• Director(s)

    Alan Lau

  • Production Year

    2023

  • Release date

    04/10/2024

  • Genre(s)

    Documentary

  • Approx. running minutes

    114m

  • Cast

    -

Film

Rather Be Ashes Than Dust

strong real violence, threat, language

This harrowing documentary follows a video-journalist as he recounts his four-year journey with the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement. The film contains distressing footage of real violence as police clash with protestors.…

This harrowing documentary follows a video-journalist as he recounts his four-year journey with the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement. The film contains distressing footage of real violence as police clash with protestors.

Content Advice(May contain spoilers)

violence

threat and horror

language

sex

discrimination

sexual violence and sexual threat

suicide and self-harm

injury detail

  • Director(s)

    Alan Lau

  • Production Year

    2023

  • Release date

    04/10/2024

  • Genre(s)

    Documentary

  • Approx. running minutes

    114m

  • Cast

    -

strong real violence, threat, language
Classified Date:
26/09/2024
Version:
2D
Use:
Cinema
Distributor:
Ratherbeashesthandust Limited
violence
In real footage of violent demonstrations, police use guns, water cannons and tear gas against protestors as well as hitting them with batons, pinning them down and dragging them along the floor. A person is repeatedly kicked by a gang as he lies on the ground. A large group indiscriminately attack people at a subway station. A reference is made to a man murdering his pregnant partner.
threat and horror
There are frequent scenes of real threat as protestors, including students, are met with police assaults. Police prevent emergency medical services reaching injured protestors. Screaming men, women and children are seen terrified as they are surrounded by police and forcibly rounded up.
language
Use of strong language ('f**k', 'motherf**ker') is accompanied by milder terms such as 'dick', 'shit', 'crap', 'ass' and 'moron'.
sex
A doctored image on a poster portrays a female politician as a dominatrix.
discrimination
References are made to the Holocaust and the dehumanisation of Jewish victims. Hong Kong police are seen using similar rhetoric towards their citizens.
sexual violence and sexual threat
Posters state that police use sexual violence against citizens in Hong Kong.
suicide and self-harm
A reference is made to a man taking his own life in protest at the political situation.
injury detail
Sequences of real violence feature brief bloody aftermath detail. A female journalist lies on the ground after being shot with a rubber bullet and it is verbally referenced that she was blinded in the attack.
theme
A man states how being exposed to tear gas has left him and others with severe medical problems. He also references his poor mental health, recurring nightmares and PTSD after the protests.
flashing/flickering lights
This work contains flashing images which may affect viewers who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy.

  • Classified date

    26/09/2024

  • Language

    English