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Australian actress and global star Nicole Kidman is in Hong Kong right now to film a TV series for Amazon Prime Video, about wealthy expats in the city.
But her presence has stirred the ire of some of the residents over quarantine rules.
Circumventing Covid-19 quarantine rules for travellers
Hong Kong considers Australia a "medium-risk" area for entry, and those flying in from the country, which is currently facing a third wave of infections from the Delta variant, are required to provide a negative Covid-19 test and have a room reserved for quarantine.
Not for Kidman though.
The 54-year-old skipped a mandatory quarantine, and was seen shopping in a boutique in Central two days after she flew in from Sydney on a private jet on Aug. 12, incurring the ire of locals, as well as other travellers who had to go through strict quarantine rules.
Image via Facebook
The backlash grew when the government announced a tightening of quarantine policies on Aug. 16 to deal with the spread of the Delta variant, requiring vaccinated Hong Kong residents from "high-risk" countries to undergo a 21-day hotel quarantine upon arrival. Previously, the quarantine duration was seven days.
The special treatment extended to Kidman (and four crew members) didn't go unnoticed, with Hongkongers overseas and foreigners in Hong Kong pointing out that due to the restrictions, they haven't been able to fly home to see their families for almost two years.
The government's decision has sparked a debate in the legislature as well, with a pro-establishment lawmaker Michael Tien asking if this "precedent" means that "all foreign movie stars" will be exempted from quarantine when they fly into the city to film, Hong Kong Free Press reported.
He also highlighted that their Olympians were not exempted from a seven-day mandatory quarantine when they returned from the Tokyo Olympics.
People don't buy Hong Kong government's explanation
In response to criticisms about the preferential treatment, Hong Kong authorities defended their decision, saying that Kidman and the rest of the crew have been granted an exemption from quarantine for "the purpose of performing designated professional work which is conducive to maintaining the necessary operation and development of Hong Kong's economy".
As for Kidman's shopping trip , Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah likened it to "costume fitting" that was already included in a "pre-notified itinerary".
The government's explanation appeared feeble in the Chinese territory that faces drastic inequalities, according to some Hong Kong commenters.
The public's tolerance for such alleged preferential treatment for the wealthy elite has been wearing thin, as they continue to face strict quarantine rules, including hotel quarantine even for those who reside in the city.
Tara Joseph, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, told The Washington Post that many foreign businessmen have had enough of the spate of tightened restrictions.
"Watching the rest of the world think forward while Hong Kong doesn't budge and becomes more draconian is deeply frustrating and, for some people, the last straw," she said.
This is not the first time that Kidman has come under fire for skipping quarantine rules.
Kidman and her husband, Keith Urban, were allowed to self-isolate last July in their holiday home in New South Wales, Australia, after flying in from the U.S., despite local Covid-19 policies requiring returned travellers to stay in hotels.
The news had similarly sparked furious reactions from locals online, who thought it was unfair for celebs to be exempted from quarantine rules that everyone else has to abide by.
TV series ignores realities of the city
Criticisms have also been directed towards the TV series itself, with some saying the show is written and produced for a Western audience while ignoring local cultures, and that it was filmed at the expense of the locals.
For instance, the film has been criticised for "orientalising" Fa Yuen Street -- known for selling sportswear and sneakers -- by adding elements deemed to represent the Chinese culture in order to make the place fit the image of Hong Kong that a predominantly Western audience has in mind.
As the path between the two rows of stalls had been shut off to the public for filming, some stall owners had also reportedly complained that their business was disrupted, even getting into arguments with the filming crew, Oriental Daily News reported.
By portraying a city that reflects none of this, critics say the show is helping the local government to burnish Hong Kong's image as a haven for expats when the reality is far from it.
Expats
The TV series, called "Expats", is based on a book by Lulu Wang that was published back in 2016.
This was before thousands of Hongkongers took to the streets in 2019 to protest against an extradition bill that would send criminal suspects to mainland China.
Chinese activists have voiced out against the matter as well, expressing their concerns that the series is lending legitimacy to the perception that Hong Kong is still a free city, when this is disputed by the locals.
Chinese political cartoonist Badiucao told The Sydney Morning Herald that the project appears to be run by the Hong Kong government as "a soft propaganda programme that will sugarcoat the lies in Hong Kong".
He pointed out that artists have been arrested in China for their political opinions, and that artwork has faced complete censorship at times when deemed to be sensitive by local authorities.
Top image adapted via Facebook & Nicole Kidman/Instagram
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