Plot Summary

In 1941, Hong Kong is the Eastern Fortress of the British Empire. With the sudden attack by Japanese forces, three intertwined stories unravel against the backdrop of a collapsing city. First, the story of two Chinese sisters, one who works as a courtesan, the other inside British military headquarters known as the Battlebox, become swept up in a botched spy operation. Second, a tight band of Rajput soldiers on the Gin Drinkers Line becomes trapped in a Japanese ambush, requiring an act of bravery to save the others. Third, an unnerving fog-of-war descends upon Major-General Maltby and his top officers as they struggle with the decision to either fight to the death or offer a humiliating surrender of the British Colony.