Another controversy has sparked regarding the screening of banned film To Singapore, With Love, and this time it involves a conflict between its director Tan Pin Pin and liberal arts college Yale-NUS.
Despite the national ban placed on the film - a documentary about exiled political activists who fled Singapore in the 60s and 70s - by the Media Development Authority (MDA), Yale-NUS declared their intention to press ahead with plans to screen the film at the National University of Singapore Museum at the end of the month.
Yale professors have responded angrily to the ban, characterising it as “a threat to freedom of expression at a college stamped with Yale’s name”, according to the Yale Daily News. Furthermore, college president Pericles Lewis disclosed that the MDA themselves mentioned that they “had no problems” with the screening.
However, it seems that the screening won’t be going underway in the end, as director Tan herself posted today in a Facebook post that she did not agree to a private screening of her documentary.
“We have not agreed to any Singapore screenings, private or institutional. We have written to the news outlet to correct the article”, she writes.
Yale-NUS professor Robin Hemley acknowledged the mistake, stating that “they got ahead of themselves”.
Meanwhile, tickets have already sold out at the film debut in Johore Baru due to overwhelming response. Tan will be in attendance at the screening, slated to air at 3pm today.
To Singapore, With Love came to national attention from MDA’s assessment of the film as Not Allowed for All Ratings, due to its potential to undermine national security and stability. According to their statement, the subjects in the film allegedly gave ‘distorted and untruthful accounts’. Outside of Singapore, the documentary has already won prestigious awards in various film festivals.
Photo: To Singapore, With Love Facebook page
Read Also: Breaking: Tan Pin Pin film banned for 'undermining national security'; Singapore artists urge overturn of documentary ban
Another controversy has sparked regarding the screening of banned film To Singapore, With Love, and this time it involves a conflict between its director Tan Pin Pin and liberal arts college Yale-NUS.
Despite the national ban placed on the film - a documentary about exiled political activists who fled Singapore in the 60s and 70s - by the Media Development Authority (MDA), Yale-NUS declared their intention to press ahead with plans to screen the film at the National University of Singapore Museum at the end of the month.
Yale professors have responded angrily to the ban, characterising it as “a threat to freedom of expression at a college stamped with Yale’s name”, according to the Yale Daily News. Furthermore, college president Pericles Lewis disclosed that the MDA themselves mentioned that they “had no problems” with the screening.
However, it seems that the screening won’t be going underway in the end, as director Tan herself posted today in a Facebook post that she did not agree to a private screening of her documentary.
“We have not agreed to any Singapore screenings, private or institutional. We have written to the news outlet to correct the article”, she writes.
Yale-NUS professor Robin Hemley acknowledged the mistake, stating that “they got ahead of themselves”.
Meanwhile, tickets have already sold out at the film debut in Johore Baru due to overwhelming response. Tan will be in attendance at the screening, slated to air at 3pm today.
To Singapore, With Love came to national attention from MDA’s assessment of the film as Not Allowed for All Ratings, due to its potential to undermine national security and stability. According to their statement, the subjects in the film allegedly gave ‘distorted and untruthful accounts’. Outside of Singapore, the documentary has already won prestigious awards in various film festivals.
Photo: To Singapore, With Love Facebook page
Read Also: Breaking: Tan Pin Pin film banned for 'undermining national security'; Singapore artists urge overturn of documentary ban