Our Story
Through their frustrations and setbacks, Free Radicals will expose the
invisible walls closing in on Hong Kong's democracy movement. These walls are
constructed on a foundation of the unholy alliance between the Chinese
Communist Party and Hong Kong's business elite, who pretend to support
democratic progress while entrenching an electoral system that is rigged from
the start.
FREE RADICALS is the story of Joshua (黃之鋒) and Ma Jai (馬雲祺), two boys who dream
of a fairer society, but hold very different views on how to realise their
dreams. To turn around a losing battle for democracy against the world's most
powerful authoritarian regime, is it time for peaceful protest or violent
struggle?
Joshua, a likeable 15-year-old schoolboy
motivated by religious conviction, has made a name for himself mobilising
street protests and agitating for democratic reform online. He is, for now,
committed to working within the system for change – but quietly harbours
admiration for those participating in civil disobedience.
Ma Jai, a 18-yr-old high school drop-out, has
channelled his youth disaffection into a passion for social change. He spends
his time protesting on the streets, fighting for the poor and demanding justice
for the victims of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. With 3 arrests and counting,
Ma Jai has given up on working within the system to affect change. Committed to
revolution, yet frustrated at his lack of progress, he contemplates escalating
his civil disobedience to violent protest.
In 2012, Hong Kong elects a legislature with a
mandate to introduce universal suffrage by 2017. Currently the system is rigged
so that the 55%-60% of the popular vote for pro-democracy parties translates to
just 38% of the seats. If pro-Chinese Communist Party forces win over 66% of
seats, they will get free rein to rig the system so that pro-democracy
legislators can no longer block the authoritarian laws being pushed by the
Chinese Communist Party and no pro-democracy candidate will ever stand a chance
of leading Hong Kong.
Will
Joshua and Ma Jai, and the energetic post-90s generation of democracy activists
they represent, be able to resuscitate the flagging democracy movement in time
for the all-important 2012 Legislative Council elections? Or will China's
beacon of hope for a democratic future be extinguished, leaving the world to
face a rising authoritarian superpower?
Free
Radicals is scheduled to be released in the spring of 2013.
The Impact
Hong Kong's political situation is easily ignored. Citizen activists in
the Middle East and North Africa have taken bold strides towards democracy in
the last year and the world's eyes are on them, willing them to succeed.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong's democracy activists are being quietly driven backwards
by the overwhelming political might of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and the world's eyes are
averted. Perhaps no-one wants to offend Beijing; perhaps the gradual removal of
freedoms from 7 million people is simply not that newsworthy. We disagree. What
happens in Hong Kong's political scene will affect China's future, for better
or for worse. What happens in China's political scene will affect us all.
It is of acute importance that the world understands the true nature of
the world's upcoming superpower. With the well-resourced CCP propaganda machine
becoming ever more adept at controlling information within and beyond its
borders, it falls to independent journalists and film-makers to showcase
alternative voices from China's political scene. The two boys featured in Free Radicals offer an insight into a
new generation of Chinese citizens, and a glimpse of an alternative future for
Hong Kong and China.
What we will do once the film is completed…
We intend to enter “Free Radicals†in a range of international
documentary film festivals such as IDFA in the Netherlands, Sundance, Hot docs
etc. We expect the film will be shown on national television in the USA and the UK
and on a cable channel in Hong Kong. We hope to have a limited cinema release
in big cities in the USA, UK, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The film will be released
on DVD and on popular online download to own and streaming video websites.
What We Need & What You Get
Currently we are raising funds to complete shooting the film and post-production
(editing, sound, etc.) and pay for the copyright licensing of TV, radio and music clips. We are actively raising money through applying for film grants. So far we have shot serval hours of footage and produced the trailer. We are currently financing the shoot from our own pockets.
HK$60,000 (USD$7800) will cover the cost of camera and related equipment hire for the entire film. The cameraman, a professional cameraman who has filmed many documentaries in China, is giving his time for free. The remaining HK$56,000 (USD$7200) will be spent on hard drives to store the digital footage we capture; licensing the archive footage we need to tell the story from providers such as the BBC, TVB, RTHK and CNN; pay for the video editing and sound editing.
Can we exceed the goal? Yes! Exceeding the goal would be ideal as it would help ease the cost of
making and producing the film.
Is my contribution amount publicly displayed?
No. Only you and the project
owner will be able to see your contribution amount.
I'm not in the US, can I still contribute?Yes, you can contribute from anywhere in
the world. We are based in Hong Kong and London.
How can I contact you?
You can send us an email through the Indiegogo website OR you can
contact the team directly by emailing us at info@hkdemocracy.com
Other Ways You Can Help
Any way you can get the word out would be greatly appreciated. Please
like us on Facebook, Tweet about the film or send a link to the trailer to
family, friends and anyone who you think might be interested.
Where can I learn more about the project?

Please visit our official website.
Where you can find a full synopsis of the story, filmmaker bios and read
updates and more.
Please contact us at info@hkdemocracy.com, www.hkdemocracy.com and
www.facebook.com/hkdemocracy
For a Chinese language version of this campaign please visit our website.
Please note travel costs are not covered in the perks, you will have to make your own way to London or Hong Kong to claim these perks.