'Expats,' starring Nicole Kidman, was filmed in Hong Kong, but you can't watch it there
ABC News
Nicole Kidman’s latest project is set in Hong Kong, but people living there are blocked from seeing it
HONG KONG -- Nicole Kidman's latest project is set in Hong Kong, but people who live there are blocked from seeing it, prompting speculation about censorship in a city where civil liberties are shrinking fast.
The first two episodes of “Expats,” a six-episode drama about expat women, were released on Amazon Prime on Jan. 26. But when viewers in Hong Kong try to watch it, they instead get a message saying that “this video is currently unavailable to watch in your location.”
The city has hardened its controls over political speech after 2019 anti-government protests rocked the city.
In 2020, China passed a National Security Law that criminalized political activities, such as protesting for independence. Since then, hundreds of activists have been arrested or driven into exile, while opposition-leaning media have been forced out of business.
The first episode of “Expats” includes a brief scene in which people at a rally chant in Cantonese “I want real general elections.” The trailer for the show also features a crowd holding umbrellas, a reference to the 2014 Umbrella Movement, when protesters demanded the right to choose the city's Chief Executive.
