The Infamous Chalk Girl: the battle for democracy in Hong Kong

In 2014, during the Umbrella Revolution in Hong Kong, a 14-year-old girl was arrested for drawing a chalk flower on a wall where thousands were displaying protest artworks and their wishes for the future. Her case was reported all around the globe and the police overreaction was relentlessly parodied by supporters and illustrators in numerous cartoons and articles. The world dubbed her Chalk Girl.

Two years since her arrest made her an accidental hero of the pro-democracy umbrella movement, Chalk Girl must decide whether to rejoin the battle alongside the “localist” youth. As elections loom, she is torn between wanting to respect her family, who are concerned about the risks of her activism, and standing up to Chinese interference. Young localists see themselves as being in a fight to save their beloved city, and in the middle of it all, Chalk Girl is just a teenager wanting to feel part of something bigger.

The Infamous Chalk Girl is commissioned as part of the Guardian Bertha documentary partnership, which aims to tell international stories with global impact.