In 'Ten Years,' A Dystopian Vision Of Hong Kong's Future Under China; NPR, 7/7/16

Alan Yu, NPR; In 'Ten Years,' A Dystopian Vision Of Hong Kong's Future Under China:

"When Ten Years debuted in December 2015, Hong Kong cinemas sold out moments after publicizing showtimes. People crowded into informal public screenings. Crowdfunding campaigns later brought the film to Canada, Germany, the U.K. and Australia. It premiered in the U.S. at the New York Asian Film Festival on July 4 and will soon be available on demand.

But it has been banned in China, where a state media editorial in January — since taken down — condemned it as "absurd" and a "thought virus."

In the film, made for about $64,000, five directors imagine five different vignettes of what Hong Kong will be like in 2025.

It's a dispiriting vision: Local children are indoctrinated to spy on adults in scenes reminiscent of China's Cultural Revolution. A pro-democracy activist burns herself in front of the British Consulate to protest the U.K. handing Hong Kong back to China in 1997. Chinese government officials stage a murder to help usher in harsh national security laws.

Ten Years won Best Picture at the Hong Kong Film Awards in April — though the honor was never mentioned on the mainland, where a broadcast of the awards ceremony was cut off. The film has earned more than 10 times its budget at the Hong Kong box office. It's popular because it shows the hopes and fears of Hong Kong citizens living under Chinese rule, and because, in some ways, real life has caught up with the plot."