Some films stall during production and some films never get made; some get made but turn out different to how they were originally intended. In Hong Kong in the year 2000, veteran producer and director Teddy Chen set out to make his most ambitious project to date, named Dark October.

It was to be based on an important chapter in Chinese history when Dr Sun Yat Sen (the instigator of the 1911 revolution in China which overthrew the last emperor and created a republic) visited Hong Kong and was hounded by assassins from the Imperial Court.

Plagued by unimaginable production problems, the film was finally finished in 2009 and released in Hong Kong as Bodyguards and Assassins to great acclaim. This documentary charts the starts and stops of the production process, the money problems, the illnesses and the resilience and perseverance of the director and producer to get their film made, so much that they dedicated 10 years of their lives to making it.

A great companion piece to the closing film Bodyguards and Assassins to understand the historical context of this film as well as its nightmarish production background, Terracotta is proud to present the European Premiere of this documentary.