Ten Years: Hong Kong film that beat Star Wars at the box office, and the directors behind it
Dark, political satire set in Hong Kong 2025 performed better than global mega hit The Force Awakens at one city cinema. We asked the people who directed some of its five episodes what inspired them
At Broadway Cinematheque in Yau Ma Tei, a local low-budget film outperformed the latest Star Wars release at the box office. Ten Years, consisting of five short films with heavy socio-political undertones, has become an unexpected hit for its daring portrayal of Hongkongers’ worries over mainland influence.
As the name suggests, Ten Years posits what Hong Kong will be like 10 years from now.
Hongkongers’ fear of and alienation from the motherland are on full display throughout the film.
Film review: Ten Years – Hongkongers’ worst post-Occupy fears depicted in 5 short films
Hong Kong in 2025 is afflicted with “youth guards” vandalising neighbourhood stores and triad-like officials cooking up an assassination plot to sow public panic to facilitate the passing of a national security law. Locals who do not speak Putonghua are marginalised.
The death of a young hunger striker protesting for independence prompts a sympathetic old woman to set herself on fire in the first self-immolation incident in the city.
While the plot might seem far-fetched, Chow Kwun-wai, director of Self-immolator, says recent incidents involving brutal treatment of protesters by police would also look unbelievable and ridiculous 10 years ago.