NR | 1h 30min | Politics, Documentary Profile | May 1, 2023
Of the three most visible leaders of the 2014 and 2019–2020 Hong Kong student protests, two have been silenced by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Joshua Wong is in prison. Agnes Chow has been released, but she is clearly not at liberty to speak freely.
That leaves Nathan Law as the only one able to advocate for their cause, albeit in reluctant exile. Unfortunately, Law was not allowed to speak in person when his own documentary premiered in Canada on April 30 at this year’s Hot Docs film festival, because the Canadian government was unable or unwilling to approve his visa in time. (At least the audience heard from him via video conferencing.) It was a bad look for the Trudeau government, but it did not stop Law’s message from getting out.
Beijing’s “most wanted” student-activist tells his story and that of his friends in Joe Piscatella’s documentary, “Who’s Afraid of Nathan Law?”
Piscatella previously helmed “Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower,” the 2017 Netflix documentary profile of Joshua Wong that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. In his previous film, Piscatella’s focus fell squarely on Wong. While Law is necessarily the primary voice in his new documentary, since he is one of the few HK activists at liberty to speak uncensored, his film is also very much about Law’s friendships with Wong and Chow.
Law chronicles in-depth his involvement with the original 2014 Umbrella Movement protests, where he met Wong and Chow. He was the oldest of the trio, which meant that when they founded the pro-democracy Demosisto party together, Law was the only one of the three old enough to stand for election as a Legislative Council (LegCo) candidate. With his victory, Law became the youngest Hong Konger ever elected to LegCo.
Despite his hard work in office, Beijing’s puppet government disqualified Law on a pretext and then prosecuted him on charges related to the 2014 protests, continually appealing rulings until Law received the desired sentence. The mockery of justice in Piscatella and company’s exposé arguably represented a “triple jeopardy” and clearly signaled the end of rule of law in Hong Kong.
Not surprisingly, Law is concerned for his own safety throughout Piscatella’s film. Most of his sit-down interviews are conducted in an empty industrial building, in an undisclosed location, so no background details will ever lead back to Law. Yet it’s clear that the former LegCo member is far more concerned with his friends’ well-being, especially the distressingly youthful-looking Wong, who has no rightful business being in prison.
Law is an articulate interview subject, so it really is Canada’s loss that they were not able to hear from him in person Sunday night. Despite working around very real security concerns, Piscatella still presents Law in traditional documentary fashion. The results should be accessible to a wide range of viewers, supplying a lucid overview of the rise of the HK democracy movement and the CCP’s brutal response.
“Who’s Afraid of Nathan Law” also dramatically personalizes recent HK history. Internet trolls often criticize Law for seeking asylum as a “British National Overseas” (BNO). Yet Piscatella’s film undeniably vindicates his decision. Even in the United Kingdom, he still faces potential abduction or worse.
The particulars of Law’s documentary also hold very concrete real-world implications. For anyone still doing business in Hong Kong, it is clear from the government’s blatant persecution of Law that the rule of law no longer holds. There are no longer any legal restraints, so the safety of a company’s property and employees are now entirely beholden to Xi Jinping’s goodwill.
Furthermore, Chris Patten, the revered final governor of Hong Kong, conclusively explains in his interview segments that Xi and the CCP have completely violated the terms of the 1997 handover agreement. With that in mind, it would be utter folly for any government to negotiate future treaties with the lawless regime.
Any film that offers Law and Patten a chance to speak on the situation in Hong Kong is performing a public service—to Hong Kongers. This is an important film about a young man and the vital movement on whose behalf he speaks. There is no question that Law, Wong, and Chow represent the future of Hong Kong, as confirmed by overwhelming majorities at the HK ballot boxes.
Anyone who ever tweeted out a cliché about “defending democracy” should see this film to understand what that sentiment really means.
Very highly recommended, “Who’s Afraid of Nathan Law” screens again at Hot Docs and it should have a long festival run, given the attention garnered by Piscatella’s previous Joshua Wong documentary.
