Wednesday, June 02, 2004
More Leeway for Film Classification
Note: This commentary addresses film censorship in Singapore though censorship as a whole can be applied to other art forms.
It is an encouraging sign for the local media regulatory board, Media Development Authority, to announce that two new classifications – NC - 16 and M – 18 will soon be introduced in July for video retail and rental. This will mean that adults or older young persons can now get to see movies, which they have been unable to due to restricted ratings.
The 1 June TODAY article also reported that the new measure will result in uncensored versions of movies such as Saving Private Ryan and Blackhawk Down to be available in shops.
A welcoming piece of news, especially for film aficionados who can now see these videos with restricted circulation at their own pace.
Despite the greater leeway, Singapore, as a firm supporter and believer of arts, will need to work towards more openness to become more credible.
To do that, we must eliminate censorship; as well as introduce a comprehensive, detailed classification available to audience in theatres and the video market.
On a macro level, the roles of the MDA which functions as an authoritative board in regulating the local mass media needs to revise its structure to reflect the ideals of a global and cosmopolitan city that Singapore aims to be.
Censorship
Film censorship, as a tool to act as gatekeeper of what is permissible and tasteful in a highly globalised society like Singapore, makes a mockery of the system.
With access to Internet, Singaporeans are able to freely download porn. They buy pirated DVDs and travel overseas to see movies that would be banned here.
Besides losing its edge as a tool to control, censorship has to be eliminated because the interaction of ideas and flow of information between the artist and his or her audience should be left to the two parties alone.
If we want to promote ourselves as an international arts hub, we need to discard the distrusting mentality and fear of artists and their art, however controversial and sensitive they are. The openness would include filmmakers, whether be they locals or foreigners, tackling on sensitive issues in our own country.
The existence of a Censorship Committee implies a lack of desire or openness to allow a film to be shown without any edits.
The argument that some films might be too sensitive in certain segments of our society is weak given people have choices in the films they want to see.
Moreover, in a society like Singapore which sees a growing diversity in terms of tastes and moral sensitivities, we need to recognize that this gap can only be bridged; not by pandering to the moral conservatives; but giving leeway for the more open-minded population.
Hence, removing censorship not only indirectly promotes Singapore as a film centre, but also acts as an impetus to stimulate the growth of openness and diversity in our society.
The purpose of censorship is therefore dated, redundant and illiberal.
Classification
The promotion of the arts, including movies, should be left to the discretion of the distributor and the artists who will notify the audience of the content of their movies if it can be constituted as offensive.
Within this scenario, classification becomes merely guidelines and a barrier in preventing children from access to adult materials.
The current classification of NC 16 and M 18 are created to allow younger persons to view movies with higher violent contents.
It implies that the authorities are willing to accept the notion that younger adults are able to handle more graphic messages.
However, movies with nudity are still denied in both classification. At age 18, most teenagers would have be pretty aware and educated about sexuality. Therefore, M 18 movies should tolerate at least some form of mild sexual content.
More Video Classification Categories
The next step towards opening the market should be the introduction of R(21) category to the video market.
This category should be a similar classification to the movie rating system, which means that adults can now access movies with adult content through home video purchase or rental.
Many countries who already have a similar classification system is a beneficial system to the filmmakers and consumers alike. This new classification translates into more sales for video shops and cinema owners who are now on a more even level to compete against pirates and illegal internet downloads.
Summary
MDA should work towards becoming a regulatory board ensuring that
1. freedom of information flows from artist to audience and vice versa
2. censorship be removed in house; besides the artist’s own discretion
Sex: The Annabel Chong
Directed by Gough Lewis
Annabel Chong put Singapore on the map by breaking a world record – having sex with 251 men in 10 hours. Hardly worth bragging, given our society is a mainly conservative viewing porn as undesirable, corruptible and a western decadence.
Struts in Annabel who believes otherwise, and says on camera she loves sex. I consider myself lucky to see this DVD documentary on sale at a London HMV store. I bought it immediately as a gift for a friend, and coaxed him to see it with me before I leave.
Although the documentary does not do an in depth study of who Annabel is, it provides a skeleton of what she wants to be. It explains her decision to become a porn actress, the men she met, films she appeared in.
Several times, she reveals her disdain for Singapore, a society she considers morally uptight. A true rebel Singapore icon, she utters - “they can lick my ass”.
Dispelling the notion that porn actress are airheads, Annabel goes on TV and debates on Jerry Springer show, the girlie show, and is commented by her lecturer as an intelligent woman. She argues that the idea of female sexuality in western civilized society as a passive party can be subverted.
One way of subversion is doing porn and her act of breaking the record. The documentary also seriously raised the issue of whether pornography can be considered an art form; or at least a serious academic area for study.
It is a contentious debatable point given pornography is often judged in reference to other film genres; which are being performed differently and serves different markets and purposes. Making a movie for an artistic audience or even general audience is different from making porn. Variances in acting, make-up, costumes, set, production, editing, cinematography among other controls constitute a different reality; and hence different benchmarks.
SEX also reveals a personal aspect of Annabel whom we will probably never see in her films. She weeps, cuts herself and was solemn when she told her cousin about her profession; broke down when she came out to her mother.
My friend who saw the documentary with me thought she was “putting” it up. While I agree with him that it is difficult to perceive how much truth there is in Sex, this is the same imperative point that plagues all documentaries about celebrities, especially if it is made by their own official or approved crew.
SEX however is not “clear cut” in promoting Annabel Chong unlike other tribute films as it mythologizes the Annabel Chong personae by creating double conflicting perceptions of who she is. The film questions if she is an intellectual who happens to be a porn star. Is she a money grubber, fame seeker or truly enjoys sex? A Confucian filial daughter with liberal concepts about sex?
SEX is however more than just a documentary about Annabel. Like other female on screen presence such as Madonna or Marilyn Monroe (who are seen as talent - less by some critics), SEX indirectly argues about female sexuality and feminism on the sexual front.
SEX caused a ripple in Sundance when it was first released. Unfortunately, many Singaporeans are denied of seeing it because she is a “black sheep” among us. Our loss.
Note: This commentary addresses film censorship in Singapore though censorship as a whole can be applied to other art forms.
It is an encouraging sign for the local media regulatory board, Media Development Authority, to announce that two new classifications – NC - 16 and M – 18 will soon be introduced in July for video retail and rental. This will mean that adults or older young persons can now get to see movies, which they have been unable to due to restricted ratings.
The 1 June TODAY article also reported that the new measure will result in uncensored versions of movies such as Saving Private Ryan and Blackhawk Down to be available in shops.
A welcoming piece of news, especially for film aficionados who can now see these videos with restricted circulation at their own pace.
Despite the greater leeway, Singapore, as a firm supporter and believer of arts, will need to work towards more openness to become more credible.
To do that, we must eliminate censorship; as well as introduce a comprehensive, detailed classification available to audience in theatres and the video market.
On a macro level, the roles of the MDA which functions as an authoritative board in regulating the local mass media needs to revise its structure to reflect the ideals of a global and cosmopolitan city that Singapore aims to be.
Censorship
Film censorship, as a tool to act as gatekeeper of what is permissible and tasteful in a highly globalised society like Singapore, makes a mockery of the system.
With access to Internet, Singaporeans are able to freely download porn. They buy pirated DVDs and travel overseas to see movies that would be banned here.
Besides losing its edge as a tool to control, censorship has to be eliminated because the interaction of ideas and flow of information between the artist and his or her audience should be left to the two parties alone.
If we want to promote ourselves as an international arts hub, we need to discard the distrusting mentality and fear of artists and their art, however controversial and sensitive they are. The openness would include filmmakers, whether be they locals or foreigners, tackling on sensitive issues in our own country.
The existence of a Censorship Committee implies a lack of desire or openness to allow a film to be shown without any edits.
The argument that some films might be too sensitive in certain segments of our society is weak given people have choices in the films they want to see.
Moreover, in a society like Singapore which sees a growing diversity in terms of tastes and moral sensitivities, we need to recognize that this gap can only be bridged; not by pandering to the moral conservatives; but giving leeway for the more open-minded population.
Hence, removing censorship not only indirectly promotes Singapore as a film centre, but also acts as an impetus to stimulate the growth of openness and diversity in our society.
The purpose of censorship is therefore dated, redundant and illiberal.
Classification
The promotion of the arts, including movies, should be left to the discretion of the distributor and the artists who will notify the audience of the content of their movies if it can be constituted as offensive.
Within this scenario, classification becomes merely guidelines and a barrier in preventing children from access to adult materials.
The current classification of NC 16 and M 18 are created to allow younger persons to view movies with higher violent contents.
It implies that the authorities are willing to accept the notion that younger adults are able to handle more graphic messages.
However, movies with nudity are still denied in both classification. At age 18, most teenagers would have be pretty aware and educated about sexuality. Therefore, M 18 movies should tolerate at least some form of mild sexual content.
More Video Classification Categories
The next step towards opening the market should be the introduction of R(21) category to the video market.
This category should be a similar classification to the movie rating system, which means that adults can now access movies with adult content through home video purchase or rental.
Many countries who already have a similar classification system is a beneficial system to the filmmakers and consumers alike. This new classification translates into more sales for video shops and cinema owners who are now on a more even level to compete against pirates and illegal internet downloads.
Summary
MDA should work towards becoming a regulatory board ensuring that
1. freedom of information flows from artist to audience and vice versa
2. censorship be removed in house; besides the artist’s own discretion
Sex: The Annabel Chong
Directed by Gough Lewis
Annabel Chong put Singapore on the map by breaking a world record – having sex with 251 men in 10 hours. Hardly worth bragging, given our society is a mainly conservative viewing porn as undesirable, corruptible and a western decadence.
Struts in Annabel who believes otherwise, and says on camera she loves sex. I consider myself lucky to see this DVD documentary on sale at a London HMV store. I bought it immediately as a gift for a friend, and coaxed him to see it with me before I leave.
Although the documentary does not do an in depth study of who Annabel is, it provides a skeleton of what she wants to be. It explains her decision to become a porn actress, the men she met, films she appeared in.
Several times, she reveals her disdain for Singapore, a society she considers morally uptight. A true rebel Singapore icon, she utters - “they can lick my ass”.
Dispelling the notion that porn actress are airheads, Annabel goes on TV and debates on Jerry Springer show, the girlie show, and is commented by her lecturer as an intelligent woman. She argues that the idea of female sexuality in western civilized society as a passive party can be subverted.
One way of subversion is doing porn and her act of breaking the record. The documentary also seriously raised the issue of whether pornography can be considered an art form; or at least a serious academic area for study.
It is a contentious debatable point given pornography is often judged in reference to other film genres; which are being performed differently and serves different markets and purposes. Making a movie for an artistic audience or even general audience is different from making porn. Variances in acting, make-up, costumes, set, production, editing, cinematography among other controls constitute a different reality; and hence different benchmarks.
SEX also reveals a personal aspect of Annabel whom we will probably never see in her films. She weeps, cuts herself and was solemn when she told her cousin about her profession; broke down when she came out to her mother.
My friend who saw the documentary with me thought she was “putting” it up. While I agree with him that it is difficult to perceive how much truth there is in Sex, this is the same imperative point that plagues all documentaries about celebrities, especially if it is made by their own official or approved crew.
SEX however is not “clear cut” in promoting Annabel Chong unlike other tribute films as it mythologizes the Annabel Chong personae by creating double conflicting perceptions of who she is. The film questions if she is an intellectual who happens to be a porn star. Is she a money grubber, fame seeker or truly enjoys sex? A Confucian filial daughter with liberal concepts about sex?
SEX is however more than just a documentary about Annabel. Like other female on screen presence such as Madonna or Marilyn Monroe (who are seen as talent - less by some critics), SEX indirectly argues about female sexuality and feminism on the sexual front.
SEX caused a ripple in Sundance when it was first released. Unfortunately, many Singaporeans are denied of seeing it because she is a “black sheep” among us. Our loss.
