Share your successful video for change and the story behind it's success. This thread will remain open for submissions beyond the February 26 end of conversation.
Singapore Director Tan Pin Pin travels to Malaysia, UK and Thailand to interview long term Singapore political exiles, some of whom have not been back to Singapore for more than 50 years. They talk about why they left and what Singapore still means to them today. They all fled Singapore in the 1960’s, 1970s and 1980′s to escape the prospect of detention without trial. Some were activists or student leaders whilst others were card carrying communists. Through their interviews, you get a glimpse of a Singapore that could have been.
This award-winning film which screened to full houses the world over has been banned from public screenings in Singapore for "undermining national security".
Because of the ban, this film is available for pay-per-view streaming in all territories except for Singapore.
A great impact story connected to the film is that of busloads of Singaporeans traveling across the border to Johor (Malaysia), just to watch the film. An article in the NYT talks about this temporary 'migration' of audiences, while also providing more background information about the film-maker and her intentions.
Other articles providing proof of the films impact below
This is my own film that is banned in Singapore. The screening was raided by the police, which then led to it gaining 200,000 views on Youtube and had a big effect on Singapore's civil society, generating discussion on film censorship laws, spurring young Singaporeans to thought and action, and also got on the international media. It is the first film to critically look at every aspect of the repressive political system in Singapore.
This movie entitled "r.i." tells about the aspiration to build a new Indonesia. Under the lead of Indonesia's first president, Soekarno, in 1960 delegations of students, activists, artists, and journalists were sent to Europe to absorb new knowledge and gather experience. During those periods, the "September 30" movement in 1965 caused a big influence to those who were abroad. The repression from New Order regime under the lead of Soeharto's dictatorship to those Soeharto's regime considered leftist and communist was done through Intelligence by the screening and withdrawals of passports. A few of those citizen abroad chose not to come back because of the thread of arrest and forceful abduction. Others were simply not allowed to come back home to Indonesia because their passport were revoked. To survive, they opened a restaurant in Paris as a symbol of solidarity among exiles, called Restaurant Indonesia.
This restaurant became a movement by Indonesians who care about human rights. Restaurant Indonesia was boycotted by Soeharto by then, they condered it communist and labelled it as the "red" restaurant. This movie has been screened in some conferences in Indonesia and internationally and in a lot of high schools in Indonesia. The specific target audiences are students and high school teachers. Before the 1998 reformation (the fall of Soeharto) in Indonesia, people accepted the 1965 tragedy discourse according to the New Order regime's version. Accordingly, history teachers in Indonesia had to use the conventional perspective in history books that were controlled by the regime. In addition, every year students had to watch Pengkhianatan G30S/PKI (The Betrayal of the 30th September Movement/Indonesian Communist Party), a historical movie of the 1965 Tragedy constructed by the New Order regime which simply emphasizes that communism is evil. The fall of the regime in 1998 trigerred people's motivation to explore further or the truth beyond the 1965 Tragedy - aside from the conventional version.
Many critical groups create documentary movies, books, events, popular media to provide an alternative discourse in history. Those new resources challenge shools and history teachers to become more open to the interpretations. Moreover, to get more information that the 1965 Tragedy was not only about the 7 generals who were killed at that time or who was the perpetrators of the killings. kotakhitam Forum is one of the progressive group that provides archives againts conventional history. They screened this movie to history teachers in Java, Bali and Sulawesi to look at to what extend high school history teachers are willing to consider of using alternative historical narractives in their way of teaching. One of the impact story is some of the students were surprised to what exactly happened in their country for this story about exiles was never heard before. "r.i" contributes to develop a new form of teaching by using audio-vosual media in learning history and it turn opens new perspectives to teachers and schools in understanding the 1965 discourse and later encourages students to be more critival to comprehend Indonesian history
Singapore Director Tan Pin Pin travels to Malaysia, UK and Thailand to interview long term Singapore political exiles, some of whom have not been back to Singapore for more than 50 years. They talk about why they left and what Singapore still means to them today. They all fled Singapore in the 1960’s, 1970s and 1980′s to escape the prospect of detention without trial. Some were activists or student leaders whilst others were card carrying communists. Through their interviews, you get a glimpse of a Singapore that could have been.
This award-winning film which screened to full houses the world over has been banned from public screenings in Singapore for "undermining national security".
Because of the ban, this film is available for pay-per-view streaming in all territories except for Singapore.
A great impact story connected to the film is that of busloads of Singaporeans traveling across the border to Johor (Malaysia), just to watch the film. An article in the NYT talks about this temporary 'migration' of audiences, while also providing more background information about the film-maker and her intentions.
Other articles providing proof of the films impact below
NBC NEWS http://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/banned-film-director-takes-singapore-authorities-n217106
VARIETY http://variety.com/2015/digital/asia/singapore-tan-pin-pin-global-reach-vimeo-1201649890/
ONLINE CITIZEN http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2014/09/hundreds-of-sporeans-watch-spore-banned-film-in-msia/
This is my own film that is banned in Singapore. The screening was raided by the police, which then led to it gaining 200,000 views on Youtube and had a big effect on Singapore's civil society, generating discussion on film censorship laws, spurring young Singaporeans to thought and action, and also got on the international media. It is the first film to critically look at every aspect of the repressive political system in Singapore.
http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2008/05/film-on-lee-kuan-yew-seized-by-mda/
http://yoursdp.org/news/one_nation_under_lee_seizure_to_be_raised_at_un_meeting/2008-09-10-457
http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2009/07/censors-refuse-to-classify-one-nation-under-lee/
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-33686020080521
http://yoursdp.org/news/seelan_palay_under_investigation_for_one_nation_under_lee/2009-06-25-1057
This movie entitled "r.i." tells about the aspiration to build a new Indonesia. Under the lead of Indonesia's first president, Soekarno, in 1960 delegations of students, activists, artists, and journalists were sent to Europe to absorb new knowledge and gather experience. During those periods, the "September 30" movement in 1965 caused a big influence to those who were abroad. The repression from New Order regime under the lead of Soeharto's dictatorship to those Soeharto's regime considered leftist and communist was done through Intelligence by the screening and withdrawals of passports. A few of those citizen abroad chose not to come back because of the thread of arrest and forceful abduction. Others were simply not allowed to come back home to Indonesia because their passport were revoked. To survive, they opened a restaurant in Paris as a symbol of solidarity among exiles, called Restaurant Indonesia.
This restaurant became a movement by Indonesians who care about human rights. Restaurant Indonesia was boycotted by Soeharto by then, they condered it communist and labelled it as the "red" restaurant. This movie has been screened in some conferences in Indonesia and internationally and in a lot of high schools in Indonesia. The specific target audiences are students and high school teachers. Before the 1998 reformation (the fall of Soeharto) in Indonesia, people accepted the 1965 tragedy discourse according to the New Order regime's version. Accordingly, history teachers in Indonesia had to use the conventional perspective in history books that were controlled by the regime. In addition, every year students had to watch Pengkhianatan G30S/PKI (The Betrayal of the 30th September Movement/Indonesian Communist Party), a historical movie of the 1965 Tragedy constructed by the New Order regime which simply emphasizes that communism is evil. The fall of the regime in 1998 trigerred people's motivation to explore further or the truth beyond the 1965 Tragedy - aside from the conventional version.
Many critical groups create documentary movies, books, events, popular media to provide an alternative discourse in history. Those new resources challenge shools and history teachers to become more open to the interpretations. Moreover, to get more information that the 1965 Tragedy was not only about the 7 generals who were killed at that time or who was the perpetrators of the killings. kotakhitam Forum is one of the progressive group that provides archives againts conventional history. They screened this movie to history teachers in Java, Bali and Sulawesi to look at to what extend high school history teachers are willing to consider of using alternative historical narractives in their way of teaching. One of the impact story is some of the students were surprised to what exactly happened in their country for this story about exiles was never heard before. "r.i" contributes to develop a new form of teaching by using audio-vosual media in learning history and it turn opens new perspectives to teachers and schools in understanding the 1965 discourse and later encourages students to be more critival to comprehend Indonesian history