Rated M18 in Singapore 新加坡解禁的短片

SINGAPORE : The government has lifted a four-year ban on the film "Singapore Rebel".

The film, about Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan, is now rated M18, which allows those above 18 years old to view it.

It is the first political film to be allowed since the Films Act was amended in March.

This follows the formation of an independent Political Films Consultative Committee to assess if such films are suitable for public viewing.

Even though the film was banned in 2005, "Singapore Rebel" has been extensively viewed by about half a million people online, according to its filmmaker Martyn See.

In May this year, Martyn resubmitted the film to the Board of Film Censors for vetting.

The Media Development Authority said on Friday that the Board of Film Censors had referred the film to the Political Films Consultative Committee (PFCC) for advice on whether it should be regarded as a party political film under the Films Act.

And after reviewing the film, the committee said "Singapore Rebel" is a documentary and not a party political film.

Amy Chua, chairman, Board of Film Censors, said: "The government has amended the Films Act to allow for more types of party political films that do not dramatise and/or present a distorted picture, as part of the government's move to further liberalise and expand the space for greater political discourse.

The applicant (Martyn See) has requested that his film be assessed as a documentary without any animation and composed wholly of an accurate account depicting actual events, persons or situations.

"The PFCC had assessed that the film would fall under the statutory exclusion set out in section 2(3)(e) of the Films Act."

It is the first film to be assessed and allowed by the new committee.

While the man behind the film has welcomed the move, he still has mixed feelings about the lifting of the ban.

Martyn said: "First of all, it is symbolic. Symbolic because it has been watched by half a million people on YouTube and Google Video for the last four years.

"In that sense, I am not too elated about it but on the other hand, it is a good step forward in the sense that other future film makers who want to attempt to do the same kind of films will know where the boundaries are."

Martyn has no plans to screen the film any time soon. But he is hoping that his other film, "Zahari's 17 Years", about former political detainee Said Zahari, will get the green light as well. - CNA/ms

extracted from Channel News Asia Site
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna/cgi-bin/search/search_7days.pl?status=&search=Singapore%2520Rebel&id=1004351


《新加坡反叛者》影片解禁

（2009-09-12）
● 叶鹏飞

　　电影检查局昨天决定对独立影片制作人施忠明所摄制的影片Singapore Rebel（《新加坡反叛者》）解禁，把它归类为M18级影片，并加注“成人内容”的忠告。

　　被归类为M18的影片，将能够在本地公开放映，但是观众必须年满18岁才能入场观看。

　　据媒体发展管理局宣布，电检局是在把《新加坡反叛者》送交政治影片咨询委员会（Political Film Consultative Committee）审查之后，根据委员会的意见，决定对这部介绍新加坡民主党秘书长徐顺全政治遭遇的影片解禁。

　　这个委员会在提出意见之前，必须认定《新加坡反叛者》是否是一部政党政治影片，须受到影片法令管制。它在审查后认定《新加坡反叛者》是今年三月修订后的影片法令第2（3）条e节所定义的纪录片，因此不应视为受禁止的政党政治影片。

　　《新加坡反叛者》片长26分钟，成了政府修订影片法令，放宽对政治影片的管制之后，第一部送交政治影片咨询委员会审查，并获得解禁的影片。人民行动党青年团的宣传影片“For I Am A Singaporean”，也已送交这个委员会审查。

　　施忠明（Martyn See）昨天也在自己的博客上提到这部影片被解禁的消息。

　　他说：“经过了四年半，政府终于在今天解除了对《新加坡反叛者》的禁令。”

　　他回忆说，这部影片是在2005年4月被禁，他随后经历了警方长达15个月的调查，在对他发出“严重警告”之后，警方并没把他提控上法庭。

　　施忠明透露他是在影片法令于今年三月修订后，于5月29日重新把影片提交审查。而他的另一部类似影片《赛扎哈里的17年》（Zahari’s 17 Years）仍然被禁，而且只有部长才有解禁的权力。赛扎哈里曾是本地的一名政治犯，被监禁长达17年。

　　有网民在施忠明的博客上留言，指《新加坡反叛者》被解禁已毫无意义，因为已有许多人在互联网上观看了这部影片。

　　施忠明是在2005年1月为《新加坡反叛者》报名参加新加坡国际电影节的短片竞赛，虽然没入围，但按照电影节的惯例，它原有机会在影穗节上放映。但是，因这部短片的主角是政治人物，被当局视为内容涉及政党政治的影片，在当局于同年三月对他发出警告后，决定退出。然而，他却在同年四月把影片送到美国、纽西兰和马来西亚参加人权电影节。电影检查局随后向警方报案，开始了15个月的调查。

　　警方经过彻底调查及征求总检察署的意见后，于2006年8月决定向施忠明发出警告，而没援引影片法令中关于制作政党政治影片的条文提控他。

转载自联合早报网
http://www.zaobao.com/sp/sp090912_019.shtml

《赛扎哈里的17年》（Zahari’s 17 Years）
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaLaeDN4t2U