Martin Lee

In February 2019, the Hong Kong government proposed a bill that would have allowed the extradition of criminal suspects from Hong Kong to face trial in mainland China. The controversial bill sparked immediate outrage over widespread fear of arbitrary detention and politically motivated trials that would decimate Hong Kong’s autonomy under ‘one country, two systems.’ Protests escalated into epic pro-democracy demonstrations, in part led by young people connected via social media. COCKROACH, filmed during the height of the protests, captures the extraordinary intensity of an unprecedented era in Hong Kong’s history.

China's Rebel City: The Hong Kong Protests is a comprehensive documentary account chronicling the 2019 Hong Kong anti-government protests that pushed the city to the brink and reshaped its political landscape. This documentary is a gritty, no-holds-barred audiovisual account of the political turmoil and social chaos that unfolded during months of demonstrations. The series draws on hundreds of hours of footage and features expertise and ground-zero reporting from award-winning journalists, providing an in-depth look at one of the most significant political events in recent Hong Kong history. The documentary tells the dramatic story of a city at the crossroads, drawing from extensive video footage, exclusive interviews with key stakeholders, and unparalleled access to ground-zero reporting. It won best documentary feature at the Cannes World Film Festival and an Online Journalism Award in the "2021 Digital Video Storytelling, Series" category.