“the torch” #7 – A different kind of National Day

In the sense that they both, film and politics alike, deal with the individual and its situation in society, the primary questions of our social embedding, so to speak, there is this mutuality that demands of each sphere to respect the other, regardless of what tensions there may arise between the two as a matter of incidents or principles. When the Singapore Censorship Board decided in 2003 to make any number of cuts to Royston Tan's controversial film “15: The Movie” and ban the original DVD version from sale altogether, this crucial balance was once more shown to be of little concern to the authorities in Singapore. In this week's column, “The Torch” addresses this singular event and its wider implications, and poses the question of what actually marks a nation's true independence. You get it here.

(pic©mo)