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Old 10-09-2014, 05:28 PM   #1
richardg
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Default Tan Pin Pin's film To Singapore, With Love not to be shown in public

Anyone can shed some light on Ms Tan and this movie?
Her wiki entry like not bad.

==============

SINGAPORE: The Media Development Authority of Singapore on Wednesday (Sep 10) decided that local film director Tan Pin Pin's work To Singapore, With Love will be classified as "Not Allowed for All Ratings".

In its statement on Wednesday (Sep 10), MDA said it had assessed the contents of the film, and decided that it undermined national security. It added that legitimate actions taken by security agencies to protect the national security and stability of Singapore are distorted as acts that victimised innocent individuals.

"The individuals in the film have given distorted and untruthful accounts of how they came to leave Singapore and remain outside Singapore," the MDA stated. "A number of these self-professed 'exiles' were members of, or had provided support to, the proscribed Communist Party of Malaya (CPM)."

The documentary depicted different generations of Singaporean political exiles who have not been able to come home. Some have not returned for 50 years. Ms Tan sought to show how these exiles have lived their lives away and how they still viewed Singapore, according to the film's website.

Under the Film Classification Guidelines, films that are assessed to undermine national security will be given an NAR rating. This means the film is not for exhibition or distribution in Singapore.

"NO PUBLIC PLATFORM TO MISLEAD": DR YAACOB

Commenting on MDA's ruling, Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim said he had read the reasons for the decision and "agree and support their assessment".

"The individuals in the film have given distorted and untruthful accounts of how they left Singapore and claimed that they were unfairly denied their right to return to Singapore," said Dr Yaacob.

"The truth of the matter was that many of them, by their own admission, were members or supporters of the Communist Party of Malaya which sought to overthrow the legitimate elected governments of Singapore and Malaysia through armed struggle and subversion, and replace them with a communist regime," he added.

The minister said it is "not surprising" that ex-CPM members and sympathisers wish now to give their own accounts of historical episodes they were involved in.

"But individuals who have chosen to leave and remain outside Singapore, and refused to account for their past actions, should not enjoy a public platform to purvey distorted and untruthful accounts to mislead the public, absolve themselves or deny their past actions," Dr Yaacob stated.

For ex-CPM members and supporters who have returned to Singapore, acknowledge their actions and renounced Communism and violence, they and their families continued to live here and contribute to building Singapore, he added.

- CNA/kk
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Old 10-09-2014, 08:23 PM   #2
satan_gal
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and the best way to ensure everyone watches it is to ban it..

Stroke of genius.
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Old 10-09-2014, 08:57 PM   #3
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STATEMENT BY TAN PIN PIN
Director and Producer of “To Singapore, with Love”

To Singapore with Love (2013) was slated to screen with my other films Invisible City (2007) and Singapore GaGa (2005) at the end of September 2014, in a triple-bill presented by National University of Singapore (NUS) Museum, an institution that I have had a long working relationship with in relation to my previous films.

Now the screenings will not take place.

I am very disappointed by the MDA decision to ban it -- for myself, and also what it means for Singapore. Like many of my other films, To Singapore, with Love took shape organically. I was making a video about Singapore’s coastline from afar. In the process of researching the idea of being outside, I stumbled upon Escape from the Lion’s Paw (2012), a book of first-person accounts by Singapore political exiles, people who remain outside the country, but not by choice. I decided to interview one of them in Malaysia. I was so moved by her account that I decided to change focus and To Singapore, with Love was born. Like my other films mentioned above, this film is a portrait of Singapore; unlike the others, this film is shot entirely outside the country, in the belief that we can learn something about ourselves by adopting, both literally and figuratively, an external view.

For this film, I traveled to England, Malaysia and Thailand to interview the exiles to find out how they have lived their lives away from Singapore. Some have not been back for more than 50 years. They talk about why they left, but they mostly talk about their lives today and their relationship with Singapore. They show us the new lives they have created for themselves. One shows us around his noodle-making factory, we visit the law firm of another and play with the children of yet another exile. We also attend the funeral of one of them. Finally, we observe a family reunion that takes place in Johor Baru, the twinkling lights of Singapore a short distance away. The focus is on their everyday lives. These exiles all have different ideological positions and are of different ages; some are communists, others are activists from the Christian Left, yet others are socialist politicians or former student activists. But their feelings for Singapore is intense and heartfelt, albeit sometimes ambivalent, even after so long away. Those feelings (more than the circumstances of their exile, or even the historical "truth" that led to such exile) are what my film predominantly focuses on, because I feel that many viewers might relate to those feelings.

I made this film because I myself wanted to better understand Singapore. I wanted to understand how we became who we are by addressing what was banished and unspoken for. Perhaps what remains could be the essence of us today. I was also hoping that the film would open up a national conversation to allow us to understand ourselves as a nation better too.

I am therefore very disappointed that my film is banned. By doing this, MDA is taking away an opportunity for us Singaporeans see it and to have a conversation about it and our past that this film could have started or contributed to. It is vital for us to have that conversation on our own terms, especially on the eve of our 50th birthday. We need to be trusted to be able to find the answers about ourselves, for ourselves.

It is my deepest regret that we cannot have such a conversation here today. That conversation did start when some Singaporeans saw it at film festivals overseas. Some of the reactions include; “Tender and searching” “Extremely moving and thought-provoking” and “A Must see”. Now, the irony that a film about Singapore exiles is now exiled from Singapore as well - this is not something I ever wanted or hoped for.

I hope to be able to show it in Singapore one day, and may re-submit for a rating in the future.

Tan Pin Pin
10 September 2014
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Old 10-09-2014, 10:52 PM   #4
leong26
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Ban ? Just post it on YouTube or any other Tiong tube , we 'll watch from there .
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Old 10-09-2014, 11:06 PM   #5
therat
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PAP just want us to see things that they want us to see.

want us to know things that they want us to know.

Anything that they don't want to know, don't want to see.
They will BAN it.

It is really for our good, or for their good.
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Old 11-09-2014, 12:46 AM   #6
leong26
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它们全都是 short short 哋
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Old 11-09-2014, 08:54 AM   #7
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"The individuals in the film have given distorted and untruthful accounts of how they left Singapore and claimed that they were unfairly denied their right to return to Singapore," said Dr Yaacob.


The government can come out and give facts and figures to the public why they left and not what they claimed in the movie.
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Old 11-09-2014, 09:01 AM   #8
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Our government is still very "protective" of us. Are Singaporeans really so easily influenced?
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Old 11-09-2014, 10:07 AM   #9
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Operation Cold Store is probably the worst and most shameful nightmare in our political history. It will be comforting when the person who masterminded this act can come out, acknowledge this mistake and apologise. Not that it will change anything now but at least, the victims and loved ones are comforted.

When we are unable to face our past, how do we face our future ?
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Old 11-09-2014, 10:21 AM   #10
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Banned? Now become die die must watch film!
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