Singapore bans Daniel Hui’s Small Hours of the Night from public screening

Singapore’s InfoComm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has denied Small Hours of the Night, directed by Singaporean filmmaker Daniel Hui, a release certificate, effectively banning it from public screening.

The documentary-drama, initially slated for the SGIFF’s Undercurrents section, will not be shown during the festival after authorities assessed it as potentially illegal and prejudicial to national interests.

The film, centred on an interrogation and alluding to historical judicial cases in Singapore, delves into the impact of legal systems on personal lives.

According to IMDA, its decision came after consultations 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. ”

A note on the SGIFF website confirms the film’s absence from the lineup, stating, “Not available for screening.”

However, SGIFF programme director Thong Kay Wee reiterated the festival’s dedication to showcasing diverse cinematic voices.

In his statement, he highlighted SGIFF’s commitment to spotlighting bold works that encourage reflection and dialogue. Thong praised Hui’s film as an exploration of identity and memory, underscoring its importance within Singapore’s filmmaking landscape.

Small Hours of the Night delves into the life of Tan Chay Wa (1948–1983), a significant yet controversial figure in Singapore’s political history.

As a senior member of the Malayan National Liberation Front (MNLF), a group that rejected the separation of Singapore from Malaysia, Tan became involved in armed activism during Singapore’s early post-independence period. Though he was a bus driver and a married man, his political commitments placed him at odds with the state.

In 1976, as Singapore’s Internal Security Department (ISD) tightened its surveillance and moved to apprehend him, Tan managed to escape across the border into Malaysia.

On 2 June 1979, Malaysian authorities captured Tan at a vegetable farm in Johor, where he was found carrying a .32 Llama semi-automatic pistol and seven rounds of ammunition. He was subsequently charged under Malaysia’s Essential Security Cases (Amendment) Regulations (ESCAR), legislation that mandated the death penalty for such offences.

During his time in custody, there was an attempt by the Government of Belgium to intervene by offering political asylum if Tan were permitted to leave Malaysia. Despite this diplomatic effort, the appeal failed. Tan Chay Wa was executed by hanging on 18 January 1983 at Pudu Prison in Kuala Lumpur, at the age of 35.

The film also recounts the post-execution events involving Tan’s older brother, Tan Chu Boon.

Following the execution, Chu Boon retrieved Tan’s body and arranged for a burial at Choa Chu Kang Cemetery on 20 January 1983.

However, Chu Boon’s attempt to honour his brother’s memory led to his own legal troubles. He designed a gravestone that featured an inscription suspected of promoting the communist cause.

This subversive content drew the attention of Singapore’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), specifically the Secret Society Investigation Branch.

Chu Boon was arrested at his home on 28 May 1983 and subsequently jailed, accused of advocating acts considered prejudicial to the security of Singapore.

He was charged, found guilty, and sentenced to one year of imprisonment.

Hui expressed disappointment at the ban, noting the paradox of a film about censorship being itself censored.

“The irony does not escape me,” he said. “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.”

Despite the setback, Hui will still engage with SGIFF audiences. He is scheduled to speak at various events, including panels like “Cinematic Identities and Authorship in Hybrid Forms” during the SGIFF Industry Days. These engagements aim to highlight Hui’s creative process and discuss the broader challenges of local filmmaking.

This is not the first instance of a film being banned at SGIFF.

In 2022, Ken Kwek’s #LookAtMe faced a similar fate. The film, which tackled themes of social media and religious conservatism through the story of two brothers and their response to a pastor’s homophobic rhetoric, was also barred on grounds of potentially causing religious and social discord.

Small Hours of the Night has garnered attention on the international festival circuit.

Its world premiere took place at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, followed by screenings at Doc Fortnight at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, and other prominent events including the BFI London Film Festival’s Experimenta Strand.

Produced by 13 Little Pictures and supported by Tan Bee Thiam and Hui, the film was developed with the backing of organisations such as Purin Pictures and White Light Studios.

The project began gaining traction after being presented at FIDLab 2016 and Berlinale Talents Doc Station 2017. It also received funding from the Tan Ean Kiam Foundation as part of the SGIFF’s Southeast Asian Documentary Grant in 2020.

Edited: The article has been edited to clarify that while the film is not screened, it remains in the line up for the film festival