The mystery of the missing movies

The SCMP describes it as an ‘unprecedented development’: four major productions – several helped by public funding and/or other official support – fail to appear as candidates in the HK Film Awards. They are Valley of the Shadow of Death, Vital Signs, Finch & Midland and Mother Bhumi…

…speaking privately, observers point to a common thread among the excluded works: the presence of sensitive figures or themes deemed unpalatable to the Hong Kong government. The controversy comes at a time when Hong Kong cinema is struggling amid a shrinking market and stricter censorship laws introduced in 2021. Those laws explicitly ban films that “endanger national security” – but the HKFA’s pre-emptive exclusion effectively removes films from consideration despite the government having approved them for public screenings in the city.

The story speculates on reasons for their exclusion. In order: stars Anthony Wong (a pro-democrat); features recent emigration from Hong Kong; features Anthony Wong and emigration; stars Fan Bingbing (who got into trouble with Mainland tax authorities and recently won a Golden Horse Award in Taiwan).

The Awards are run by directors’ writers, cinematographers and other bodies. A list of winners since 1982. Why bother having a Hong Kong Film Awards?

Political commentator Wong Kwok-ngon is the first person to be charged with disclosing details of a NatSec investigation, which carries a possible seven-year prison term. The investigation is the one into himself for allegedly ‘seditious’ YouTube videos…

…The 71-year-old does not have a lawyer and is representing himself.

…The defendant, who has been remanded since his arrest, applied for bail on Tuesday, but it was denied by [judge Victor] So. The judge said he was not assured that Wong would not continue to endanger national security if released on bail.

The government’s handling of a government scandal ’is praised’. Even the Standard editorial thinks it shouldn’t be…

The Hong Kong government’s response to the logistics department [bottled water] scandal has concluded with a whimper, not a bang. For Government Logistics Department Director Carlson Chan Ka-shun, the most significant consequence is the withdrawal of his Silver Bauhinia Star. As Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan stated: “This withdrawal is simply the removal of a reward, not a penalty.” This symbolic gesture stands in stark contrast to the disciplinary proceedings launched against three of his subordinates. The message is clear: at the highest levels, the system of accountability is broken, relying on ceremony over substance.

The investigation’s findings are revealing in their careful wording. No direct negligence was found against Chan. Instead, he was faulted for not doing enough to “enhance subordinates’ work capability, sensitivity, and initiative.” This bureaucratic language draws a convenient line, isolating blame to mid-level staff while leaving the senior leader with only a managerial critique. It perpetuates a well-established pattern in Hong Kong’s civil service where senior officials are almost never formally fired. They typically “choose to resign,” a face-saving mechanism that avoids the stigma and legal finality of dismissal.

…For the public, this outcome is deeply corrosive. It confirms a pervasive suspicion that there is one rule for the elite and another for everyone else.

…True accountability is not about finding junior scapegoats; it is about ensuring that leadership is synonymous with responsibility.