Daniel Hui’s Small Hours Of The Night will not be screening at Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), after being refused classification from the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA).
Every film requires a rating classification to be screened in Singapore. IMDA explained its decision on its media classification database: “Small Hours Of The Night is a film that revolves around discourses about the impact of Singapore’s judiciary on personal lives. Set in a room, it features a person being interrogated on various issues with references to past judicial cases.
“The film has been refused classification.
“In consultation with the Ministry of Law and the Attorney-General’s Chambers, IMDA has assessed the film to have content that is potentially contrary to the law, i.e. illegal. It would be likely to be prejudicial to national interests to approve it for screening.
“Under the Film Classification Guidelines, ‘any material that undermines or is likely to undermine public order, or is likely to be prejudicial to national interest’ will be refused classification.”
The film had been programmed in the Undercurrents strand of SGIFF, having previously played at Rotterdam, Taipei International Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival. It draws on true events in Singapore’s history, specifically a 1983 trial which saw the brother of a deceased political dissident prosecuted for providing a ‘subversive’ tombstone inscription.
The film is currently still listed on SGIFF’s site and is still part of the festival’s selection, however with a note on the site saying: “Not available for screening.”
Small Hours Of The Night was written and directed by Hui, produced by Tan Bee Thiam and Hui for Singapore-based 13 Little Pictures with the support of Thailand’s Purin Pictures and White Light Studios, and was first presented as a project at FIDLab 2016 and Berlinale Talents Doc Station 2017. It received funding from Tan Ean Kiam Foundation — SGIFF Southeast Asian Documentary Grant in 2020.
“As the director of this film, the irony does not escape me that a film about censorship is itself being censored. I am of course very disappointed that people all around the world can see this film, but not in Singapore. However, I remain hopeful that one day, we will have a discursive space in Singapore that is gracious and generous enough to include diverse voices and points of view,” said Hui.
A statement from SGIFF programme director Thong Kay Wee said: “As the longest-running film event in Singapore, SGIFF is committed to showcasing a wide range of perspectives and the vibrant cinematic culture in Singapore, Asia and the world. We continue to champion homegrown talents, and to give them a platform to share their unique perspectives.
“Small Hours Of The Night is a 2020 Tan Ean Kiam Foundation-SGIFF SEA-DOC grant recipient, and made by an award-winning Singaporean director, Daniel Hui. The selection of Small Hours Of The Night as an official selection of SGIFF 2024 underscores our commitment to highlighting films that spark reflection and dialogue. Chosen for its artistic exploration of time, identity, and memory, Small Hours Of The Night presents a gripping narrative that deserves to be seen and appreciated by audiences.
“While the film cannot be screened, we will continue to provide its creators with a platform for their voices to be heard; Daniel will continue to participate in several other events under the SGIFF umbrella as a panellist speaker. He will be part of an SGIFF Industry Days panel titled ‘Cinematic Identities and Authorship in Hybrid Forms’, where he will speak about his creative process and how he crafts his distinctive identity in cinema. Daniel will also join the third edition of our popular Forum session, ‘Mildly Offensive, Sometimes Accurate’, an interactive, candid forum that invites the audience to discover the highs and lows of local filmmaking.”
Previous films that could not be screened at SGIFF owing to exhibition bans include Ken Kwek’s #LookAtMe, which was selected in 2022 and centres on twin brothers, one gay and one straight, whose lives are upended when one posts an irreverent video lampooning the homophobic pastor of a right-wing church.
Hui’s previous credits include Eclipses, which won a new talent award at Doclisboa; Snakeskin, which played at Doclisboa and Torino; and Busan and Berlinale title Demons.
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