Lessons in Dissent

In the busy streets of Hong Kong, young students decide to fight for democracy. In 2012 the government wants to introduce the National Education Programme with the goal to strenghten Chinese nationalism which, among other things, gives higher grades to students who weep when the Chinese flag is raised. High school students Joshua Wong and Ma Jai decide to protest, each in his own way. While Joshua founds a student group called Scholarism that rises in importance as Joshua becomes a media star, Ma opts for the more radical method of illegal actions. Over 18 months, the film follows how a mass pro-democracy movement arises at the initiative of several young people and shakes the confidence of the Hong Kong government. (One World)