Watch: Oscar-Nominated Short Doc ‘Do Not Split’ About Hong Kong

“Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times!” The fight for democracy captured on camera. Do Not Split 不割席 is an excellent short documentary by filmmaker Anders Hammer, who was on the streets in Hong Kong filming the protests in 2019. After premiering at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, the film earned a Best Documentary Short nomination at this year’s Academy Awards. Congrats! In 2019 Hong Kong was rocked by the largest protests since Britain handed back the area to China in 1997. This is the story of the protests, told through a series of demonstrations by local protesters that escalate into conflict when highly armed police appear on the scene. Do Not Split takes us to the heart of the Hong Kong protests throughout that summer. It follows pro-democracy protesters in over the course of a year as they face police violence and grapple with the new, Beijing-backed National Security Law. I think all of what’s going on around the world is summed up perfectly by one of the lines in this film: “I’m not thinking democracy will come easily.”

Thanks to Josh for the tip on this. Brief description via YouTube: “Told from within the heart of the Hong Kong protests, Do Not Split begins in 2019 as a proposed bill allowing the Chinese government to extradite criminal suspects to mainland China escalated protests throughout Hong Kong. Unfolding across a year, Do Not Split captures the determination and sacrifices of the protesters, the government’s backlash, and the passage of the new Beijing-backed national security law.” Do Not Split is directed by Norwegian journalist / filmmaker Anders Hammer – follow him @andershammer. Made by Field of Vision – a “filmmaker-driven documentary unit that commissions, creates and supports original short-form and feature-length nonfiction films and episodic series about developing and ongoing stories around the globe.” It’s produced by Charlotte Cook and Anders Hammer. This initially premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival last year. For more info, visit Field of Vision or Vimeo – or stop by Anders’ website. For more short films, click here. Thoughts?