I am seeking film(s) on the events that took place in HK from 8 December 1941 to 26 December 1941 including the day of surrender on 25 December 1941 to order to produce a documentary of the event. In my quest for film of any calibre, I recently spent some weeks at the Imperial War Museuim (currently undergoing renovations and reoganisation of material) and Kew Library seeking and researching for film footage. It was sadly disappointing.
It would be greatly appreciated if any reader can help either with film or with information on sources of film.
The battle of Hong Kong was
The battle of Hong Kong was shot by the Japanese in 1942, despite its Wikipedia entry I believe there is a partial copy in the Japanese archives, however most of it is staged footage shot in 1942 after the battle. There is a facebook group The Battle of Hong Kong which would probably be useful to you in your search
Thank you so much for the
Thank you so much for the information which will be chased up with the Japanese Dept of Defence.
You may have already forund
You may have already found these but Critical Past has some videos on their websites:
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3
Link 4
In my previous research here is what I discovered about the film:
About the film:
The Battle of Hong Kong was the only film made in Hong Kong during the Japanese occupation. Directed by Tanaka Shigeo and produced by the Dai Nippon Film Company, the film featured an all Japanese cast but a few Hong Kong film personalities were also involved. Since this film is not a Hong Kong production, it has not been included in this Filmography. (from LCSD HK Filmography)
Original Title: Hong Kong kôryaku: Eikoku kuzururu no hi
English Title: The Day England Fell
Great article from an LCSD newsletter No 58 on the film here: (pages 22-24) - seems to be no longer online, perhaps you could contact them for a copy?
This has lots more info, some of which differs from the above, including:
Running time: 101 minutes, on 11 reels measuring 2,772 metres long
Only HK actress featured is Tsi Lo Lin, then aged 16. Everyone else was Japanese
Movie long thought lost, however The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo has an incomplete 36 minute copy
If you can read/write Japanese may be able to find it on their website.
Hope this helps
I somehow think that you have
I somehow think that you have walked the same research route I intend to do now. Nevertheless, a thousand thanks for the additional information which will indeed help to locate the information being sought given that information provided through links 1 and 3 had been touched some months ago when seeking data on my dad (ARP), two brothers (HKVDC) and two sisters (ARP).
I look forward to formally thank you (assuming you reside in HK) for your prompt support in my quest.