CONFIDENTIAL
+ Mak 020/62
Record of Meeting with NCNA on 19 August 1981
42
Present:
Mr Tan Gan NCNA
Mr Li Ruohe
Interpreter NCNA
is
Dr D C Wilson Political Adviser
Mr R P Margolis
3.4
&
Assistant Political Adviser
Taiwan Films
Mr Tan referred to previous conversations with Dr Wilson on the so-called 'Taibei Cinema 81 Festival' and said that the plans to mount this festival at the City Hall appeared to be going ahead. He then read out the attached speaking note.
2.
Dr Wilson expressed surprise that this subject should be raised again. He had said clearly on 15 August that no approval had been given for such a festival at Government-controlled places of entertainment nor had the two films of particular concern to NCNA been submitted to the censor. He thought that this had been clearly understood. Mr Tan said that NCNÁ nad been instructed by telegram from Peking to reinforce the points they had made earlier. Dr Wilson said that the City Hall Bulletin to which Mr Tan had referred contained no reference to a Taiwan Film Festival, but only to bookings by the Film Culture Centre of Hong Kong (FCCHK). Authorization of the specific programmes was not usually sought until after a preliminary booking had been made. The FCCHK had proposed that the evening of films should be called 'Taibei Cinema 81'. Permission for such a performance in the City Hall or Planetarium had now been refused.
3.
Government policy was not to allow Government- controlled locations to be used by anyone for political purposes. As for the two films, Dr Wilson repeated that they could not be shown if they had not been submitted for a licence. Dr Wilson said he did not understand what Mr Tan meant by his request to ban the festival. The Hong Kong Government could not lawfully prevent a private cinema from showing a group of films under a title such as 'Taibei Cinema 81'
4.
•
Mr Tan said that if the planned festival went ahead under the same name in another theatre it would create a bad impression. If the two objectionable films were able to get past the censor the damaging effect on Hong Kong - China relations would still be there. Dr Wilson asked if Mr Tan really meant that there was
no
/difference
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