TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A film about the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests has broken the box office record for overseas Chinese-language documentaries in Taiwan within less than two weeks since its premiere in the country.

The film, "Revolution of Our Times" (時代革命), which was directed by Kiwi Chou (周冠威), takes place in the midst of the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement and covers key events such as the storming of the Legislative Council Complex, the 2019 Yuen Long attack, and siege of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Chou also personally interviewed Hong Kong people from many walks of life on their motivations and experiences during the protest movement.

According to the film's distributor, since the documentary premiered in over 30 theaters across Taiwan on Feb. 25., it had grossed approximately NT$16 million by Tuesday (March 8). This marks the best box office performance for a documentary in Taiwan this year and has shattered the country's record for the ticket sales for an overseas Chinese-language documentary, reported CNA.

On March 5, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) uploaded an Instagram story calling on the public to support the film and on Thursday (March 10) posted a tweet promoting the film in English. Many other high-level Taiwanese leaders have had private screenings of the film, including Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), Legislative Yuan Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃), former Transportation Minster and Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), and Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦).

Chow was cited by Fair Planet as calling the Tiananmen Square Massacre his "moment of enlightenment" as he watched live-streamed TV broadcasts of the protests day and night, only for it to come to an abrupt and cruel end with the troops and tanks firing on unarmed protestors. "I was awakened. Suddenly, I realized that I was not merely a son or student, but also a citizen. I can participate in changing the world," said Chow.

("Revolution of Our Times" poster)