Written and directed by veteran filmmaker Sue Williams, Denise Ho: Becoming the Song is one of those documentary films that could easily be lost in the shuffle of this genre that has finally found its way in the worlds of filmed entertainment. Thanks to Kino Lorber, this film has been found and made available to the world.
Williams tells the epic story of Cantopop singer Denise Ho who found a few moments of musical superstardom fame in Hong Kong and China, and who became passionately involved with China’s takeover of Hong Kong, fighting for freedom and civil rights for the people of Hong Kong. In doing so, she lost her superstar status, and became a much more powerful and empathetic human being.
Ho tells her own story, and Williams provides clips of increasingly more violent protests as the people of Hong Kong struggle for democratic values, and are met with escalating force by police. Ho participated in these protests, and was banned from China.
The film follows Ho from her huge stadium shows in China and Hong Kong, through the loss of these shows, to the emergence of her political activism on behalf of Hong Kong, and the birth of her authentic self. Williams includes clips of Ho’s singing performances in huge stadiums, to smaller, intimate venues.
Ho came out as ‘gay’ at the age of 35, and is a champion of civil rights for the LGBTQ community. She is a speaker for international human rights, and has been working as a film, TV, and voice actor since 1998. I am out of breath just typing these words about the many accomplishments of Denise Ho, as well as what her future promises for herself and our world.
I whole-heartedly recommend the joy and inspiration of Denise Ho: Becoming The Song
