Young democracy firebrands stars of documentary

Two teenagers who found themselves at the forefront of Hong Kong politics are at the heart of a new documentary charting the key moments of 2012, one of the city's most tumultuous years.

British amateur filmmaker Matthew Torne, 33, hopes his Lessons in Dissent will premiere at the Hong Kong International Film Festival in March.

Joshua Wong Chi-fung, was just 14 when he led the Scholarism movement against the proposed national education curriculum, while Ma Jai dropped out of school when he was 14 to fight for social justice.

Both went to the same school and grew up in Ap Lei Chau.

Torne met Ma in August 2011 during a protest about the heavy police presence during a visit by the-then vice-premier Li Keqiang to the city.

"Ma Jai was quite friendly," Torne said, but he had no inkling the lad would become one of the main protagonists in his documentary.

"The Metropolitan Police in London would love the Hong Kong protests because they are unbelievably quiet and peaceful, but this time they were sitting on the floor and saying, 'We are not going'."