creed, colour or nation. Whereas there may be no harm in historical scenes depicting racial intolerance within the context of the story, it would not be desirable to allow a film or scenes that would excite violent emotions over a topical race relations story.
There is, however, generally no objection to films about mixed marriages or liaisons unless they are clearly likely to stimulate hatred or fear between peoples of different race.
Sectional Interests
18. A film may be objectionable because of the way in which it misrepresents the activities or beliefs of a particular section of the community. For example, Buddhists could be offended by gross slurs on Buddhism, or people of any nation by ridicule of their country's customs, institutions or leaders. Bans or cuts will not be imposed simply because of factual inaccuracies, unless such inaccuracies are likely both to be recognised by and to give offence to reasonable people: an incorrect uniform may irritate the experts whilst passing unnoticed by the majority of ordinary people; on the other hand irreverence towards established institutions or customs may be acceptable if presented as humour without malice and in such a way as not to be likely to cause offence to any reasonable man,
Shock Films
19. Even if produced with the best of intentions, it is generally (although not always) undesirable to exhibit films or scenes that portray actual child-birth, abortion, the effects of venereal disease, or severe mental abnormalities. This type of film is better confined to private showings for specialised audiences. However, there are occasional films that carefully avoid upsetting normal persons and carry a useful social message. Although some impressionable people may go to see such films out of morbid curiosity, they could come away more educated than undesirably stimulated, whilst others who might be upset by the theme or scenes are less likely to go to the film anyway after reading the advertiser's description. This latter point also applies to so-called horror films which, being usually clearly advertised as such for box-office purposes, tend to attract their own specialised audience.
Politics
20. No film should be banned simply because it is political
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in nature or has propaganda for its sole or main purpose, provided that its showing in public to any audience likely to include political opponents would not cause a breach of the peace, would not on its own inspire individuals or small groups to organise seditious or subversive underground bodies in their places of work, schools, etc., or be unacceptable for any of the other reasons referred to in para- graph 5. For example, films purporting to eulogize life or conditions in other countries or under other regimes should be passed for public showing, provided they do not include offensive attacks on other governments or national leaders or on other people's ways of life, or make derogatory comparisons; in which case it may still be possible to pass the film, subject to the objectionable passages being cut out. Such attacks, comparisons etc. should be the more strictly treated, the more they are likely to be resented or to arouse emotion among sections of a Hong Kong audience. Purported descriptions of very recent or current activity should be scrutinized carefully for material likely to provoke quarrels in audiences which include political oppo- nents. The same applies to military displays or parades which are unlikely to arouse objection if direct challenges to potential rival nations are avoided. It should be remembered that what may appear
to some to be a casual reference to, a national idiosyncrasy may deeply offend citizens of that nation.
News Reels
21. The criteria laid down for the censorship of ordinary films apply generally to news reels and documentaries. But scenes of violence, war or racial riots should normally be passed, provided that they are reporting on recent events, that they set out to be reasonably impartial, and that they are not deliberately slanted for propaganda purposes.
Trailers and Advertisements
22. Censorship of the trailer is as important as that of the main film itself, and any cuts in a film will also include the trailer which often tends to include isolated shots which some consider to be mag- netic selling points, e.g. sex, violence etc. There may be cases where a controversial scene within the context of a film, viewed as a whole, is acceptable but the same scene taken out of context and put in the
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