Do Not Split

{{Infobox film

| name = Do Not Split

| image = File:Do Not Split Poster.jpg

| caption = Film poster

| director = Anders Hammer

| producer = Anders Hammer
Charlotte Cook

| writer =

| starring =

| cinematography =

| editing =

| studio =

| distributor = Field of Vision

| released = {{film date|2020|1|24|Sundance|df=yes}}

| runtime = 35 minutes

| country = Norway
United States

| language = Cantonese
English
Mandarin

}}

Do Not Split ({{lang-zh||p=Bù gē xí|s=不割席|t=不割席}}) is a 2020 documentary short film directed by Anders Hammer about the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject at the 93rd Academy Awards. The film was funded and produced by Field of Vision and supported by Fritt Ord and Viken Filmsenter.{{Cite web|url= https://norwaytoday.info/culture/norwegian-documentary-do-not-split-nominated-for-an-oscar/|title= Norwegian documentary "Do Not Split" nominated for an Oscar|work= Norway Today|date= 16 March 2021|access-date= 16 March 2021|archive-date= 15 March 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210315142758/https://norwaytoday.info/culture/norwegian-documentary-do-not-split-nominated-for-an-oscar/|url-status= dead}}

Synopsis

The film is about 35 minutes long and records many landmark events of the anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill (anti-ELAB) movement in Hong Kong, including the siege of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the siege of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and protests at the City University of Hong Kong.{{cite news |title=反送中紀錄片《不割席》入圍奧斯卡紀錄短片十強 |url=https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/us-academy-02102021031734.html |access-date=26 February 2021 |publisher=自由亚洲电台|date=10 February 2021}}{{Cite web |last=Kirby|first=Jen|url=https://www.vox.com/22247655/hong-kong-democracy-activist-joey-siu-china-national-security-law|title=A pro-democracy activist on Hong Kong's year of turmoil: 'The city itself is dying'|website=Vox|date=20 April 2021|access-date=9 November 2021}} It also includes interviews with demonstrators and scholars at the scene, and the film also records the suppression of the protests and movement in 2020 and the passage of the Hong Kong national security law.{{cite web|url=https://artsfuse.org/223433/film-review-do-not-split-a-compelling-disturbing-and-imperfect-look-at-the-hong-kong-riots/|title=Film Review: "Do Not Split" — A Compelling, Disturbing, and Imperfect Look at the Hong Kong Riots |work=The Arts Fuse |date=1 March 2021 |access-date=31 March 2021}}

The director Anders Hammer believed that the anti-ELAB movement was one of the most important political events in the world in 2019, and that Hong Kong is facing challenges to democratic values. By presenting the events from a street-level perspective, Hammer hopes that the film will be as close to the events as possible.{{cite news |title=反送中紀錄片《Do Not Split 不割席》入選奧斯卡最佳紀錄短片十強名單 |url=https://www.thestandnews.com/culture/%E5%8F%8D%E9%80%81%E4%B8%AD%E7%B4%80%E9%8C%84%E7%89%87-do-not-split-%E4%B8%8D%E5%89%B2%E5%B8%AD-%E5%85%A5%E9%81%B8%E5%A5%A7%E6%96%AF%E5%8D%A1%E6%9C%80%E4%BD%B3%E7%B4%80%E9%8C%84%E7%9F%AD%E7%89%87%E5%8D%81%E5%BC%B7%E5%90%8D%E5%96%AE/ |access-date=26 February 2021 |publisher=立場新聞 |date=10 February 2021 |archive-date=17 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210317044255/https://www.thestandnews.com/culture/%E5%8F%8D%E9%80%81%E4%B8%AD%E7%B4%80%E9%8C%84%E7%89%87-do-not-split-%E4%B8%8D%E5%89%B2%E5%B8%AD-%E5%85%A5%E9%81%B8%E5%A5%A7%E6%96%AF%E5%8D%A1%E6%9C%80%E4%BD%B3%E7%B4%80%E9%8C%84%E7%9F%AD%E7%89%87%E5%8D%81%E5%BC%B7%E5%90%8D%E5%96%AE/ |url-status=dead }}

Release

A 20-minute preliminary version was shown at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival in January 2020. Then, a 35-minute cut was premiered at DOC NYC in the fall of 2020.{{Cite web|url= http://povmagazine.com/articles/view/anders-hammer-interview-do-not-split|title=Anders Hammer Takes Audiences to the Frontlines of Democracy in Do Not Split|work=Point of View Magazine |date=28 February 2021|first=Pat|last=Mullen}}

The film was screened at a number of film festivals internationally, including the New Orleans Film Festival in the US and the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival in Denmark.{{Cite web|url= https://coconuts.co/hongkong/news/hong-kong-protest-film-do-not-split-in-running-to-win-oscar-for-best-short-documentary/|title= Hong Kong protest film 'Do Not Split' in running to win Oscar for best short documentary|website=Coconuts Hong Kong|date=11 February 2021 }} It was released by Field of Vision on 25 January 2021.{{Cite web|title=Do Not Split|url=https://fieldofvision.org/do-not-split|url-status=live|work=Field of Vision|access-date=22 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126084839/https://fieldofvision.org/do-not-split |archive-date=26 January 2021 }}

Do Not Split was uploaded on YouTube and Vimeo on 25 January 2021, and is available to watch for free.{{Citation|title=Field of Vision - Do Not Split|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpS-Y7ndNeQ|website=YouTube| date=25 January 2021 |language=en|access-date=4 May 2021}}{{Citation|title=Field of Vision - Do Not Split|url=https://vimeo.com/504381953|website=Vimeo|language=en|access-date=9 November 2021}}{{Cite web|last=Mayberry|first=Kate|title=Film on 2019 Hong Kong protests vies for Oscars, riles China|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/25/do-not-split-exposes-emotional-toll-of-2019-hong-kong-protests|access-date=4 May 2021|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en}}

Awards and nominations

Do Not Split was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject at the 93rd Academy Awards.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/mar/15/the-full-list-of-2021-oscar-nominations |title=The full list of 2021 Oscars nominations |work=The Guardian |date=15 March 2021 |access-date=15 March 2021}}[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvgx8o_Sqsw "Colette" Wins Best Documentary Short Subject | 93rd Oscars][https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2021 2021|Oscars.org] The film is the third Field of Vision short film to receive an Oscar nomination in three years.{{Cite web|last=Kim|first=Violet|date=4 February 2020|title=In the Absence Already Made History for Korea. Its Makers Hope Americans Learn From It, Too.|url=https://slate.com/culture/2020/02/in-the-absence-documentary-korean-oscar-nominee-interview-sewol.html|access-date=16 March 2021|website=Slate Magazine|language=en}}{{Cite web|last1=Sharf|first1=Zack|date=8 February 2019|title=Oscar Nominee 'A Night at the Garden' to Disrupt Fox News in Los Angeles Market With Local Ad Featuring Historic Nazi Rally Footage|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2019/02/a-night-at-the-garden-disrupt-fox-news-nazi-rally-footage-hannity-1202042497/|access-date=16 March 2021|website=IndieWire|language=en}} Following the nomination, the Chinese government told local media not to live transmit the Oscars and to downplay the significance of the awards ceremony, according to reports.{{Cite web|last1=Frater|first1=Patrick|date=17 March 2021|title=China Tells Media to Stagger Oscars Telecast, Downplay Event (Report)|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/asia/china-tells-media-stagger-oscars-broadcast-1234932535/|access-date=21 March 2021|website=Variety|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=反送中紀錄片「不割席」入圍奧斯卡傳中共下令取消直播頒獎|url=https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/202103160324.aspx|url-status=live|access-date=21 March 2021|website=Central News Agency|date=16 March 2021 |language=zh-Hant-TW|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316132205/https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/202103160324.aspx |archive-date=16 March 2021 }} TVB, the largest free-to-air broadcaster in Hong Kong, announced that it would not broadcast the Oscars for the first time in 50 years.{{Cite web|last1=Dry|first1=Jude|date=2 April 2021|title=As China Bans Oscars Broadcast, 'Do Not Split' Proves the Power of Short Film — Watch|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2021/04/china-bans-oscars-hong-kong-protest-do-not-split-1234627391/|access-date=5 April 2021|website=IndieWire|language=en}}

Anders Hammer won the Video Journalist of the Year and the long documentary award for the film at the 2020 Photo of the Year Awards in Norway.{{Cite web|url= https://journalisten.no/anders-hammer-foto-fotojournalistikk/arets-bilde-2020---se-alle-vinnerne/445740|title= Årets bilde 2020 - se alle vinnerne |date= 12 March 2021|language=no|website=Journalisten}}{{Cite web|url= https://www.bcmagazine.net/2021/03/15/do-not-split-wins-norwegian-award/ |title=Do Not Split Wins Norwegian Award|work=BC Magazine|date= 15 March 2021}} The film won the Special Jury Prize at the AFI Docs 2020.{{Cite web|url= https://www.afi.com/news/afi-docs-announces-2020-award-winners/|title= AFI DOCS Announces 2020 Award Winners |date=22 June 2020|website=AFI}}

References

External links

[https://fieldofvision.org/do-not-split Do Not Split] at Field of Vision
{{IMDb title|11512676|Do Not Split}}
[https://www.sundance.org/projects/do-not-split Do Not Split] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211109115034/https://www.sundance.org/projects/do-not-split |date=9 November 2021 }} at Sundance Institute

Category:2020 films

Category:2020 short documentary films

Category:2020 multilingual films

Category:2020s American films

Category:2020s English-language films

Category:2020s Cantonese-language films

Category:2020s Mandarin-language films

Category:Cantonese-language American films

Category:Chinese-language American films

Category:American short documentary films

Category:Norwegian short documentary films

Category:American multilingual films