Nicole Kidman’s latest project is set in Hong Kong, but people living there won’t be able to see it, sparking speculation about censorship in a city where civil liberties are rapidly shrinking. .
The first two episodes of “Expats,” a six-episode drama about foreign women, were released on Amazon Prime on January 26th. However, when viewers in Hong Kong try to watch it, they are instead shown a message that says, “This video is…” It’s currently not available in your region. ”
The city has tightened restrictions on political speech after anti-government protests rocked the city in 2019.
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In 2020, China passed a national security law that criminalizes political activities such as independence movements. Since then, hundreds of activists have been arrested or forced into exile, and opposition-leaning media outlets have been forced out of business.
“Expats” is based on the book by Hong Kong-born American author Janis Y. K. Lee and directed by Chinese-born American director Lulu Wang. The first episode includes a short scene in which people at a rally shout in Cantonese, “We want a real general election.” The show’s trailer also features a crowd carrying umbrellas, a nod to the 2014 Umbrella Movement, in which protesters demanded the right to choose their city’s chief executive.
Previously, Walt Disney Co. removed an episode of the cartoon series “The Simpsons” that included references to Chinese “forced labor camps” from its Hong Kong streaming service Disney+. In both cases, it is unclear whether authorities were involved in the decision to remove the content or whether the companies acted on their own.
Brian Tee and Nicole Kidman star in this still from Prime Video’s “The Expats.” Although the show was filmed in Hong Kong, Hong Kong residents cannot access the city. (Prime Video via AP)
In June 2021, the city government amended its film censorship ordinance, giving it the power to remove films that “depict, depict, or treat acts or activities that may constitute crimes endangering national security.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said the government had no comment on the matter and directed questions to Amazon.
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Amazon representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
According to local media outlet HK01, Kidman’s role in the series was controversial in 2021 at the height of the pandemic, and the government allowed her to skip mandatory quarantine when she came to Hong Kong to film the series. .
On Tuesday, the Hong Kong government announced plans to enact a local version of the National Security Law 2020.
