Joshua Wong has been described as a Frank Capra character, right out of It’s a Wonderful Life or Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, for his unfailing faith that right will ultimately overcome might. Fittingly, he just got his own film. Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower, a documentary about the Hong Kong democracy activist, has been acquired for distribution by Netflix, which will make it available for streaming to its 93 million subscribers worldwide.
Wong became an activist at age 16 and has been a thorn in the side of China’s communist government ever since, leading boycotts, protests, and hunger strikes in the name of giving the Hong Kong people a larger say in their own affairs. He was recognized by Time Magazine as one of the world’s most influential teens, and was among those nominated for Person of the Year.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, “Directed by Joe Piscatella, the film centers on unlikely hero Joshua Wong. When the Chinese Communist Party backtracks on its promise of autonomy to Hong Kong, the teenager decides to save his city. Rallying thousands of kids to skip school and occupy the streets, Joshua becomes an unlikely leader in Hong Kong and one of China’s most notorious dissidents.”
Wong’s courage is indeed filmworthy. The risks for political prisoners in China are unthinkable by Western standards. Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower will be available on Netflix later in 2017.