INSIDE THE RED BRICK WALL

Filmed by an anonymous collective known as Hong Kong Documentary Filmmakers, the film explores key moments in the 2019 siege of Hong Kong’s Polytechnic University. By mid-November of that year, protesters had commandeered the fort-like red-brick structure of the campus and were able to paralyse traffic, due to the university’s proximity to the cross-harbour tunnel—an important choke point. The institution was subsequently besieged when police blocked all exit routes. Apprised of this situation, countless uprising sympathisers flocked to the streets to take part in a massive rescue operation. A long night of heroic battle ensued, but the siege remained unbroken. Many of the protestors who were trapped inside took increasingly desperate measures to escape, while others went into hiding. Over time, more and more chose to surrender. In a time of challenge and controversy, their commitment to stick together was harshly tested. A tense and groundbreaking example of documentary filmmaking from the frontlines of civil unrest in the time of easily accessible digital technology.

This film is available for the extension of the festival, until Sunday 14 November.

This film is available for audiences in India only.

You can watch it with the following Festival Passes:

• Regular Festival Pass