The makers of a documentary about one of the world’s toughest trail races that's set in Hong Kong said they are in talks to distribute their movie globally after it became a surprise hit.

Four Trails showcases the grueling 298-km endurance challenge and a select group of trail runners who have bravely attempted it. Since its theatrical release in December, the 101-minute-long movie has pulled in more than HK$10 million ($1.3 million) in box office receipts, making it the second highest-grossing documentary film ever released in Hong Kong. The movie has also earned a growing list of accolades, including the Audience Choice Award at the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival and Best New Director Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

We spoke with director Robin Lee and producer Ben Lee, two brothers based in Hong Kong, about their plans for the movie after its unexpected success and the challenges behind making their first feature film.  

Why did you make this movie?

Robin: My background as a filmmaker has always been in adventure sports. I filmed for a company called Level 1 based out of Colorado, which made annual ski films. The trips would take me to places like India, Iceland, Europe, Canada. Then I’d come back and be missing the mountains. So I said, is there anything in Hong Kong which can bring me back out into the mountains?

Ben knew about this Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge, which was very, very niche at the time. And I just thought this was a perfect combination.

Why do you think the film has struck a chord with Hong Kong audiences?

Ben: I don't think there’s been any film that’s been popular enough in Hong Kong to showcase Hong Kong in the light that it gets shown in the film. Seeing on a massive Imax screen drone shots of the whole of Hong Kong with beautiful light is rare.

Robin: Hong Kong viewers may not even know about extreme sports, and they’re watching this and thinking, “Wow, I can’t believe we have this in our backyard.” So then it also becomes a pride thing where they’re just thinking, “How beautiful is Hong Kong? How amazing is my home?” Then they spread the word to their friends, and word of mouth just picked up.

I also think the characters in the film, they’re very down to earth, they’re all relatable. When you break it down to the message of the film, it’s human perseverance and if you put your mind to something, you can overcome it.

What was the most challenging aspect of making the film?

Robin: The most challenging part for me personally was in post-production rather than shooting. We had over 200 hours of content, and trying to take all that content and make it into a structure which flowed from start to finish. All the personalities, they’re so different. They’ve all got different ambitions and goals. How can you tell one person’s story next to another person’s story without it going all over the place? So, editing was a really big challenge.

How do you hope the film will represent Hong Kong with international audiences?

Robin: What makes Four Trails so special is that it is one of the hardest trail running races in the world, but it’s set in a place where you would never think trail running exists. We not only want to tell an amazing story about this event, but also showcase our home to overseas viewers as well.

Ben: Obviously the beauty of Hong Kong. I’d love people to know more about it. We’re not just a shopping, finance, dining location. There is so much more to Hong Kong.

What’s next for the film’s distribution?

Ben: We want to get it out as far and as wide as possible. We have conversations happening with sales agents and a distributor in the US. Same in the UK. It’s going into the Shanghai International Film Festival later this year in June. Hopefully out of that we can find some theatrical release in China.

Have you run the Four Trails?

Ben: Robin sat behind a computer for 18 months looking at a screen going over and over and over and over and over again. It’s our own little Four Trails in a way (laughs).

Robin Lee, director of Four Trails, is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and director, who also works as a commercial director, cinematographer and editor. Ben Lee is the film’s producer and an event director for large-scale professional sports events as well as food & beverage festivals. Together, they run Hong Kong-based Lost Atlas Productions.