Netflix continues its streak of inspiring documentaries about rebellion against oppressive regimes, first with The Square, then Winter on Fire and now Joshua. Joshua Wong was a mere teenager when he began his first campaign against the Communist National Education. And when he began to pick up some momentum, a camera crew began to follow his story. With lots of persistence and courage and bravery, Wong eventually succeeded in his goal of halting the mandated National Education. But China continues to crack down on Hong Kong's quickly diminishing freedoms. And the goal evolved. It became bigger, more challenging, near impossible. The documentary's story and scope evolved to become more encompassing. The Umbrella Movement added fuel to the fire that was growing. That scared Xi and now, Joshua and 2 other Demosisto members (the evolved Scholarism) are in jail, political prisoners disqualified from running for office for the next 5 years. The future does not look bright for Hong Kong. Hong Kong may have morals behind its cause, but it finds little support against the behemoth of China. The documentary does a good job of highlighting the scale of young Joshua pitted against Goliath. It captures moments of youth. Joshua gave up a lot of his youth to fight for a cause he believed in, but there are some moments when we see him hanging out with his friends, albeit at a protest, or standing on street corners handing out fliers. But it serves as a reminder that they're kids, brave kids taking on a superpower.
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