🎬 A cinematic journey into memory, identity, and the power of art in times of turmoil
★ Open for global support and participation.
In Cinema Strada, veteran Hong Kong film critic Law Kar leads us on a cinematic journey into memory to explore how history and art serve us in times of turmoil. As Hong Kong’s recent unrest reopens old wounds, Law Kar recounts how the trauma of a leftist uprising in the 1960s shattered his vision of the world, throwing not just his moral judgments of rights and wrongs, but more vitally his identity as a ‘Chinese’ and belonging into a profound state of confusion.
Through Law Kar’s intimate first-person narrative, a time capsule opens, brought vividly to life through a rich tapestry of historical archival materials, classic movie clips, and poignant reenactments. We witness how the ideological divisions that tear society apart today have existed and shifted throughout his eighty-year life, from the Second World War through the intensely divided Cold War in British colonial Hong Kong and reunification.
His journey reveals the transient nature of judgment and position, as they constantly shift with the turning of the tide. Raised on the political right and steeped in Western ideals he once worshipped, the 1967 labour riots inspired him towards anti-colonial activism and a radical reevaluation of his Chinese identity. Yet history carried him into roles he never imagined: by the late 1970s and 1980s, marked by positive reform, he was promoting colonial government departments on television while simultaneously collaborating with leftists to help the Mainland open to the world.
Cinema Strada asks us how we decipher right from wrong in a world consumed by condemnation and division, and how we reconcile our attachment to a nation with separate identities forged through generations of colonialism, exile, and history’s fractures. Law Kar’s journey is not merely a portrait of one man, it becomes the portrait of a generation, and of a Chinese identity fractured across Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and the Mainland. Ultimately, Cinema Strada is a love letter to cinema itself—to its power to illuminate, to heal, and to carry us across the shifting tides of history.
Support Cinema Strada, and help us preserve micro-histories together
As a wholly self‑initiated and self‑funded project, Cinema Strada received no external funding, dismissed by most as a topic ‘not significant enough.’ We believed, however, that no life story is ever insignificant—it is in the telling, and in the creativity of its crafting, that meaning emerges.
We are profoundly grateful that, despite the odds and without any financial budget for marketing, sales, or distribution, Cinema Strada’s value has been recognised by film festivals, theatre circuits across Hong Kong, and now the Giloo platform. Their belief in the film’s merits has been instrumental in helping this independent project to find its way to the public eye and reach audiences like you. Yet to continue its journey into the future and be available for streaming, we must now raise funds to upgrade our archival licences and cover essential lab costs.
Archival licensing is notoriously complicated and expensive, but we have fought hard to find an affordable way to use a wealth of materials that enrich this historical memory film. While over 70% of our footage have been solved through fair use, the remaining fees and lab processing fees for streaming are still significant. We hope that fellow film and history lovers will support our cause to inspire responsible engagement with copyrighted works and to advance the principles of fair use in documentary production—please join us in ensuring that cinema remains a living, evolving dialogue between past and present.
Your donation sustains the true independent spirit of this film and encourages more filmmakers to preserve and share their own micro‑histories, weaving them into the larger fabric of our collective macro‑history.
About Law Kar
Law Kar, affectionately known as ‘Uncle Kar’, is a veteran Hong Kong film critic, programmer, and researcher, regarded as a cornerstone in the study of Chinese film history. Since 1961, his influence has been inescapable: his film column in Chinese Student Weekly during the 1960s inspired a generation of Hong Kong filmmakers, while his leadership of the Hong Kong Film Culture Centre in the 1980s further advanced film appreciation. His contributions have earned wide recognition — the Professional Achievement Award at the 41st Hong Kong Film Awards in 2023 and the Medal of Honour from the Hong Kong government in 2004 for his service to film culture. Among his many achievements, was his instrumental role in founding the Hong Kong Film Archive, where he served as programmer until his retirement in 2005. Beyond cinema, Law Kar was also active in theatre and television, working as a creative and administrative officer at TVB from 1973 to 1983.
Film details
Type: Documentary, Feature
Runtime: 1 hour 46 minutes
Completion Date: March 2024, Theatrical Release 28 April 2024 (HK)
Country of Origin: Hong Kong
Country of Filming: Hong Kong, Macau
Language: Cantonese (Yue Chinese), with Chinese & English Subtitle
Shooting Format: Digital
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Film Colour: Colour, B&W
🎥 About the Team
Director｜Donna ONG
An Academic-turned-Filmmaker, Cinema Strada is Donna’s first feature documentary. She double majored in Film Studies and Political Science at Yale University as an Undergraduate and completed her Doctorate degree at the University of Hong Kong’s Comparative Literature Department. Prior to her work in film, she worked in international diplomacy and political analysis. After co-curating a film festival in Hong Kong with Law Kar in 2019, she was inspired to pivot into production.
Archival Producer｜Aki Kung
With over ten years of experience in film programming and research, Aki currently works as an archivist focusing on audio-visual archiving, preservation, and restoration. She has previously worked at the Hong Kong Film Archive and various film-related organisations. Additionally, Aki co-founded Reel to Reel Institute, a non-profit organisation committed to promoting film preservation in Hong Kong, where she took on the managerial and curatorial roles.
💰 Financing Details
Target Amount: USD 50,000
Usage: Upgrading archival material licences from one to two year festival screening rights to perpetual worldwide rights, and remaining lab fees for remastering and video outputs specific for streaming.
🎁 Funding Tiers & Rewards
Unlocked at 50% Funding Goal: Invitation to a special online Q&A with the filmmakers when this campaign reaches at least half it’s funding goal
(A) Angel Sponsor USD 1,600
- One online screening licence for under 100 people with Q&A with the filmmakers.
- Screening rights only; venue and related costs borne by purchaser.
- Screening supported only via online streaming; for other screening requests, please contact customer service before purchase.
- The Q&A may be held either online or in person. When fulfilling the rewards, the Cinema Strada team will reach out to purchasers to discuss the arrangements.
- Personalised message from both Law Kar and the director, signed Collector’s postcard, Cinema Strada Blu-ray and book Memories Across Time (記憶穿越時代).
- Angel Sponsor credit on Cinema Strada’s official website and social media.
(B) Education/Cultural Screening License USD 260
- One public screening for under 100 people (normally USD 385), limited to non-corporate purchases.
- Screening rights only; venue and related costs borne by purchaser.
- Screening supported only via online streaming; for other screening requests, please contact customer service before purchase.
(C) Collector’s Bundle USD 200-215
- Cinema Strada Blu-ray disc and book Memories Across Time (記憶穿越時代), both signed with a personalised message from Law Kar and the director. [Includes shipping or pick up at locations in Hong Kong, Macau and Taipei]
(D) Cinema Strada Limited First Edition Blu-ray (region free) Signed Edition USD 130-150
- First edition Blu-ray of the film, restricted to just 500 copies, featuring a unique serial number and printed thank you note inside the cover. Exclusively for this fundraiser, every Blu-ray will be personally signed and dated by Law Kar and the director. [Includes shipping or pick up at locations in Hong Kong, Macau and Taipei]
(E) Law Kar’s Autobiographical Book: Signed Edition + Online Special Preview Voucher for Cinema Strada USD 45-60
- The perfect companion to the Cinema Strada documentary, this autographed edition of Law Kar’s autobiographical book Memories Across Time (記憶穿越時代) is a must-have collector's item for cinephiles and supporters of Chinese culture. [Includes shipping]
- Online Special Preview voucher for Cinema Strada
(F) Hong Kong Post made Cinema Strada Souvenir Postcard with Stamp USD 20
- A customised Cinema Strada postcard movie memorabilia officially produced by the Hong Kong Post specifically for this crowdfunding campaign. Each postcard includes an affixed airmail stamp, making it ready to send to a friend or a cherished collector's item.
(G) Online Special Preview Voucher for Cinema Strada (Strictly Personal Use Only) USD 15
- Online Special Preview voucher for Cinema Strada
(H) Support Plan USD 7
- Small contribution to support the project
Except for the online special preview voucher and the autobiographical book, rewards for all other plans above will only be honoured if the funding goal is reached.
📩 Contact
For inquiries, please reach out to us:
📍 Giloo Customer Service: [email protected]
📍 Cinema Strada team: [email protected]
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Aaron Gerow
2026-01-21
$ 60
Thank you for your amazing work. Looking forward to more great creations 🥰 Keep it up 🤟
Anonymous
2026-01-11
NT$ 200