Five Columns on the Front Page: Hong Kong as seen by Orson Welles

Overview

Filmed in 1960 during a break in the production of "Ferry to Hong Kong," this short documentary records Orson Welles’s three-week journey through colonial Hong Kong and Macau. The film documents the refugee crisis and extreme social inequality of the period, contrasting overcrowded rooftops, sampans, hillside settlements, and street life with the city’s visible wealth and colonial luxury. Structured as a reportage essay, the film presents a stark observational portrait of displacement, poverty, and privilege within a divided urban landscape.

Details

Status

Released

Release date

March 4, 1960

Original language

French

Spoken languages

French

Production

Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française,ORTF

Cast

Orson Welles

Director

Orson Welles

Budget

Not recorded

Revenue

Not recorded

IMDb

tt2909224