Filmmaker Jason Soo attends police interview over post-screening remarks after Al Awda documentary

SINGAPORE: Singaporean filmmaker Jason Soo has revealed that he completed a 90-minute police interview on 29 December, 2025, in connection with an investigation under Section 298 of the Penal Code.

The investigation relates to remarks allegedly made during a discussion session following a public screening of Al Awda, a documentary directed by Soo. The screening took place on 13 December.

In a Facebook post published on 30 December, Soo said he answered approximately 30 questions during the interview conducted by investigating officers.

According to Soo, the officers told him that a complainant had raised concerns about four statements made during the discussion session.

These were “Free Palestine”, “From the River to the Sea”, references to boycotts or BDS, and remarks relating to the Holocaust.

"Supposedly, these 4 things made the complainant "feel a certain way"," Soo wrote, adding that officers declined to elaborate when he asked how the remarks had allegedly wounded the complainant’s feelings.

In his post, Soo said he questioned why the complaint warranted an investigation, given that the phrases cited are widely discussed on social media and in academic settings.

He wrote that he raised this question multiple times, but was told by the officers that they were required to investigate all complaints. One officer reportedly said the decision was “above his paygrade”.

Soo said the response left him dissatisfied, and he reflected on the concept of obedience to authority, citing the Stanley Milgram experiments conducted in the 1960s.

In those experiments, participants were found to continue administering what they believed were electric shocks to others when instructed by an authority figure.

Soo described the conclusion of such studies as a reminder of the dangers of unquestioning obedience.

In the same post, Soo noted that this was the third time he had been interviewed by police in connection with his work or activities.

He said the first interview followed his filming of a vigil for a death penalty inmate outside Changi Prison. The second related to his filming of activists who had blindfolded themselves on an MRT train while holding a book.

Soo added that, on previous occasions, he had chosen to give no substantive comment to police questions. This time, however, he said he decided to engage more fully during the interview.

Earlier, in response to TOC's query, the police said information related to police investigations is confidential and it would therefore not comment on the matter.

Section 298 of the Penal Code criminalises deliberate acts intended to wound the religious or racial feelings of any person.

The offence carries penalties of up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both. The provision is intended to safeguard racial and religious harmony.

About the documentary Al Awda

Al Awda, meaning “The Return”, documents a high-risk mission by 22 activists attempting to reach Gaza by sea in 2018.

The vessel was part of an international flotilla seeking to challenge the blockade.

International human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have repeatedly argued that the blockade constitutes a form of collective punishment and is illegal under international humanitarian law.

Among those on board was Singaporean exile Dr Ang Swee Chai. Soo was also present on the vessel and recorded footage during the journey.

The documentary draws from material that survived the boat’s detention by the Israeli navy. It depicts the activists’ preparations, rehearsals, and discussions leading up to their interception.

The film was first screened at the Singapore International Film Festival in 2024.