Sunset Survivors tells the stories of Hong Kong’s traditional tradesmen and women as their curious professions all too quickly fall into obscurity. Based on the book Sunset Survivors by Lindsay Varty, the documentary follows the lives of several of these traditional artisans alongside commentary by local experts. Immersed in the vibrant streets of Hong Kong, viewers will soon realise that it is not just the tall buildings and dim sum that make this city so special, it is the hard working men and women who continue to keep the flame burning despite their industries rapidly fading away. Without a next generation of willing successors to their businesses, these unique crafts and specialised trades will soon cease to exist.
Sunset Survivors is being produced by a combination of talented local Hong Kongers and expatriates who together share a deep affection for their city. Though these Sunset Survivors will someday be gone, it is our hope that by documenting their stories and sharing them with the world, they will never be forgotten.
Justin Solomon, Producer & Director
Justin Solomon is an award-winning journalist and television producer based in Hong Kong.
His career began at the NBC affiliate WHDH-TV in Boston, Massachusetts in 2001 where his first major assignment was to coordinate the channels coverage of 9/11 just blocks away from Ground Zero.
Justin next went on to work at CNBC where he was a senior field producer for the network covering breaking news around the world. Additionally, he produced long-form content for CNBC airing internationally on wide-ranging topics from the global water shortage to an inside look at the diamond industry to the big business behind the musician Pitbull.
In 2017, Justin along with his wife relocated to Hong Kong where has has since worked with CNN International, NBC News, ABC News, Reuters TV, the CBC and VOA as a freelance journalist.
His love, respect and ongoing curiosity of Hong Kong is evident in his passion what has become his current project, the documentary Sunset Survivors.
Justin received his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) focused in Visual Media Arts from Emerson College in Boston, Ma.
Lindsay Varty, Consulting Producer & Author of Sunset Survivors
Lindsay Varty is an award-winning writer, freelance journalist and former professional rugby player based in Hong Kong. She lives and breathes Hong Kong and is fascinated by its culture and history. As a young girl, her parents would take her to eat congee in Sham Shui Po, order snacks from dai pai dong, and get haircuts at traditional barber shops.
Her parents wanted their children to discover the real Hong Kong and to know its people. Sunset Survivors book is a tribute to that wish. Lindsay now gives talks to schools and societies and runs local walking tours which focus on the characters and industries in Sunset Survivors and takes people to visit their stores in an effort to support these fading businesses.
Her work has been featured on TEDx, CNN, The Guardian, CCTV, and more locally in SCMP, Localiiz and Sassy. She was a featured author in the 2019 International Literature Festival in Hong Kong.
She is currently working on a children’s book which also celebrates Hong Kong culture. She hopes that her project can encourage people to take a deeper interest in local heritage and community and help support Hong Kong’s unique cultural identity.
Chermaine Lee, Associate Producer
Chermaine Lee is a Hong Kong-bred multimedia journalist. Chermaine currently works as a freelance journalist covering the city's politics, social issues, and global climate affairs for global media organizations including the Washington Post, BBC, CNN, NBC, and Thomson Reuters. Chermaine also co-hosts a weekly podcast on Asia's green new. In her leisure time, she loves reading, hiking and exploring Hong Kong's historical hidden gems. Chermaine earned her Masters of Social Sciences and Journalism degree from the University of Hong Kong.