This is me in the middle of crossing one of the weirdest borders I've ever crossed. It's this one. It divides China from China. And it took me two hours to get through. This border is weird not only because it separates the same country into two, but also because it has an expiration date. July 1st, 2047. Until then, China has promised to stay out, to let Hong Kong be highly autonomous. Hence the border. But the government of China doesn't really want to wait until 2047. They're ready to start erasing this border now, making Hong Kong a proper part of China. And one of the ways they're doing that is this huge bridge. Yeah, I know this isn't really the best shot, so, um, here's a solution. The drone doesn't even have a microphone, but even still, I couldn't help but say, take a look at this bridge as it was flying away. But seriously, take a look at this bridge. China has unveiled the world's largest sea-crossing bridge. It's 55 kilometers, that's 34 miles. It's the longest sea crossing in the world. The bridge connects Hong Kong with Macau and mainland China. I always call this some sort of umbilical cord between Hong Kong and China. They want something physical for you to register in your head that Hong Kong is part of China. So this bridge and a bunch of other recent developments in Hong Kong are bringing up a lot of questions of what is Hong Kong? Who does it really belong to? And what happens when you erase a border? It's June 4th, which is the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. There are hundreds of thousands of people here in Tiananmen Square. In the history of Communist China, there has never been anything like this. On June 4th, 1989, pro-democracy protesters were marching on Beijing's Tiananmen Square, calling for the end of single-party rule in China. They were then brutally massacred. Hundreds were killed. The troops have been firing indiscriminately. Marking the end of any sort of widespread democracy movement in China. They've just turned off all the lights in this park. Every year, the residents of Hong Kong hold a vigil to commemorate the people killed in that massacre. This is something that's not allowed in mainland China. But in recent years, this vigil has become more personal to these people. And that's because they are feeling a new level of influence from China. But wait, isn't Hong Kong already a part of China? Technically, yes. Hong Kong belongs to China. But you sure wouldn't think so by looking at this border that I'm at right now. Okay, I made it into China. I mean, technically I was already in China, but now I'm like really in China. So, how did it get like this? Britain and China fought a couple of wars over trade in the 1800s, and Britain eventually took over Hong Kong as a colony. At the time, this was a mainly empty, rocky group of islands in southern China. Under British rule, Hong Kong's population and economy exploded. And even though Hong Kong's population was mainly made up of immigrants from China, it became a very different society than mainland China, which was undergoing a communist revolution. One of the treaties that China and Britain signed said that Hong Kong would be a British colony for 99 years, which meant that the agreement would officially expire in 1997. As that expiration date drew nearer, China and Great Britain started to talk about what this is going to look like. Britain acknowledges that when the lease runs out in 1997 on most of the territory, the whole of Hong Kong will revert to China. Let's finish talking about this stuff up there. If you go up to the 69th floor in this building in the Chinese border city of Shenzhen, you'll find a life-sized wax sculpture of this moment in the mid-80s when the leaders from China and Great Britain sat around and negotiated the terms of handing over Hong Kong to China. And they came to this agreement that Britain would give over Hong Kong peacefully to China under the condition that Hong Kong would be able to retain its way of life, legal system, their economic system. Freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of association. These are fundamental freedoms. Freedom of religious worship. These are fundamental freedoms and they must continue. China agreed. They said they would let them be independent and govern themselves for 50 years while they kind of adjusted to Chinese rule. 50 years beyond 1997. And so this was the agreement that they came to. It was called the one country, two systems model, and it was kind of unprecedented. Okay, let's head back to Hong Kong. See you, Margaret. See you, Deng. So, even after Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997, this border that I'm now biking to stuck around. It remained exactly how it was. And this border became highly symbolic of the fact that yes, this is China, but it was kind of its own country at the same time, governed with its own values and its own system that is different than China, that is in opposition to China in some ways. Perhaps the most overt symbol of Chinese sovereignty is this army barracks behind me. It's the Chinese army. And so even though these soldiers can't leave the barracks or do any sort of enforcement activities within Hong Kong, they're still here in this central area of the city and they serve as a very powerful symbol of the fact that this is Chinese territory. This is Chinese sovereignty. But these soldiers won't be confined for much longer. The borders around their barracks, as well as this border up north, are quickly dissolving. China has committed to respecting Hong Kong's autonomy until 2047. And for the first decade after the handover, they respected that promise. What you have to understand is that Hong Kong was easily China's most economically productive city. In the early 90s, right before the handover, this one city's economy was more than a quarter of the size of China's entire economy. And so it makes sense why China would agree to these terms to keep Hong Kong happy and economically free. But then things changed. Look at the explosive development of these Chinese cities in recent years. These are China's mega cities. These cities eventually eclipsed Hong Kong as the economic powerhouse of China. Shenzhen, this town that shares the border with Hong Kong, is a perfect example of this. The place went from a small fishing village of around 30,000 people to a super productive economic powerhouse of over 10 million people in just a few decades. Hong Kong went from making up 27% of Chinese GDP in the early 90s down to just 3% today. And suddenly, Hong Kong, once the economic powerhouse of China and the gateway to the West, became much less economically relevant. And soon the Chinese government didn't have the same incentives to respect Hong Kong's autonomy. Now you begin to see a flood of Chinese influence in this city. Let's go see if we can catch the 5:00 news. Good. Nice to meet you. In recent years, the evening news broadcast has started with the national anthem of China, playing under a promo video that shows Hong Kongers enthusiastically participating in traditional Chinese customs. The message is very clear that Hong Kong is a part of China, whether they like it or not. On top of that, the language of the evening news is Mandarin, the official language of China. But in Hong Kong, they don't speak Mandarin, they speak Cantonese. Don't they say if you want to kill a city, you kill its language first. And we speak Cantonese here. There are actually some professors in Hong Kong and China telling us that, oh, Cantonese is actually not our mother tongue. Not Hong Kongers' mother tongue. Cantonese is actually just a dialect of Chinese. The Chinese government tried to get teachers to use this textbook to teach Hong Kong children the basics about China. But looking into the book, you see that it's more of an advertisement for China's style of government than an introduction to it. The China system is the ideal type. So, multi-party rivalry will make the people suffer. It's about all these four points are about how bad the United States is. Multiparty systems create government shutdowns. They're basically pointing to that as the reason why a multi-party system like that of the United States is deeply flawed and really bad for the people. In 2014, China took it one step too far. The Chinese government was trying to control who could run for Hong Kong's election in an effort to secure a pro-China candidate. This really touched a nerve for the locals because this was their democratic process, something that China promised they would stay out of. So people immediately took to the streets in protest, starting here in this park. I took a taxi from my home to here on the night. What was it like down here that that night? We were in a standoff-ish situation. And suddenly, they used tear gas. The first drop of tear gas just dropped right in front of my eyes. We were holding umbrellas trying to prevent pepper sprays. So I remember that itchy, painful feeling. Oh my gosh. I saw Hong Kong people joining, uniting together against against the central government and fighting for their rights. These protests and the subsequent movement that came up around it is known as the Umbrella Movement. You would say, oh, what's the point of fighting when you're bound to lose? They're so big, you're so small. For the record, we need to fight. We're not taking things lying down. The protest didn't change the Chinese government's mind, and it didn't immediately change anything in Hong Kong. But this spectacle of young people rising up to defend their rights from the central government of China did spark a political awakening among the many in the city who had never before paid attention. I think post-Umbrella Movement was the first time that the middle class came out and voted in droves, and voted for the opposition force. But for the first time, like, you know, people, someone like ourselves, started caring. Look at this graph that shows how Hong Kongers identify themselves, either as Chinese or Hong Konger. In the early days after the handoff, as China respected the one-party, two-systems arrangement, you can see how Hong Kongers slowly became more and more comfortable identifying themselves as Chinese. But since then, with the growing influence from the Chinese government, you can see this line reverse course. Residents of Hong Kong who identify themselves as Chinese has almost hit a new all-time low. The Umbrella Movement is a manifestation of this growing Hong Kong identity and the resistance to Chinese government influence. China responded to the Umbrella Movement with a new wave of efforts to exert influence in this city. I'm standing outside the bookstore where in 2015, five staff members disappeared throughout the year. This bookstore was selling books that were banned in China that basically covered the sex lives and the corruption scandals of high-ranking Chinese officials. And so one by one, throughout 2015, people who worked in these in this bookstore disappeared. No one really knows where they went. One of them showed up a bit later on Chinese television apologizing for what he did and confessing to his crimes. So I want to return to China to turn myself in. I want to shoulder my own responsibility. I'm also willing to accept any punishment. The bookstore has since closed down.
A man stands inside an automated photo booth, looking at his own image on a screen.
"This is me in the middle of crossing one of the weirdest borders I've ever crossed."
Setting: Automated photo booth at a border crossing — Bright, even, from vertical light panels on either side.
People (1):
• Standing, facing the camera., wearing light blue t-shirt, Short, styled, light brown/blonde. hair — Neutral expression, looking forward, has a beard and mustache.
Text: "Welcome to self-service photo system", "Look at eye level"
An aerial drone shot flies over a river that separates a dense urban area from a green, hilly landscape.
"It's this one. It divides China from China."
Setting: Border between Shenzhen, China and Hong Kong — Bright daylight.
Text: "CHINA", "CHINA"
A montage of border crossing activities: walking through a modern terminal, a security guard gesturing, automated gates, a red sign with a yellow hammer and sickle, scanning a passport, and filling out an arrival card.
"And it took me two hours to get through."
Setting: Luohu Port / Lo Wu Control Point — Bright, fluorescent overhead lighting.
People (1):
• Standing, interacting with the camera person., wearing white short-sleeved pilot-style shirt, Short, black hair — Smiling
An animated map shows the border between mainland China and Hong Kong. A date appears over Hong Kong.
"but also because it has an expiration date. July 1st, 2047."
Setting: Animated map — N/A (graphic)
Text: "CHINA", "HONG KONG", "JULY 1, 2047"
A montage shows a concrete wall with barbed wire, Chinese soldiers marching in formation, a military parade with a large Chinese flag, and Xi Jinping at a podium.
"Hence the border. But the government of China doesn't really want to wait until 2047."
Setting: China — Daylight.
People (2):
• Marching in unison., wearing blue camouflage shirts and blue camouflage pants, short, black hair — Serious, focused expressions.
• Standing behind a podium., wearing green Mao-style suit, black hair — Slight smile, looking forward.
A very long bridge is visible in the distance, stretching across a large body of water, viewed from a high, hilly vantage point.
"And one of the ways they're doing that is this huge bridge."
Setting: Overlooking the sea near Hong Kong — Bright, hazy daylight.
A man takes a folded drone out of a backpack, unfolds its arms, and prepares it for flight.
"here's a solution."
Setting: Rocky shoreline — Bright, direct sunlight.
People (1):
• Crouching over a backpack., wearing black t-shirt and black shorts, Not visible. hair — Not visible.
The narrator, crouching on rocks, holds a drone controller and points out towards the sea with his right hand.
"but even still, I couldn't help but say, take a look at this bridge"
Setting: Rocky shoreline — Bright daylight.
People (1):
• Crouching on rocks., wearing black t-shirt and black shorts, Short, light brown/blonde. hair — Speaking, looking off-camera to the right and pointing.
A stunning aerial drone shot flies alongside a massive, multi-lane bridge that curves over a vast expanse of greenish water.
"But seriously, take a look at this bridge."
Setting: Over the Pearl River Delta — Bright, slightly overcast daylight.
The narrator stands on a rocky shore, speaking directly to the camera, gesturing with his hands to emphasize the scale of the bridge.
"It's 55 kilometers, that's 34 miles. It's the longest sea crossing in the world."
Setting: Rocky shoreline — Bright, direct sunlight.
People (1):
• Standing, facing camera., wearing black t-shirt and black shorts, Short, light brown/blonde, slightly windswept. hair — Speaking animatedly, making eye contact with the camera.
A woman with short black hair, wearing a white shirt, sits in an office and speaks to an off-camera interviewer.
"I always call this some sort of umbilical cord between Hong Kong and China."
Setting: Office — Bright, professional studio lighting.
People (1):
• Sitting in an office chair., wearing white button-up blouse, Short, black, styled. hair — Serious, speaking with conviction.
Text: "Claudia Mo", "Member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council"
A chaotic scene of a protest at night. Police officers in yellow vests are in a tense standoff with a large crowd of protesters.
"So this bridge and a bunch of other recent developments in Hong Kong are bringing up a lot of questions of what is Hong Kong?"
Setting: Hong Kong street at night — Streetlights and camera flashes.
People (2):
• Standing in a line, facing protesters., wearing light blue police shirts, yellow reflective vests, Short, black. hair — Serious, shouting.
• Crowded together, pushing against the police line., wearing various casual shirts, various hair — Angry, shouting, some recording with phones.
The narrator walks through a very crowded street at night, holding the camera selfie-style and speaking into it.
"It's June 4th, which is the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre."
Setting: Causeway Bay, Hong Kong — Bright neon and streetlights.
People (1):
• Walking and talking., wearing black and white striped button-up shirt, Short, light brown. hair — Speaking seriously to the camera, looking slightly flushed.
Archival footage shows a massive crowd of protesters in Tiananmen Square, with a large statue resembling the Statue of Liberty.
"On June 4th, 1989, pro-democracy protesters were marching on Beijing's Tiananmen Square, calling for the end of single-party rule in China."
Setting: Tiananmen Square, Beijing, 1989 — Hazy daylight.
People (1):
• Marching, standing in a large crowd., wearing 1980s attire, mostly light-colored shirts, black hair — Faces are small and indistinct in the crowd.
A montage of grainy archival footage from the massacre: a street with overturned bicycles, injured people being loaded onto a truck, and military trucks moving through the city.
"They were then brutally massacred. Hundreds were killed."
Setting: Beijing, 1989 — Grainy daylight and night shots.
People (1):
• Helping the wounded, fleeing., wearing casual 1980s clothing, black hair — Distressed, helping the injured.
The narrator, looking shocked, speaks to the camera as the ambient lights in the park behind him are extinguished, plunging the background into darkness.
"They've just turned off all the lights in this park."
Setting: Victoria Park, Hong Kong — Warm ambient park lighting that is suddenly turned off.
People (1):
• Standing still, reacting to the lights turning off., wearing black and white striped shirt, Short, light brown. hair — Eyes wide, mouth open in surprise.
An immense crowd fills a park at night, each person holding a lit candle, creating a sea of tiny lights.
"Every year, the residents of Hong Kong hold a vigil to commemorate the people killed in that massacre."
Setting: Victoria Park, Hong Kong — Dominated by the light of thousands of candles.
People (1):
• Standing together in a massive vigil. — Indistinguishable dots in the crowd.
Text: "Victoria Park", "June 4, 2018"
Close-up and medium shots of people at the candlelight vigil. They hold their candles with solemn expressions, looking forward.
"But in recent years, this vigil has become more personal to these people. And that's because they are feeling a new level of influence from China."
Setting: Victoria Park, Hong Kong — Warm, low light from the candles.
People (1):
• Standing in the crowd., wearing mostly dark-colored shirts, various hair — Solemn, serious, looking down or straight ahead.
The narrator walks along an outdoor covered walkway at a border crossing, speaking to the camera selfie-style.
"But wait, isn't Hong Kong already a part of China? Technically, yes. Hong Kong belongs to China."
Setting: Lo Wu Control Point walkway — Bright, natural daylight.
People (1):
• Walking forward., wearing blue button-up shirt, Short, light brown, slightly messy. hair — Speaking directly to the camera, walking.
The narrator, having crossed the border, walks in an urban area and speaks to the camera selfie-style.
"Okay, I made it into China. I mean, technically I was already in China, but now I'm like really in China."
Setting: Shenzhen, China, just outside the border crossing — Daylight, some areas are in shadow.
People (1):
• Walking., wearing blue button-up shirt, Short, light brown. hair — Speaking to the camera with a thoughtful expression.
A montage of black and white historical illustrations depicting the Opium Wars: naval battles with steamships and junks, and British soldiers in combat.
"Britain and China fought a couple of wars over trade in the 1800s, and Britain eventually took over Hong Kong as a colony."
Setting: Historical China — N/A (illustration)
People (1):
• Fighting in battle., wearing 19th-century military uniforms and Chinese clothing — Indistinct in the drawings.
A montage of faded, color archival footage from mid-20th century Hong Kong: a bustling street with double-decker buses and cars, and crowds of people walking.
"Under British rule, Hong Kong's population and economy exploded."
Setting: Hong Kong (archival) — Natural daylight, slightly faded color.
People (1):
• Walking on sidewalks and crossing streets., wearing 1960s-70s style clothing, black hair — Indistinct in the crowd.
The narrator is in a modern, high-floor observatory, looking out at the city of Shenzhen below.
"As that expiration date drew nearer, China and Great Britain started to talk about what this is going to look like."
Setting: SEG Plaza, Shenzhen — Bright, natural light from the window.
People (1):
• Standing., wearing blue button-up shirt, Short, light brown. hair — Speaking to the camera.
The camera pans to reveal a wax sculpture diorama depicting Margaret Thatcher and Deng Xiaoping sitting in red armchairs, negotiating.
"If you go up to the 69th floor in this building in the Chinese border city of Shenzhen, you'll find a life-sized wax sculpture of this moment in the mid-80s"
Setting: Museum/Observatory in Shenzhen — Warm, focused spotlights on the figures.
People (2):
• Sitting upright in a chair., wearing blue dress with white polka dots, Styled, reddish-brown. hair — Smiling, looking at the other figure.
• Sitting in a chair., wearing gray Mao-style suit, black, balding hair — Smiling, looking at the other figure.
Text: "DENG XIAOPING", "MARGARET THATCHER"
An archival document titled "JOINT DECLARATION... ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG" is shown, with a key phrase highlighted.
"And they came to this agreement that Britain would give over Hong Kong peacefully to China under the condition that Hong Kong would be able to retain its way of life, legal system, their economic system."
Setting: N/A — N/A (graphic)
Text: "(5) The current social and economic systems in Hong Kong will remain unchanged, and so will the life-style."
Archival footage shows Margaret Thatcher and a Chinese official shaking hands after signing the Joint Declaration.
"China agreed. They said they would let them be independent and govern themselves for 50 years while they kind of adjusted to Chinese rule."
Setting: Great Hall of the People, Beijing — Bright indoor lighting.
People (2):
• Standing, shaking hands., wearing black suit jacket, Styled, reddish-brown. hair — Smiling.
• Standing, shaking hands., wearing dark suit, black hair — Serious expression.
A graphic overlay with the words "ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS" appears over the archival footage of the signing ceremony.
"And so this was the agreement that they came to. It was called the one country, two systems model, and it was kind of unprecedented."
Setting: N/A (graphic) — Soft indoor lighting.
People (1):
• Sitting in chairs.
Text: "ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS"
The narrator walks away from the wax figure diorama, waving goodbye to the figures.
"See you, Margaret. See you, Deng."
Setting: Museum/Observatory in Shenzhen — Indoor lighting.
People (1):
• Walking away., wearing gray t-shirt, Short, light brown. hair — Smiling, speaking to the camera.
The narrator walks on a city plaza, speaking to the camera selfie-style, with a large train station in the background.
"So, even after Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997, this border that I'm now biking to stuck around. It remained exactly how it was."
Setting: Plaza outside Luohu Port, Shenzhen — Bright afternoon sun.
People (1):
• Walking., wearing blue button-up shirt, Short, light brown. hair — Speaking earnestly.
The narrator walks along a high, white wall topped with coiled barbed wire.
"And this border became highly symbolic of the fact that yes, this is China, but it was kind of its own country at the same time,"
Setting: Along the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border fence — Bright sunlight.
People (1):
• Walking., wearing blue button-up shirt, Short, light brown. hair — Speaking to the camera with a serious expression.
A low-angle shot looks up at a concrete guard tower behind a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire.
"governed with its own values and its own system that is different than China, that is in opposition to China in some ways."
Setting: Hong Kong-Shenzhen border — Bright, direct sunlight.
The narrator stands on a brick plaza, speaking to the camera with a large, modern building complex (the PLA Garrison) in the background.
"Perhaps the most overt symbol of Chinese sovereignty is this army barracks behind me. It's the Chinese army."
Setting: Outside the PLA Garrison in Hong Kong — Slightly overcast daylight.
People (1):
• Standing., wearing black t-shirt, Short, light brown. hair — Speaking to the camera, looking serious.
An aerial shot shows the red-colored river border between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, symbolizing its dissolution.
"But these soldiers won't be confined for much longer. The borders around their barracks, as well as this border up north, are quickly dissolving."
Setting: Border between Shenzhen, China and Hong Kong — Bright daylight.
A graph appears on screen showing the decline of Hong Kong's share of China's economy.
"What you have to understand is that Hong Kong was easily China's most economically productive city."
Setting: N/A (graphic) — N/A
Text: "Hong Kong's share of China's economy"
The line on the graph animates, starting high at 27% in 1993 and dropping sharply to 3% by 2017.
"Hong Kong went from making up 27% of Chinese GDP in the early 90s down to just 3% today."
Setting: N/A (graphic) — N/A
Text: "27%", "3%", "Handover"
An aerial drone shot flies towards the Hong Kong skyline at dusk, showing the city lights beginning to turn on.
"Now you begin to see a flood of Chinese influence in this city."
Setting: Hong Kong skyline — Dusk, with city lights reflecting on the water.
The narrator is sitting in the back of a red taxi, looking out the window as the city passes by.
"Let's go see if we can catch the 5:00 news."
Setting: In a taxi in Hong Kong — Daylight.
People (1):
• Sitting in a car., wearing blue button-up shirt, Short, light brown. hair — Looking out the window, then turns to the camera.
The narrator enters a small, cluttered apartment and greets someone off-camera. The camera follows him in.
"Good. Nice to meet you."
Setting: Hong Kong apartment — Warm indoor lighting.
People (1):
• Walking into the room., wearing black t-shirt and khaki shorts — Not visible.
A television screen shows a promotional video featuring a choir and orchestra performing, intercut with scenes of Chinese culture like martial arts and traditional crafts.
"In recent years, the evening news broadcast has started with the national anthem of China, playing under a promo video that shows Hong Kongers enthusiastically participating in traditional Chinese customs."
Setting: Hong Kong apartment — Dim indoor lighting, with light coming from the TV.
People (1):
• Sitting in a chair., wearing blue shirt and khaki shorts, light brown hair — Watching the TV with a thoughtful expression.
Text: "承我薪火"
A woman sits in front of a TV screen showing a news broadcast. The news anchor is speaking Mandarin.
"But in Hong Kong, they don't speak Mandarin, they speak Cantonese."
Setting: Hong Kong apartment — The glow from the television.
People (2):
• Watching TV., short, dark hair — Back of head is visible.
• Sitting at a news desk., wearing blue suit, white shirt, red tie, short, black hair — Speaking seriously.
Claudia Mo speaks directly to the camera, explaining the cultural importance of the Cantonese language.
"Don't they say if you want to kill a city, you kill its language first. And we speak Cantonese here."
Setting: Office — Bright, professional studio lighting.
People (1):
• Sitting in an office chair., wearing white button-up blouse, Short, black. hair — Speaking with a serious and determined expression.
A young man with glasses sits outdoors and speaks passionately about the language issue.
"There are actually some professors in Hong Kong and China telling us that, oh, Cantonese is actually not our mother tongue."
Setting: Outdoor park in Hong Kong — Natural, soft daylight.
People (1):
• Sitting outdoors., wearing brown t-shirt with a white spartan helmet logo, Short, black. hair — Speaking animatedly, expressing disbelief.
A young man points to specific text in a textbook that criticizes multi-party political systems.
"The China system is the ideal type. So multi-party rivalry will make the people suffer."
Setting: A cafe or home — Indoor lighting.
People (1):
• Sitting at a table, reading., wearing gray t-shirt, Not visible. hair — Not visible.
The narrator speaks to the camera in a cafe, explaining the textbook's pro-China, anti-democracy content.
"Multiparty systems create government shutdowns. They're basically pointing to that as the reason why a multiparty system like that of the United States is deeply flawed and really bad for the people."
Setting: A small shop in Hong Kong — Indoor fluorescent lighting.
People (1):
• Sitting and talking., wearing white and green patterned shirt, Short, light brown. hair — Speaking with a concerned and slightly incredulous expression.
A chaotic night protest scene. A crowd of protesters, many wearing yellow hard hats, clash with police who are using pepper spray.
"In 2014, China took it one step too far."
Setting: Hong Kong protest — Harsh street lighting and flashes.
People (1):
• Clashing with police., wearing dark clothing — Shouting, faces contorted.
The narrator interviews a young woman, Christine Kwong, in an outdoor plaza.
"I took a taxi from my home to here on the night. What was it like down here that that night?"
Setting: Outdoor plaza in Hong Kong — Bright, overcast daylight.
People (2):
• Sitting, facing the narrator., wearing yellow sleeveless top, Long, dark brown. hair — Smiling as she begins to speak.
• Standing, facing the interviewee., wearing black t-shirt, Short, light brown. hair — Listening intently, profile view.
Text: "Christine Kwong", "Journalist"
Protesters use a multitude of open umbrellas as shields against police actions.
"We were holding umbrellas, trying to prevent pepper sprays."
Setting: Hong Kong protest — Night, with harsh artificial light.
People (2):
• Huddled together behind the umbrellas. — Mostly obscured by umbrellas and gear.
• Attacking the protesters., wearing police uniform with yellow vest — Obscured by helmet.
A man sits in a wheelchair in a modern living room, speaking thoughtfully to an off-camera interviewer.
"I think post-Umbrella Movement was the first time that the middle class came out and voted in droves, and voted for the opposition force."
Setting: Hong Kong apartment — Soft, natural light from a window.
People (1):
• Sitting in a wheelchair., wearing dark gray t-shirt and olive green pants, Short, black. hair — Speaking calmly and gesturing.
Text: "Jonathan Leong", "Hong Kong resident"
A line graph animates to show the changing self-identification of Hong Kong residents over time.
"And so this was the agreement that they came to. It was called the one country, two systems model, and it was kind of unprecedented."
Setting: N/A (graphic) — N/A
Text: "Would you identify yourself as Hongkonger or Chinese?", "Hongkonger", "Chinese", "40% identify as Hongkonger", "18% identify as Chinese"
The narrator is walking his bike along a path next to the border wall.
"So, even after Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997, this border that I'm now biking to stuck around. It remained exactly how it was."
Setting: Along the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border — Bright sunlight.
People (1):
• Walking and pushing a bike., wearing blue button-up shirt, Short, light brown. hair — Speaking to the camera while walking.
The narrator continues walking his bike along the border wall, which is now covered in Chinese text.
"governed with its own values and its own system that is different than China, that is in opposition to China in some ways."
Setting: Street in Shenzhen, near the border — Bright daylight.
People (1):
• Walking., wearing blue button-up shirt, Short, light brown. hair — Serious, looking at the camera.
An animated bar graph compares the economies of China and Hong Kong in 1993.
"Hong Kong went from making up 27% of Chinese GDP in the early 90s down to just 3% today."
Setting: N/A (graphic) — N/A
Text: "China's economy, 1993", "$445 B", "Hong Kong's economy, 1993", "$120 B", "27%"
An aerial drone shot flies over the Hong Kong harbor at dusk, showing the illuminated skyline.
"And soon the Chinese government didn't have the same incentives to respect Hong Kong's autonomy."
Setting: Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong — Night, with buildings brightly lit and reflecting on the water.
A young man sits at a table and opens a textbook with a map of China on the cover.
"The Chinese government tried to get teachers to use this textbook to teach Hong Kong children the basics about China."
Setting: Cafe in Hong Kong — Indoor lighting.
People (1):
• Sitting at a table., wearing gray t-shirt, Short, black. hair — Focused on the book.
Jonathan Leong, a Hong Kong resident, sits in his living room and discusses the political impact of the Umbrella Movement.
"I think post-Umbrella Movement was the first time that the middle class came out and voted in droves, and voted for the opposition force."
Setting: Hong Kong apartment — Soft, natural light.
People (1):
• Sitting in a wheelchair., wearing dark gray t-shirt and olive green pants, Short, black. hair — Speaking earnestly.
The line graph showing Hong Konger vs. Chinese identity continues to animate, showing the 'Hongkonger' identity line rising significantly while the 'Chinese' identity line falls.
"But since then, with the growing influence from the Chinese government, you can see this line reverse course."
Setting: N/A (graphic) — N/A
Text: "Would you identify yourself as Hongkonger or Chinese?"
A montage of still photos from the Umbrella Movement: a man holding a yellow umbrella in front of police, a woman with tape over her mouth, a man speaking into a microphone in a crowd.
"The Umbrella Movement is a manifestation of this growing Hong Kong identity and the resistance to Chinese government influence."
Setting: Hong Kong protests — Mostly night shots with street lighting.
People (1):
• Protesting. — Determined, shouting, silenced.
The narrator stands in the middle of a street with two yellow lines, speaking to the camera about the Causeway Bay Books disappearances.
"I'm standing outside the bookstore where in 2015, five staff members disappeared throughout the year."
Setting: Causeway Bay, Hong Kong — Daylight.
People (1):
• Standing in the street., wearing black t-shirt, Short, light brown. hair — Serious expression, looking directly at the camera.
A close-up shot of several books critical of the Chinese government and its leaders, displayed for sale.
"This bookstore was selling books that were banned in China that basically covered the sex lives and the corruption scandals of high-ranking Chinese officials."
Setting: Causeway Bay Books (or similar) — Indoor lighting.
A woman with glasses and short black hair appears on a television screen, looking distressed and speaking.
"One of them showed up a bit later on Chinese television apologizing for what he did and confessing to his crimes."
Setting: Chinese television broadcast (CCTV/CNTV) — Flat, bright studio lighting.
People (1):
• Sitting, giving a televised confession., wearing dark jacket, Short, black. hair — Crying, speaking with a pained expression.
Text: "So I want to return to China to turn myself in. I want to shoulder my own responsibility. I'm also willing to accept any punishment."
A shot of a metal gate locked with a padlock and chain, in a grimy urban alleyway.
"The bookstore has since closed down."
Setting: Former location of Causeway Bay Books — Dim, indoor/alley lighting.
A montage of images: the massive candlelight vigil, the iconic 'Tank Man' photo from Tiananmen Square, and injured protesters from 1989.
"That was once a fight that happened far away in Beijing. But as this border has slowly been erased, these people now find themselves engaging in that same fight,"
Setting: Hong Kong and Beijing (archival) — Night and day shots.
People (1):
• Standing in vigil, protesting. — Solemn, determined.
An aerial shot shows a massive crowd of people holding lit candles, filling several large sections of a park at night.
"resisting a much more powerful China in the struggle for their own democracy and identity."
Setting: Victoria Park, Hong Kong — Thousands of points of candlelight.
The video's credits begin to roll on the left side of the screen, while aerial footage of Hong Kong is shown on the right.
Setting: Hong Kong — Daylight.
Text: "Video by JOHNNY HARRIS", "Producer CHRISTINA THORNELL", "Story Editor MONA LALWANI"