Singapore film pulled from festival over gay sex
SINGAPORE -- Producers of a Singapore film about a man and boy struggling with their mutual sexual desire said Friday they had withdrawn it from public screening at the city-state's film festival.
The decision came after Singapore censors made three cuts to scenes depicting homosexual and group sex, the Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF) told Agence France-Presse.
"Solos," directed by Loo Zihan and Kan Lume, will not receive its world premiere next Wednesday at the festival, the film's publicist, Red Dawn Communications, said in a news release.
The decision to withdraw the film "is a joint decision between the producers and the organizers of the festival to preserve the principle that films at the festival should be shown uncut," the news release said.
"Solos" will still compete in SIFF's Silver Screen Awards, and judges will be allowed a private screening, Red Dawn Communications said.
"I am disappointed, but I understand where they are coming from. The scenes they cut were gay sex scenes," said producer Florence Ang.
"The entire film had no dialogue... We put those scenes in partly to demonstrate the emotions of the characters."
SIFF also said "Princess," a manga-inspired feature from Denmark, was also withdrawn from public screening after one cut by censors. The scene depicted a woman in a nun's habit in a sexually suggestive pose, SIFF said.
"Films submitted for festivals are generally given more leeway in view of the limited screening and niche audience," the Board of Film Censors said.
"The two films have, however, exceeded the leeway that is granted to festivals," and were classified for viewing, with edits, for people aged 21 and above, the board said.
It said "Princess" was deemed denigrating to a religion or a religious symbol.
Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore's second minister for information, communications and the arts, said last month that the city-state was undergoing liberalization but retained a very strong conservative core.
Singapore's penal code criminalizes "gross indecency" between two males.
The 20th Singapore International Film Festival began on Wednesday and runs for 13 days with more than 300 productions from 40 countries.
Earlier this month, Singapore censors banned a film on former political detainee Said Zahari, calling it a "misleading and distorted portrayal" of his detention which could undermine confidence in the government.
Singapore has often been criticized by human rights and media groups for maintaining strict political controls despite its rapid economic modernization.
The government says the strict laws are necessary to maintain law and order -- a pillar of the country's economic prosperity.
Solos [PASSED WITH 3 CUTS, WITHDRAWN FROM FESTIVAL]
A man (Lim Yu Beng) and a boy (Loo Zihan) struggle with their mutual sexual desire, all the more because it seems to be a transgression, an anomaly compared to the banal normality of the domestic family unit they try to fit into and live in. The boy's mother (Goh Guat Kian) festers in her own depression and rage. NTU student Loo Zihan who stars in Solos, also co-wrote and co-directed the film. Kan Lume's (The Art Of Flirting, SIFF 2006) second effort with Loo Zihan is a daring, adventurous film.
Director: Kan Lume/ Loo Zihan
Country: Singapore
Duration: 77min
Year: 2006
Since February 4, 2006