Hammer. It is nominated in the category for Documentary Short Subject. The film itself is only 35 minutes, but cover the biggest events during the protest. Do Not Split have been shown at both Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival and New Orleans Film Festival and is recognised by Sundance.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11512676/
Watch the film here: https://fieldofvision.org/do-not-split
The two films is like night and day, therefore can’t be compared. They are naturally different but both take up topics that is important, bullying and the ongoing situation in Hong Kong. Better Days show how the university entrance exam can pressure a student and how bullying is handled in China. Do Not Split is a film that deserve the attention it is getting. As it is showing the problems that Hong Kong is facing and it take the audience close to the action.
If you have some spare time this coming weekend, why not watch some films?
Related articles:
Interview of Anders Hammer:
https://businessdoceurope.com/interview-do-not-split-by-anders-hammer/
Oscar nominations:
https://www.oscars.org/news/93rd-oscarsr-shortlists-nine-award-categories-announced
