Club Movie Screening: Battle of Hong Kong, 1941

Mr. McCourry is the writer and director of this new 108-minute film,”Christmas at the Royal Hotel”, which chronicles the story of a small group of individuals whose lives are caught up in the devastation and turmoil of the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong in 1941 during the Second World War. In a city full of war refugees, profiteers and spies, a soldier’s Christmas promise is broken during the sudden Japanese attack on the British colony. In the mayhem, a Chinese female journalist tracks down a traitor, as the impact of war exposes some painful truths of loyalty, subversion and an uncertain future. As Hong Kong teeters on the brink of collapse, the Christmas spirit is shattered as World War II explodes across the Pacific.

Craig McCourry has worked over 30 years in the film business, as a cinematographer, director and producer. His work has taken him to the edges of the Sahara Desert with a team of camels as he filmed the documentary “The Great Bazaars“. He has chased old Chinese steam locomotives across the wintery landscapes of Inner Mongolia for his film titled “Empires of Steam“. His documentaries have premiered at film festivals including the Jules Verne Film Festival in Paris and the New Zealand International Documentary Film Festival. Craig is also the founder of Stock Footage World which features one of the world’s largest private footage collections within the Getty Images library.