Lawmakers say a new TV series about Hong Kong expatriates starring Nicole Kidman has put the government in an awkward position and does not portray Hong Kong in a positive light, while some local residents portrayed in the show It seems that some people are dissatisfied with the way the show is portrayed. Life is unreal.
The first two episodes of the six-part Expats, released on Friday, were not available to local viewers despite their “worldwide” release, but they were accessible using a virtual private network .
The Amazon series, based on a 2016 novel by Chinese-born American director Lulu Wang, centers on Margaret, played by Kidman, who immigrated to Hong Kong with her husband and family in 2014. The mother of three is wracked with guilt and taken care of by Korean-American “Marcy” when her youngest son, played by Yoo Ji-young, disappears while shopping at Mongkok market. pain after.
The trailer includes shots of the Umbrella Movement, a massive show of civil disobedience, and this first episode features a scene in which protesters shout “I want universal suffrage” in Cantonese. I am.
Hong Kong Film Producers Federation president Teng Kee Ting Kai-man said the decision not to allow local viewers to watch the series was made after the drama contained “sensitive” content. He said that this may be an attempt to protect the government.
“If foreign investors and production companies do not have a clear understanding of Hong Kong's rules and regulations, it is understandable that they may choose to take a risk-averse approach to avoid potential troubles and problems,” Ting said. Ta.
In August 2021, filming for The Expat sparked outrage in the city after co-producer Kidman was allowed to skip the mandatory long-term quarantine to facilitate filming.
Authorities justified the decision at the time, saying she was authorized to carry out “designated professional tasks that contribute to the essential functioning and growth of Hong Kong's economy.”
Nicole Kidman returns to the US after filming in Hong Kong
Nicole Kidman returns to the US after filming in Hong Kong
Councilor Doreen Kong Yuk-hoon said the series of measures had put the government in an awkward position, as the exemptions had not led to a completely positive outcome for the city.
“The government should have treated all arrivals equally, following the strict quarantine requirements in place at the time, regardless of their identity,” Kong said.
“The production team that came to Hong Kong to film did not violate any laws. The government also provided assistance and facilities, particularly to Kidman. If there had been more understanding beforehand, today's reaction would have made the government would not have been put in an awkward position.”
Fellow lawmaker Dominic Lee Tsi-kin said the show's inability to be viewed in Hong Kong was a decision by the streaming platform and had nothing to do with the government. However, he argued that if the exemption had been granted, authorities should have been informed of the program's content at the time of filming.
“Hong Kong is a free society,” he said. “If someone comes here and films something or performs, as long as they follow Hong Kong law, it's not a problem and the authorities don't need to monitor it.
“The crux of the issue is the exemptions granted by the government. At the very least, we need to know whether what is being filmed is good for Hong Kong's image. My understanding is that this movie is about how boring Hong Kong is. It depicts scenes from the illegal Occupy Central Movement, which cannot be of any benefit to Hong Kong.”
According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the government-set Create Hong Kong Film Services Bureau provided outdoor filming support for the 2021 production, which lasted more than a year and involved more than 200 staff.
A spokesperson for the station said, “The filming mainly focused on street scenes depicting the daily lives of the main characters, their families, and friends.'' “This filming opportunity also provided an opportunity for local teams to participate in international film and television productions.”
David Liang, who was born in Luxembourg and came to Hong Kong 18 months ago, said he felt sympathy for the character Mercy.
Nicole Kidman: “Temporarily leaves Hong Kong due to conflict with director''
Nicole Kidman: “Temporarily leaves Hong Kong due to conflict with director''
The 26-year-old said that being close in age and of Asian heritage were the main reasons why they resonated with each other.
“Like her, my parents have high expectations in terms of what they want me to do in life, how I should approach things, and where I should be in life when I reach a certain age. “I have one,” Anne said. She is an English teacher.
At some point, Marcy says she realized she couldn't live in the same house as her mother and had to leave. Similarly, Liang said her move to Hong Kong was an “escape from being in the same country as her parents”.
However, Marcy's apartment, although dilapidated, turns out to be unrealistically spacious considering that she does odd jobs as a freelancer. He said the people he met in Hong Kong were not as critical and condescending as the program suggests.
Julia*, a 37-year-old American who works in the education industry and moved to Hong Kong as a child, watched the show with her husband on the day it was released. She said she couldn't relate to the show's characters and that she felt some scenes were unrealistic.
“I took my toddler to markets like Mong Kok and Sham Shui Po. He couldn't have gotten lost like that,” she said. “I don't know if it paints Hong Kong in the right light. That's what I was concerned about.”
Where was Expats filmed? 4 iconic Hong Kong spots featured in Nicole Kidman's new show
Where was Expats filmed? 4 iconic Hong Kong spots featured in Nicole Kidman's new show
She also said that while the series reflects some parts of expat life, it does not represent all of the community and that some depictions of their lifestyle go too far. .
“People have junk parties and boat parties in Hong Kong, but very few people have boats like that,” she said of the three-story yacht with a small pool on the top deck. “It's glorified.
“There's a part of me that's like, “Do I even care? Do I want the series to end? Am I that annoying? Because that's clearly not a character that I can relate to.'' .”
However, Liang said: The story is interesting and I'm a fan of director Lulu Wang. ”
*Names have been changed at the request of the interviewee.
