The film Ten Years (十年) was screened at North York Memorial Community Hall and Innis Town Hall at the University of Toronto.
On November 26, 2025, a fire broke out at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Hong Kong, causing 168 deaths and 79 injuries (according to Wikipedia). While the incident is still under investigation and governmental dereliction of duty remains overlooked, this tragedy deeply shook the entire Hong Kong community, including Hongkongese groups overseas. In Toronto, people also felt the loss and organized memorial events to mourn the victims, stand in solidarity with survivors, and demand government accountability. At the same time, the film Ten Years, which explores Hong Kong’s social, cultural, and political stories, was released, spreading a message of solidarity and hope across the community.
On December 6, 2025, a memorial for the Tai Po fire was held at North York Memorial Community Hall, lasting around one hour. Organized by the Toronto HK Parent Group and Canada-Hong Kong Link, the event aimed to support residents affected in Hong Kong while providing mutual support to Hongkongese in Toronto to overcome the collective trauma.
Approximately 800 people attended the memorial. Attendees lined up to lay flowers, wrote messages of condolence, and posted them on the memorial wall. They offered words of encouragement and supported one another through this difficult time. The hall and surrounding area were filled with flowers in memory of the deceased, and the line of participants stretched far. Some people were moved to tears. While this tragedy affected the entire Hongkongese community, it also brought them together, demonstrating care, solidarity, and mutual support.
Supporters from across the Greater Toronto Area came together to express their condolences. Several guests spoke at the event, including Olivia Chow, the Toronto Mayor, and Ali Ehsassi, a member of parliament. They acknowledged the pain Hongkongese diaspora experience and emphasized the importance of truth and governmental accountability. Volunteer counseling and other forms of support were also provided during the memorial. The event fostered a sense of shared grief accompanied by collective care.
Later that evening, a screening of the film Ten Years was held at Innis Town Hall at the University of Toronto. This film was originally released in Hong Kong in 2015, and set in an imagined 2025 Hong Kong and consists of five short segments directed by Kwok Zune (郭臻), Wong Fei-Pang (黃飛鵬), Jevons Au (歐文傑), Kiwi Chow (周冠威), and Ng Ka-Leung (伍嘉良). In the film, each segment explores potential political, cultural, and social futures for Hong Kong. At the time of its original release, the film was seen as a prescient depiction of Hong Kong’s tense social environment. Now, in 2025, the filmmakers invited audiences to revisit the work and reflect on its metaphors and meanings related to diaspora, resistance, and hope.
The audience left messages on the wall of the North York Memorial Community Hall
The event was organized by the Canadian HongKonger Incorporated for Motion-picture & Entertainment (CHIME) and featured a post-screening discussion with producer Andrew Choi and director Kiwi Chow. It had been scheduled prior to the Tai Po fire. Ensuing the tragedy, organizers added a memorial before the film and initiated a fundraising to support the rescue work in Hong Kong.
Here, people gathered not only for a film screening, but also to build a community space for each other. Audiences, moderators, and filmmaker speakers all participating to support one another. Audiences shared their experiences, both from the first time they watched the film and from today’s rewatch. The state authority and the increasingly tense political environment in the film have been reflected in daily life of people in Hong Kong now. When some asked how people could face Hong Kong’s uncertain future, Andrew Choi and Kiwi Chow emphasized that Ten Years is ultimately a film about hope. As the film suggests, what sustains the human will is not hatred, but hope. “In difficult times, people can still choose to preserve basic humanity and act with integrity,” Choi said.
In difficult times, the Toronto–Hong Kong community demonstrates strong support for one another in overcoming shared struggles.
