Documenting Tiananmen
Local film critic Shu Kei produced the only Hong Kong documentary made in response to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, in which he explores post-massacre China and his personal feelings. With the film to be shown at the Hong Kong Arts Center on the anniversary of the June 4 massacre (in a double bill with US production "The Gate of Heavenly Peace"), he talks to Yvonne Young about how his views have changed in the past 16 years.
HK: This film was politically sensitive in 1990. Was it shown locally?
Shu Kei: The documentary was filmed on 16mm film, and the only theater with a suitable projector was Cine-Art House. But it had a leftist background and was subsidized by the Chinese Government, so it wasn't screened there.
HK: What do you think about the crackdown now?
SK: I realize the climate now, in Hong Kong and China, is not to mention the incident. But it's something you cannot avoid - history cannot be deleted like data in computers. If we're talking about rehabilitation now, I think there's no single person to blame. The students, the government, the media and every Chinese citizen were all responsible for it - their mistakes are a matter of difference in degree.
HK: What was your goal when you made the film?
SK: It was obvious in 1989 that the Chinese Government was trying to bury the massacre. That's why I had an immediate urge to reveal what was happening - I couldn't find the whole truth but at least I could document the other side of the picture. I'm still proud of this documentary. [It shows] how history can have a huge impact on the average person. This film may not provide details of the massacre but it shows how people were traumatized in the aftermath. I'm glad that it at least raises awareness of the China-Hong Kong relationship.
HK: If you were to make another film about June 4, how would you do it?
SK: This film was made right after the incident and Hong Kong was still in a very emotional state, which gave the film power. It would be impossible for me to make a film on this subject matter again, although my personal view is still biased towards the protesting students, and I'm still against the violence. But to present this feeling through film again, I'm afraid that the emotion would be hindered by my maturity and time.