A doc about Cantopop icon and pro-democracy activist Denise Ho is heading to Kino Lorber’s virtual cinema platform, Kino Marquee. A press release announced that Kino Lorber has secured North American distribution rights to “Denise Ho – Becoming the Song” and will begin screening the film via Kino Marquee on July 1. The film will be available on KinoNow.com and home video at a later date.
Directed by veteran documentarian Sue Williams, “Becoming the Song” traces Ho’s “personal journey from artist to activist, and closely mirrors Hong Kong’s current uneasy relationship with China.” The July 1 release date was chosen to coincide with the anniversary of Britain’s handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997.
Williams produced the doc.
Ho was discovered by, and became a protégée of, Cantopop singer and actress Anita Mui during a singing contest in her teens. Also known as HOCC, her songs include “Polar,” “Becoming a Butterfly,” “Rosemary,” and “Angel Blues.” “Hocc²,” “Glamorous,” and “Ten Days in the Madhouse” are among her albums. She’s won a bevy of accolades for her music, including multiple Chinese Music Awards.
In 2012, Ho came out as a lesbian at the Hong Kong Pride Parade, becoming the first major female star in Hong Kong to do so.
“In 2014, at the height of her career, she started to publicly support the students who were demanding free elections during the Umbrella Movement (protesters held up umbrellas to fight off tear gas). Her influential involvement at the forefront of the pro-democracy uprisings led to her arrest during a clearing of protest camps,” the press release details.
Ho and her music were blacklisted by Mainland China, and sponsors dropped her. Venues around the world barred her from performing — and continue to to this day.
Williams began filming Ho in 2017, as she toured North America and the UK as an independent artist. She took “to the streets with HongKongers during the massive protests of 2019 and [remained] vocal about protecting civil liberties,” per the source. “She has also recently addressed both the United Nations and the US Congress, pleading for international help and making it clear that Hong Kong’s struggle is a universal fight for freedom and democracy.”
“Denise Ho is one of a kind – a charismatic performer with a passion, not only for her music, but for human rights as well. Film, like music, can open hearts and minds, and Kino Lorber is proud to join Sue in bringing Denise’s story to a wide audience,” said Wendy Lidell, the company’s SVP of Theatrical Distribution and Acquisitions.
“We’re delighted to be working with Kino Lorber to get Denise’s story – and by extension, that of Hong Kong – out to the world,” stated Williams. “Under the cloak of the global pandemic, China is carrying out a harsh crack down on ordinary Hong Kongers and arresting more pro-democratic leaders. Denise’s creativity and resilience are a moving reminder of the power of courageous individuals – and music – in the fight for freedom and democracy.”
Also an actress, Ho won a Chinese Film Media Award for her supporting turn in “Life Without Principle.” Her other screen credits include “Merry-Go-Round,” “Look for a Star,” and “Faan hak sin fung.”
Williams previously investigated Chinese politics, culture, and conflict with docs “China in Revolution: 1911-1949,” “The Mao Years: 1949-1976,” “China: Born Under the Red Flag,” and “China: A Century of Revolution.” She also directed specials about China for “Frontline.” Her other credits include “Death by Design” and the Mary Pickford and Eleanor Roosevelt episodes of “American Experience.”
