by Dika from Indonesia

TEN YEARS was the second movie in our monthly movie night series. We watched it at Referat Ökumene office (Petrikirchhof 7 in Dortmund) on 13th November from 18:00 hours. It was selected by Rachel, one of the volunteers from Hong Kong.

Hong Kong in 2025? What would it be? This movie try to give an alternative future based on the today issues that happened in Hong Kong. 10 years from 2015, this movie show bleak visions of the Hong Kong future. The movie try to picturing an serial of stories, that shown how the human rights and freedom slowly diminishing from Hong Kong, and how its affected people daily life.
This movie is an anthology consists of 5 different stories during the year 2025; the first story is about National Security Law in Hong Kong and about some politician (government officials) assassinations plot to foment public support legislation of the National Security Law. The second story, telling the story of two young couple that trying to collect and preserve many object from destroy home. The third story is about a taxi driver that struggle with his life, because all of the people now are speaking Mandarin (as national language) and before it in Hong Kong all the people are spoke in Cantonese. The fourth story, is about self-immolation in front of British Consulate – General in Admiralty and about young activist for Hong Kong independence movement. This fourth story is quit unpredictable, at the first time no body knows, who is the person that do self-immolation in front of British Consulate – General. But in the end, everything becoming clear, that old woman do that action. The five stories or the last, tell stories about a grocery store keeper that selling local eggs in Hong Kong. But during that time, words “local“ are banned to use and the label must be changed into “Hong Kong Eggs“. His son is joining the Red – Guards group (consists of the children in elementary school), and those children do the checking in every shop the words that banned (or in censor list). He taught his son, to be more chronically when doing some instruction, don’t just do it without thinking first.

The five short stories in the movie, show me about Hong Kong political issue that not only relevant in Hong Kong but also universal when it talk about human rights and freedom. Somehow this movie make me thinking more about human rights and freedom that we have. We are as a human being, needs our freedom are protected. I just try to imagine, if I lost my freedom and I don’t have place to express what I thought or what I feelings, and everything just controlled by other people, maybe I just going crazy. In this case, if a Country for the example, as a place that you can express your freedom, no longer can give you freedom you want. You will fight to get your freedom back, no matter the cost.

This movie try to give the worst nightmare to the people who watch it. When you’re caged in a system, in a country or a place, and you no longer to have freedom. Evil grows not because many people do bad things but when good people see bad things happens and do nothing. Start open our eyes, outside there are many worst nightmare in our future, be aware! If theres something wrong outside, and you just keep stay in your comfort zone, the worst nightmare will come, right in front of your face! Future can be changed now, its NOT TOO LATE.