Facing uncertain times and unfamiliar surroundings, Hongkongers: A Re-Collection continues to do our best to tell the stories of Hongkongers relocating to the UK. We hope their candid sharing of experiences can inspire those who are still feeling their way in a strange land. We also want to give these explorers some support.

The first episode of the series is about Ka Leung NG, a co-producer of the dystopian film Ten Years. As the changes to Hong Kong foretold years ago in the movie unfortunately became a reality one by one, he decided to leave the city in 2020. In 2022, he launched the Hong Kong Film Festival in Britain, promoting and screening Hong Kong movies banned in the city.

Far from leaving something behind, he believes he has taken on additional responsibilities after moving out of Hong Kong. Regardless of whether they have chosen to stay or not, according to the cinematographer, Hongkongers are united by a common experience.

“We chose to leave not because we wanted to live a good life or improve our career prospects. We don’t see things the way an immigrant does. When we came to this part of the world, we brought something with us. These were the things that we wanted to do, and to continue to engage in.”

Ng explains how he developed an understanding of the times as he grew up, while revealing what motivated him to create Ten Years. He also shares thoughts of rebooting his career in the UK after going through certain distressing events.

As the dismantling of Hong Kong’s civil society has driven a growing number of worried residents to up sticks, Ng, who has started rebuilding his life, is working to achieve his goals of rebuilding trust among people and re-establishing links with Hong Kong. Noting the significance of the projects, he hopes to enlist the help of fellow Hongkongers.

In addition to profiling individual Hongkongers and publishing their stories, Hongkongers: A Re-Collection aims to work together with people around the world to witness and chronicle the transnational activities of this diaspora group.