A documentary about the 2019 anti-government protests in Hong Kong has become the highest-grossing overseas Chinese-language documentary in Taiwan since its release on Feb. 25, according to the film’s distributor.

The documentary, “Revolution of Our Times,” had grossed approximately NT$16 million (US$563,529) as of Tuesday, less than two weeks after its theatrical run began in more than 30 theaters across Taiwan, the distributor said in a press statement on Wednesday.

The film has become the highest-grossing Chinese-language documentary made overseas in the history of Taiwan’s cinema, said the distributor, who asked not to be identified in media reports.

Directed by Hong Kong-based filmmaker Kiwi Chow (???), “Revolution of Our Times” chronicles the city’s civil unrest in 2019, which began as protests against a proposed extradition law but later expanded to include other demands such as universal suffrage and a probe into alleged police brutality.

During an interview with CNA last month, Chow said the film’s inclusion of everyday Hong Kongers alongside the voices of pro-democracy campaigners and political commentators allowed the audience to better understand the motives and the emotional toll of the protests.

Since the documentary’s theatrical release in Taiwan, several Taiwanese politicians who publicly expressed concern about the Hong Kong government’s crackdown on the protests have endorsed the film.

They include President Tsai Ing-wen (???), who said via Facebook on Wednesday that the film shows the audience how a group of young people in Hong Kong were united by their belief in democracy and freedom, and fought for their own and the city’s future.

Tsai encouraged the public to go to see the documentary, saying it is a way to show support for Hong Kong’s pursuit of democracy.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel