The Media Development Authority of Singapore has banned To Singapore, with Love for “undermining national security”. Here is my statement in response, which first appeared on the film’s Facebook page.
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 to questions 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 is 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
More information
Film’s official site
Film’s Facebook page
Director’s filmography
==================
《星国æ‹ã€‹å¯¼æ¼”兼制片人陈彬彬声明书
影片《星国æ‹ã€‹ï¼ˆTo Singapore with Love )(2013)原定于2014å¹´9月,连åŒæˆ‘çš„å¦å¤–两部纪录片《备忘录》(Invisible City)(2007)å’Œã€Šæ–°åŠ å¡é£Žã€‹ï¼ˆSingapore GaGa)(2005)ï¼Œåœ¨æ–°åŠ å¡å›½ç«‹å¤§å¦åšç‰©é¦†â€”—一个与我业已建立起长久åˆä½œå…³ç³»çš„æœºæž„â€”â€”æ”¾æ˜ ã€‚
如今这个åŒåœºæ”¾æ˜ 活动将被å–消。
对于媒体å‘展局ç¦æ¢è¿™éƒ¨å½±ç‰‡åšå…¬å¼€æ”¾æ˜ 的决定,我感到éžå¸¸å¤±æœ›ã€‚è¿™ä¸ä»…ä»…å› ä¸ºæˆ‘æ— æ³•é‚æ„¿ï¼Œä¹Ÿå› ä¸ºç¦ä»¤å¯¹æ–°åŠ å¡åˆ«å…·æ„涵。就åƒæˆ‘çš„å…¶ä»–å½±ç‰‡ä¸€æ ·ï¼Œã€Šæ˜Ÿå›½æ‹ã€‹æ˜¯éšç€è‰ºæœ¯åˆ›ä½œçš„æž„æ€å‘展自然æˆå½¢çš„。我原本的录åƒè®¡åˆ’是从远方æ‹æ‘„æ–°åŠ å¡çš„海岸线。我对身处域外的观念ååˆ†æ„Ÿå…´è¶£ï¼Œè€Œåœ¨æˆ‘è¿›è¡Œç›¸å…³ç ”ç©¶çš„è¿‡ç¨‹ä¸ï¼Œæˆ‘å¶ç„¶æ‰¾åˆ°ã€Šç‹®çˆªé€ƒç”Ÿã€‹ï¼ˆ2012ï¼‰ï¼Œä¸€æœ¬é€šè¿‡æ–°åŠ å¡æµ·å¤–æµäº¡äººå£«é‡‡ç”¨ç¬¬ä¸€äººç§°å™è¿°äº²èº«ç»åŽ†çš„书。他们在家国以外生活,å´å¹¶éžå‡ºäºŽä¸ªäººé€‰æ‹©ã€‚我决定去马æ¥è¥¿äºšè®¿é—®ä»–们当ä¸çš„一ä½ã€‚她的å™è¿°æ·±æ·±æ‰“动了我,以致我决定转移影片的焦点。《星国æ‹ã€‹ä¹Ÿå°±è¿™æ ·è¯žç”Ÿäº†ã€‚åŒæˆ‘其他的作å“ä¸€æ ·ï¼Œè¿™éƒ¨å½±ç‰‡æç»˜çš„æ˜¯æ–°åŠ å¡ï¼›ä½†æœ‰æ‰€ä¸åŒçš„是,它完全是在国境之外æ‹æ‘„的。我相信我们能够ç»ç”±é‡‡å–å¤–éƒ¨çš„è§†è§’â€”â€”â€”æ— è®ºæ˜¯æŒ‡èº«ä½“ä¸Šçš„ç§»ç½®æˆ–æ€è€ƒä¸Šçš„越界—ï¼å¯¹æˆ‘们自己产生新的ç†è§£ã€‚
为了æ‹æ‘„这部影片,我去了英国ã€æ³°å›½å’Œé©¬æ¥è¥¿äºšé‡‡è®¿è¿™äº›æµäº¡äººå£«ï¼Œå¹¶å‘ä»–ä»¬äº†è§£ç¦»å¼€æ–°åŠ å¡åŽçš„的生活情况。他们当ä¸æœ‰çš„å·²ç»è¶…过50年未曾回家。尽管他们å‘æˆ‘å€¾è¯‰ä»–ä»¬ç¦»å¼€æ–°åŠ å¡çš„åŽŸå› ï¼Œå¯æ˜¯ç»å¤§éƒ¨åˆ†æ—¶é—´ä»–们谈的是目å‰çš„ç”Ÿæ´»æƒ…å†µå’Œä»–ä»¬ä¸Žæ–°åŠ å¡çš„关系。他们给我们介ç»äº†ä¸ºè‡ªå·±åˆ›é€ 的新生活。我们于是去了制作é¢æ¡çš„工厂,探访了一个律师行,并和å¦ä¸€åæµäº¡äººå£«çš„å©å一起玩ä¹ã€‚我们也出å¸äº†ä»–们当ä¸ä¸€äººçš„追悼会。最åŽï¼Œæˆ‘们在柔佛新山æ—观了一åæµäº¡äººå£«ä¸Žå®¶äººå›¢èšçš„场é¢ï¼Œè€Œå½“时岛国黄æ˜çš„ç¯ç«å°±åœ¨ä¸è¿œå¤„é—ªçƒã€‚影片的焦点是他们的日常生活。这些æµäº¡äººå£«çš„æ„识形æ€ç«‹åœºä¸å°½ç›¸åŒï¼Œä¹Ÿåˆ†å±žä¸åŒçš„年龄层。他们当ä¸æœ‰äº›æ›¾æ˜¯å…±äº§å…šå‘˜ï¼Œæœ‰äº›æ˜¯å·¦å€¾çš„教会活跃分å,还有一些是社会主义政治人物或当时å¦ç”Ÿè¿åŠ¨çš„活跃分åã€‚ç„¶è€Œï¼Œä»–ä»¬å¯¹æ–°åŠ å¡çš„情感浓烈而且真挚,尽管å¶å°”带有爱æ¨äº¤ç»‡çš„æ„味,å³ä¾¿ç¦»å¼€å·²ç»æ˜¯è®¸ä¹…的事。那些情感毋å®æ‰æ˜¯æˆ‘影片ç€é‡æ•æ‰çš„å…ƒç´ ï¼ˆè€Œéžä»–们出逃的形势,或甚至导致他们æµäº¡çš„历å²â€œçœŸç›¸â€ï¼‰ï¼Œå› 为我觉得许多观众能够领会这些情感。
我之所以æ‹æ‘„è¿™éƒ¨å½±ç‰‡ï¼Œæ˜¯å› ä¸ºæˆ‘è‡ªå·±å¸Œæœ›èƒ½å¤Ÿæ›´åŠ äº†è§£æ–°åŠ å¡ã€‚我想通过探讨被放é€çš„以åŠæ— 法被代言的人与事,æ¥äº†è§£æˆ‘们何以彬到今天。也许最终留å˜çš„人与事方æ‰å½¢å¡‘了我们今日的本质。我也原本希望影片能够促æˆä¸€åœºå…¨æ°‘对è¯ï¼Œå¥½è®©æˆ‘们更好地了解作为国家共åŒä½“的自己。
å› æ¤æˆ‘对影片被媒体å‘展局ç¦æ¢æ”¾æ˜ 深感失望。媒体å‘å±•å±€çš„è¿™ä¸ªå†³å®šå‰¥å¤ºäº†æ–°åŠ å¡äººè§‚çœ‹è¿™éƒ¨å½±ç‰‡çš„æœºä¼šï¼Œä¹Ÿè®©å²›å›½äººæ°‘æ— æ³•å€Ÿç”±è¿™éƒ¨å½±ç‰‡çš„å†…å®¹ï¼Œä»¥å¤šæ–¹å¯¹è¯çš„å½¢å¼äº¤æµå’ŒæŽ¢è®¨æˆ‘们的过往。这场由国民自身决定讨论议项的全国对è¯è‡³å…³é‡è¦ï¼Œå°¤å…¶åœ¨æ–°åŠ å¡å»ºå›½50周年æ¥ä¸´ä¹‹é™…。我们必须争å–得到官方的信任,我们能够就有关自己的问题为自己找到ç”案。
如今这场对è¯æ— 法开展是我最深刻的é—æ†¾ã€‚ç„¶è€Œï¼Œå…¶å®žå½“ä¸€äº›æ–°åŠ å¡äººåœ¨å›½å¤–的影展上观èµäº†å½±ç‰‡ä¹‹åŽï¼Œå¯¹è¯å·²ç»å¼€å§‹ã€‚他们的å应包括“深情且深刻â€ã€â€œéžå¸¸åŠ¨äººå¹¶å¼•äººæ·±æ€â€ã€â€œéžçœ‹ä¸å¯â€ã€‚而眼下最åè®½çš„çŽ°å®žæ˜¯ï¼Œä¸€éƒ¨æœ‰å…³æ–°åŠ å¡æµäº¡åˆ†å的影片本身也é逢自岛国æµäº¡çš„命è¿ã€‚è¿™ç»å¯¹ä¸æ˜¯æˆ‘想è¦æˆ–希望出现的境况。
æˆ‘æœŸå¾…å½±ç‰‡ç»ˆæœ‰ä¸€å¤©èƒ½å¤Ÿåœ¨æ–°åŠ å¡æ”¾æ˜ ,并考虑在未æ¥é‡æ–°æŠŠç‰‡åæ交给当局进行分级审查 。
陈彬彬
2014年9月10日