Documentary

List of Documentary movies from Hong Kong, China and Taiwan: posters, images, info, trailers, actors, directors, and more.

Poster for the movie "To My Nineteen-Year-Old Self"

To My Nineteen-year-old Self

Sparked by the demolition and reconstruction of its century-old campus, Ying Wa Girls’ School embarks on a project to chronicle the transformation of its students through the camera of director Mabel Cheung, its distinguished alumna. Following a group of young students since 2011, the documentary captures the trials and tribulations that go with the most turbulent decade in Hong Kong’s history.

Poster for the movie "To Be Continued"

To Be Continued

A chronicle of the grassroots effort to save the iconic State Theatre in North Point from demolition. This evocative documentary is also a deep dive into the eye-opening story of Harry Odell, the theatre’s founder and Hong Kong’s first impresario, who brought Xavier Cugat, Isaac Stern, and other legendary musical figures to the city. Rich with local history, and possessing a surprising connection to local singer Hins Cheung, the story of the State Theatre and … Read more

Poster for the movie "废物故事"

Trashy Boy aka Waste Story

An independent film called “Trashy Boy” about a struggling teenage rapper has gained cult status among Chinese millennials. The film follows Zhang Haichao as he makes a valiant effort to become a hip-hop celebrity in his homeland of Gansu Province in northwest China, but fails terribly.

Poster for the movie "The Unbelievable"

The Unbelievable

A documentary team takes on an expedition to an exotic country in Southeast Asia in search of paranormal phenomena. What they never expected is a horrifying journey with encounters of unexplained occurrences. Led by a notable parapsychologist, the encounters are so gruesome and hone chilling beyond what they can bear, ranging from paranormal phenomenon such as poltergeist, exorcism, haunted house to supernatural force like witchcraft, spells, voodoo, curse, tec. Based on Hong Kong Cable TV’s … Read more

Poster for the movie "Chinese Portrait"

Chinese Portrait

Shot over the course of ten years on both film and video, the film consists of a series of carefully composed tableaux of people and environments. Pedestrians shuffle across a bustling Beijing street, steelworkers linger outside a deserted factory, tourists laugh and scamper across a crowded beach, worshippers kneel to pray in a remote village. With a painterly eye for composition, Wang captures China as he sees it, calling to a temporary halt a land … Read more

Poster for the movie "Women's Private Parts"

Women’s Private Parts

Barbara Wong interviews HK women (of all ages (even 4 year olds), all walks of life, all sexual preferences, singles, wives, mistresses, prostitutes) with an all women crew and gets some wild and frank responses. The documentary is bold, honest, funny and touching. Highly recommended to any man who wants to understand women better and any woman who wants a fun girls’ night out.

Poster for the movie "Springtime in Wushan"

Springtime in Wushan

Zhang Ming went back to his hometown Wushan to record the last images before it being changed forever by the upcoming Three Gorges Dam.

Poster for the movie "Lumière and Company"

Lumière and Company

40 international directors were asked to make a short film using the original Cinematographe invented by the Lumière Brothers, working under conditions similar to those of 1895. There were three rules: (1) The film could be no longer than 52 seconds, (2) no synchronized sound was permitted, and (3) no more than three takes.

Poster for the movie "China's Megatomb Revealed"

China’s Megatomb Revealed

Albert Lin and National Geographic Channel unearth the terrible secrets that lie hidden in the tomb of China’s first Emperor. The Terracotta Warriors are just the tip of the iceberg in this mausoleum the size of Manhattan, that has gone largely unexcavated…until now. These silent statues guard explosive, macabre findings that rewrite history and paint a very different picture of the ancient world from what we thought we knew.

Yulu

The film uses a documentary approach to tell the stories of 12 Chinese pioneers, chosen from the fields of business and the arts. The protagonists reflect upon their life journeys against the backdrop of modern China.

Poster for the movie "I Wish I Knew"

I Wish I Knew

Focuses on the people, their stories and architecture spanning from the mid-1800s, when Shanghai was opened as a trading port, to the present day.

Poster for the movie "Turtle Rock"

Turtle Rock

Filmed in beautiful black and white, this slow cinema piece spends four seasons with a family in Turtle Rock, a remote village in China named after a local rock formation that resembles a giant turtle. For nearly a century now, the village has been home to just seven families who have only four surnames. They once moved to this mountainous region fleeing war, and have eked out a simple life there ever since. Filmmaker Xiao … Read more

Poster for the movie "Dark Red Forest"

Dark Red Forest

20.000 Buddhist nuns live in a monastery on a snowy plateau in Tibet, China. Surrounded by harsh nature and secluded from the outside world, these women offer us a glimpse into their religious exploration of life’s biggest questions.

Poster for the movie "Immortals in the Village"

Immortals in the Village

In a cold mountain village in northeastern China,when a peasant gets sick they invite the local shaman to do trance healing. In the village there is Shaman XU, a renowned shaman in the area who is almost 70-year-old. He had been a teacher in his youth and an accountant for a factory production team. In his later age, serving as a spirit medium became his profession. He beats his donkey-hide drum and sings ancient melodies, … Read more

Poster for the movie "Jia Zhangke, A Guy from Fenyang"

Jia Zhangke, A Guy from Fenyang

Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke returns to the shooting locations of his films, along with his actors, friends and close collaborators. Jia recalls the inspiration sources for his movies, such as Platform, Still Life and A Touch of Sin. The film is the memory of a filmmaker and of a country in convulsion, China, which reveals itself little by little.

Poster for the movie "Wuhan Wuhan"

Wuhan Wuhan

In a time when the world needs greater cross-cultural understanding, WUHAN WUHAN is an invaluable depiction of a metropolis joining together to overcome a crisis.

Poster for the movie "Days and Nights in Wuhan"

Days and Nights in Wuhan

Days and Nights in Wuhan is a 2021 propaganda documentary film detailing the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, Hubei, China. The film was directed by Cao Jinling, and co-produced by the Chinese Communist Party and the Hubei Propaganda Department.  2020年初,新冠肺炎疫情暴发,1月23日,武汉关闭离汉通道。900万武汉人与来自全国各地医疗系统及其他行业的一线人员,一起打响武汉抗击新冠肺炎疫情阻击战!《武汉日夜》内容来源于从疫情开始,武汉当地三十多名摄影师在抗疫一线持续拍摄数月,多达数千小时的素材之中。影片以医院重症监护室医护人员及病患为主线,以深夜运送孕妇的志愿者为辅线,展现与疫情抗争、与死神决斗的动人故事,这些“平凡人”在疫情面前不舍昼夜、不惜生死、守望相助、共克难关。所有的至暗时刻,心中总会有光。所有的天方夜谭,都抵不过事在人为。所有的微不足道,都蕴含生活的力量。疫情之下,武汉的日夜,不止空旷的街道,还有努力生活的身影,更有“破茧而出”的新生,他们无所畏惧,迎接阳光。在这座英雄的城市,900万人将继续迎来一个个清晨和黄昏。他们的面孔,模糊又清晰。他们的名字,普通又独特。他们的生活,平凡又有份量。

ghost-town-fei-cheng

Fei Cheng, Ghost Town

A remote village in southwest China is haunted by traces of its cultural past while its residents piece together their existence. Zhiziluo is a town barely clinging to life. Tucked away in a rugged corner of Yunnan Province, Lisu and Nu minority villagers squat in the abandoned halls of this remote former Community county seat. Divided into three parts, this epic documentary takes an intimate look at its varied cast of characters, bringing audiences face … Read more

Poster for the movie "City of Jade"

City of Jade

Midi Z visits his uncle who works as a jade miner. In the war-torn Kachin State in Myanmar, waves of poor workers flock to dig for jade, dreaming of getting rich overnight. The director, Midi Z, is the protagonist’s youngest brother. Midi tries to find out why his brother became a drug addict and abandoned his family. Moreover, the film depicts how people struggle for survival in the darkest corners in Myanmar.

Poster for the movie "Street Life - Living on Nanjing Road"

Street Life – Living on Nanjing Road

Street Life documents the lives of Chinese migrants in Shanghai, one of the world’s largest and most vibrant cities, now symbolic of China’s economic might. The film centers on Nanjing Road, one of China’s oldest commercial streets and today a popular destination for tourists and moneyed Chinese. The street has also become a Mecca for uprooted and homeless Chinese, who make ends by collecting garbage and recyclables. These characters and their stories are the focus … Read more

Poster for the movie "One Says No"

One Says No

Chinese cities expand and gradually absorb the countryside. The village of Yangji was yet another victim to the expansion, which benefits local developers linked to the government. Rural residents are forced to vacate their simple dwellings and make room for new houses and entrepreneurs from the cities. The vast majority of local resistance will subside despite meager compensation and low prospects for decent housing, but Azhong is one of a handful of people who choose … Read more

Poster for the movie "Taipeilove*"

Taipeilove*

Taipeilove* is a documentary on the perception of homosexuality in the Taiwanese society. As Taiwan is the first country in Asia that is in the process of legalizing same-sex marriage, the documentary follows activists, politicians and experts in the Taiwanese society who have been fighting for marriage equality and navigating their lives through the hardship of coming-out, reaction of families, abandonment and finding love.

Poster for the movie "I Am So Sorry"

I Am So Sorry

In the context of contemporary high-advanced technology and totalitarianism, this film presents the predicament of global warming in terms of humanity’s choices about nuclear power. Anchored by a man whose quest humanizes global changes, this film traces the historical events and present situation of nuclear disaster across human society. Every nuclear site he revisits represents a specific temporality – Fukushima, Japan, as the ongoing present; Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan, as the concealed past; Chernobyl, Ukraine, as the … Read more

Poster for the movie "H6"

H6

The No. 6 People’s hospital is one of the largest hospitals in Shanghai. Through a range of crossed stories, of weakened lives, this is a portrait of China today that stands out.

Poster for the movie "Chinese Closet"

Chinese Closet

A large majority of LGBT people in mainland China remain in the closet. Most of these closet doors are kept tightly shut by pressure from friends, family, and society itself. This documentary hopes to explore the experience of coming out in China through a series of interviews with out homosexuals. The interviews touch upon the discrimination, suppression, and even violence they have endured as well as the touching moments where they experienced compassion and understanding. … Read more

Mama Rainbow poster

Mama Rainbow

For Chinese parents, finding out that their kid is gay usually presents a major tragedy, with the big majority utterly unable to accept the homosexuality of their son or daughter. However, during recent years a fresh rainbow wind has been blowing over the Chinese mainland: a pioneer generation of Chinese parents has been stepping up and speaking out on their love for their gay kids. This documentary features 6 mothers from all over China, who … Read more

Poster for the movie "Papa Rainbow"

Papa Rainbow

In China, most families have difficulties facing their lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender (LGBT) children. They have to contend with common social beliefs that homosexuality is shameful, abnormal, a perverted condition caused by deviant family relationships. Many parents see their kids as their property, and fathers often assert their authority to ensure that no harm comes to the family reputation. The documentary “Papa Rainbow” features six Chinese fathers who talk openly and freely about their … Read more

dear future children

Dear Future Children

A documentary about young activism. The project follows activists on the protests in Hong Kong against the Beijing-influenced administration under Carrie Lam, the protests in Chile against social inequality in the country and in Uganda at the local Fridays for Future protests and actions for climate justice.

Poster for the movie "Do Not Split"

Do Not Split

The story of the 2019 Hong Kong protests, told through a series of demonstrations by local protestors that escalate into conflict when highly armed police appear on the scene. 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 … Read more

Poster for the movie "Wuhan: The Long Night"

Wuhan: The Long Night

Footage of Wuhan, China, during the coronavirus quarantine. The streets are empty, the buildings stand bare and the air is cold, lacking signs of life, that’s what people know about the “outbreak” of Wuhan through the short documentary Wuhan: The long night (roughly translated: Night school Wuhan). Filmed footage makes many people think of a city after the end of the world but this is all that is happening in the city of Hubei Province … Read more

Poster for the movie "Moving In Between"

Moving In Between

Moving In Between (2019) — Documentary – 17 November 2019 Your rating: Not rated yet! Director:  — Stars:  — Photos No images were imported for this … Read more

Poster for the movie "Chen Uen"

Chen Uen

Chen Uen is one of the most celebrated comic artists in Asia. His work is presented in a unique aesthetic that blends Chinese ink painting with western painting. His agility and skilfulness in using various materials have made his style unparalleled, regarded as the “Chen Uen aesthetic.” This film focuses on Chen Uen’s career, depicting his aesthetics of life by representing his works and interviewing those involved in his works.

Poster for the movie "76 Days"

76 Days

Raw and intimate, this documentary captures the struggles of patients and frontline medical professionals battling the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan. The opening sequences feel like a genre movie — science-fiction, zombie horror, apocalyptic thriller. We watch hospital workers, encased in PPE so that we only see their eyes behind foggy goggles, as they race from one patient to another. At the hospital doors, a desperate crowd is clamouring for entry. The overwhelmed workers can only … Read more

Poster for the movie "The Lockdown: One Month in Wuhan"

The Lockdown: One Month in Wuhan

On January 23, 2020, the Chinese authority imposed a lockdown in Wuhan, as well as other cities in the Hubei province, in an attempt to prevent the Corona-virus from spreading further across the nation.

Poster for the movie "Made in China"

Made in China

In Shenzhen, Guangdong province, Yu Liang Yuan (21 years old) and his father, Yu Ting Yong (45 years old), on the occasion of the celebration of the Chinese New Year, are getting ready to begin their annual journey from the industrial colony where they work and live to their hometown in Henan. This year, however, appears to be crucial for the future of both of them.

Poster for the movie "Wuhan - Feb. 2020"

Wuhan – Feb. 2020

Chinese filmmaker Fang Bin’s report from hospitals in Wuhan, Hubei province, People’s Republic of China, regarding the current outbreak of corona-virus disease (COVID-19), first officially reported on 31 December 2019. The film was recorded during the first week of February 2020. Fang Bin was not heard of after February 10,2020 3:00P.M.

The Iron Hammer

The Iron Hammer

In this personal and rousing documentary, Joan Chen charts the inspiring life and career of “Jenny” Lang Ping, a fearless and independent Olympic athlete who propels China to international prominence in volleyball. On the court, her most effective weapon is her lethal spike, hence her titular nickname, while her leadership skills and calm demeanor solidify her unique status as the first player and coach to win multiple World Championships and Olympic gold. Chen, in her … Read more