Letters | Hong Kong’s new film censorship rules must be applied responsibly

Vague instructions could lead to censors being trapped by a lack of clarity and stymied by doubt
Given the many grey areas within the law, censors must not be intellectual slouches or use their powers irrationally

Censorship

Letters

Published: 6:40am, 21 Jun 2021

Why you can trust SCMP

I refer to the new guidelines for Hong Kong under the Film Censorship Ordinance. Now that the amended guidelines have been brought in line with the national security law, the work of censors is expected to become more complicated (“Carrie Lam admits new censorship rules have caused Hong Kong filmmakers anxiety” June 15).

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has said that, in the past, film censorship had been done with one eye open and the other shut, but this cannot go on. The tide has turned. As with the introduction of other new rules in our society, many people are filled with qualms and anxiety over the repercussions for the freedom of expression, though Lam has assured the film industry that its freedom to innovate will not be affected.

I, for one, have some reservations about Lam’s comments. There are unclear points in the national security law, as with other newly introduced rules, and there are points that are open to interpretation. Vague instructions could lead to the censors being trapped by a lack of clarity and stymied by doubt. There are many different contexts that could lead to volatile arguments.

It is an undeniable fact that the film industry is a dream factory. Producers are frequently blessed with a fertile imagination as well as much freedom, leaving great space for suggestive representation.

On the other hand, the law cannot be conceived in ways that clearly stipulate every case of what is right and what is wrong. It can be illustrated and clarified by examples and precedent, but there are always grey areas that create issues open to debate.

03:03

Hong Kong publishers resort to self-censorship under new security law

Whether a particular scene or line constitutes defiance of the national security law will depend on the context. Many expect that, under the amended guidelines for film censorship, movies with sensitive political subjects will be banned outright or so heavily censored that they totally lose the artist’s original vision and intent.

As a big fan of the movies, I hope our film censors will not be intellectual slouches and censor irrationally. Most of all, like other movie-lovers, I hope the film industry will by no means be hamstrung by the new censorship rules.

Randy Lee, Ma On Shan

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