Filmmaker Kiwi Chow says Hong Kong censors have banned his new thriller Deadline, labeling it "contrary to the interests of national security" without providing a detailed explanation. Shot in Taiwan and intended as an allegory of hyper-competition under capitalism, the film's rejection highlights a wider chilling effect after Beijing's 2020 national security law and tighter 2021 censorship rules. Chow—whose past works include a 2015 segment in Ten Years and the Cannes-screened documentary Revolution of Our Times—says self-censorship and informal blacklisting are constraining Hong Kong's film industry.
Banned in Hong Kong: Director Kiwi Chow Says 'Deadline' Exposes Growing Film Censorship
Some of Kiwi Chow's supporters in Hong Kong travelled to Taiwan for special screenings of his latest film 'Deadline' (Leung Man Hei)(Leung Man Hei/AFP/AFP)
After four months of anxious waiting, filmmaker Kiwi Chow received the outcome he feared: Hong Kong censors have barred his new thriller Deadline from theatrical release. The 46-year-old director—whose profile rose with a breakthrough dystopian segment in 2015—says the decision illustrates a shrinking space for bold cinema and increasing self-censorship in the city.
Film, Ruling And Reaction
Deadline—shot in Taiwan and set in what Chow calls an "imaginary world"—follows an elite school shaken by warnings of a possible suicide and serves as an allegory for hyper-competition under capitalism, the director told AFP. The Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration reportedly ruled the movie "contrary to the interests of national security," a conclusion Chow calls "absurd" and says came with no detailed explanation.
"(Censors) determined that it was 'contrary to the interests of national security'... But how? Nobody gave an explanation," Chow said, describing the decision as "absurd."
Wider Context
Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 after large and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests. Stricter film censorship rules followed in 2021, and regulators say 13 films were banned for national security reasons between 2021 and July this year, while 50 films were required to be modified. No films were banned from 2016–2020, a number that rose to 10 bans in 2023.
Career Impact And Self-Censorship
Chow says the industry has adopted self-censorship and that filmmakers avoid projects that touch on Hong Kong's real political situation. He believes his film may have been rejected not because of specific content but because his past work—such as a 2015 segment in Ten Years and the Cannes-screened documentary Revolution of Our Times (2021)—has put him on an informal blacklist. He reports difficulty securing actors, locations and funding in Hong Kong.
"I want to collaborate with actors, seek out locations and investors, but it is very difficult," he said. "I felt so lonely" while making Deadline. Unable to film in Hong Kong schools, Chow relocated production to Taiwan, where the movie opened last month.
Earlier Work And Risks
Chow's 2015 contribution to the omnibus film Ten Years included a segment titled Self-immolator, which ends with a fictional elderly woman setting herself on fire. Chow has said the scene was meant to symbolize sacrifice and to prompt the question: "How much are you willing to sacrifice for values like freedom and justice?" His later documentary, Revolution of Our Times, used footage of the 2019 pro-democracy protests—unrest that led to more than 10,200 arrests and over 2,000 people being sanctioned under new laws.
Outlook
Despite the setbacks and the financial and logistical hurdles, Chow says he has not given up on making films in Hong Kong. He is considering lower budgets and script changes to continue working there: "As long as (the film) can be made in Hong Kong, then I haven't given up."
Reporting credits: hol/dhw/ceg/lb. Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration declined to comment on individual applications.
