Amazon’s Expats puts Hong Kong government in ‘awkward position’, features ‘glamorised’ lifestyle

A new television series starring Nicole Kidman about expats in Hong Kong has put the government in an awkward position and does not portray the city in a positive way, according to lawmakers, while some members of the community it portrays say the way the show depicts their lives is unrealistic.

The first two episodes of the six-part Expats, released on Friday, were not available to local audiences, despite its “worldwide” release, but could be accessed using a virtual private network.

Created by Chinese-born American filmmaker Lulu Wang based on a 2016 novel, the Amazon series centres on protagonist “Margaret” played by Kidman who moves to Hong Kong with her husband and family in 2014. The mother of three becomes crushed by guilt and pain after her youngest son, cared for by Korean-American “Mercy” and portrayed by Ji-young Yoo, disappears while they are shopping at a Mong Kok market.

The trailer includes shots of the “umbrella movement”, a large-scale show of civil disobedience, while the first episode features a scene of protesters chanting “I want universal suffrage” in Cantonese.

Wang also wrote on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday that “Cantonese is a dying language which is why it’s important to speak it, hear it, defend it”. She said she heard an “overwhelming” amount of Mandarin in announcements in the MTR and other public places.

Tenky Tin Kai-man, the chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, said the decision not to make the series available locally could be an attempt to safeguard the local crew members involved as some had said the drama included “sensitive” content.

“If foreign investors or production companies are not clear on Hong Kong’s rules and regulations, it is understandable that they would choose a risk-averse direction to avoid potential troubles or issues,” Tin said.