A supporter holds a placard with the photos of some of the 47 pro-democracy defendants outside a court in Hong Kong, on July 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

       HONG KONG/CANNES, France (Kyodo) -- A special screening of the Hong Kong protest documentary "Revolution of Our Times," depicting the events of the city's 2019 pro-democracy protests, was held at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday.

       The decision to show the documentary, which was kept under tight wraps until its screening, may anger Beijing and Hong Kong authorities due to its political themes, with the authorities branding the protests as riots by "anti-China elements."

       Directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Kiwi Chow, the two-and-a-half-hour film takes a look back at the yearlong political struggle that left the city in political and social turmoil and highlights the stories of seven protesters in their fight for democracy.

       The film picks up in June 2019, when the people of Hong Kong took to the streets to protest a proposed bill that sought to allow the extradition of suspected criminals to China, and ends with the enactment of the national security law a year later.

       The Beijing-imposed law criminalizes acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. Critics say the law has been used to curtail freedoms and punish dissent.

       The title of the film originates from a key slogan of the 2019 protests, "Liberate Hong Kong, the revolution of our times," which has since been banned under the national security law.

       Earlier this year, the Hong Kong government implemented new guidelines that would require censors to vet and ban any films that may breach the law.

       Chow previously worked on the 2015 anthology film "Ten Years," which explored the uncertainties of Hong Kong's future. The film went on to win the best picture prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

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