Purchase platform says Hong Kong cinema has cancelled private documentary screening, after ‘advice to avoid public gatherings on June 4’
- Private screening of ‘To be Continued’, a documentary about an entertainment mogul, cancelled
- Dora Choi, co-director of film, expresses deep regret and disappointment that it cannot be screened at Golden Scene Cinema
A popular Hong Kong group purchase platform has revealed that a private screening of a documentary booked for June 4 has been cancelled, saying industry representatives advised the cinema to avoid public gatherings on the day marking the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown.
Group purchasing platform AsOne said it regretted to tell everyone that the private screening of To be Continued, a documentary about an entertainment mogul, had been cancelled.
“We have just received notice from Golden Scene Cinema that it has been advised by industry representatives to avoid gatherings on that sensitive day. And after careful consideration, it has decided to cancel the private screening,” it said on Facebook on Wednesday night.
“It is a truly special day that even going to the movies is not possible.”
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The platform said it did not know if the event would be rescheduled. It would continue to communicate with the theatre and keep people posted.
Dora Choi Toi-ling, co-director of To be Continued, expressed deep regret and disappointment that the documentary could not be screened at Golden Scene Cinema on June 4.
“Since the film was released in April, weekends have been the most popular time for audiences to watch it. The two directors have only been able to attend and meet the audience on weekends. It has been the case for the past two months. And we look forward to continuing to interact with everyone in the future,” Choi told the Post.
A spokeswoman for Golden Scene told the Post its focus was mainly on film distribution and promotion, not theatre operation. It added Golden Scene Cinema did not have a response regarding the issue.
The Post has approached the Hong Kong Theatre Association and the major cinema chains in the city for comment.
When asked if police had ordered private film screenings to be cancelled or whether any action would be taken against private gatherings on June 4, a force spokesman said: “In conducting any operation, police will act on the basis of actual circumstances and according to the law.
“Police will make appropriate operational deployment in accordance with the threat to public safety, public order and national security.”
A check by the Post on Golden Scene Cinema’s Facebook account found comments associating the private screening with the city’s now-discontinued annual vigil that commemorated the Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing on June 4, 1989.
Some had posted their comments several days before news about the cancellation was announced.
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“Finally, there is a place to commemorate June 4,” a Facebook user said on Tuesday. “It would be stunning to see everyone in the audience holding candles at the time.”
“Bring flowers. Bring candles and other things you find memorable. Never forget,” another said on Wednesday at about 3pm.
A candlelight vigil had been held in Victoria Park in Causeway Bay every June 4 for decades until 2020, when authorities refused to grant permission, citing the Covid-19 pandemic. Beijing imposed the national security law on Hong Kong in the same month that year.
Permission was not granted for the vigil in 2021 for the same health reasons, while no organisation tried to hold the event in 2022. This year, 26 pro-Beijing federations will jointly host a carnival at the park from Saturday to Monday.
Tenky Tin Kai-man, chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, said the cancellation of the private screening was weird given the documentary was issued with a certificate for public exhibition of films by the Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration.
“The documentary has got the certificate it needs for screening, I don’t know why there is an issue right now. It’s just weird. I don’t understand why the date is sensitive for the screening. It only makes people imagine something different when the screening is halted,” Tin told the Post.
“If it is true that the theatre was advised to make this decision, I really want to know why those industry representatives are making the call and who they are.”
To be Continued starts with the story of the historic State Theatre in North Point facing demolition after a change in ownership a few years ago. Conservation groups intervened and uncovered the theatre’s history. It goes on to explore theatre founder Harry Odell’s contributions to Hong Kong’s culture as an entertainment mogul.
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The documentary traces his voyage from his home in Cairo and highlights his entry into the entertainment industry in Hong Kong in middle age. Along the way, it follows various characters, including internationally renowned musicians who performed at the theatre.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu earlier warned ahead of Sunday’s anniversary of the crackdown that police would take measures against lawbreakers without specifying if individuals’ acts of remembrance were illegal.
Security minister Chris Tang Ping-keung said people might want to take advantage of “a very special occasion” to do things that could threaten national security, including promoting Hong Kong independence or seeking to subvert state power, warning those attempting such acts would be arrested or charged if sufficient evidence was found.
