Page 362 of 485
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
is given due respect. The selection of films is not hindered by any political consideration. It is purely based on the artistic standard of the films and the wishes of the copyright owners. However, after the film withdrawal incident of the 18th Film Festival, our colleagues stooped to compromise in the last Film Festival and proposed that the China Film Bureau be informed about the film list beforehand. This is obviously a disguised form of self-imposed political censorship. The Democratic Party insists that the freedom of film selection principle be upheld. Therefore, that resolution was overruled. However, some people still held fast to this proposal. After visiting the Chinese authorities concerned, they suggested that UC should pay attention that its current film selection procedures and guidelines might violate the law of China. This is ridiculous because they don't understand that Hong Kong is not under the jurisdiction of China. Moreover, since the film show is not held in China, it is really impossible that UC will do something in China that breaks its law. Then, why do we have to be careful? Of course, if holding a painting exhibition or setting up a company in Hong Kong can be construed as 'Wei Jingsheng's subversive activities to overthrow the country and be sentenced to jail for 14 years, then, any Hong Kong people watching or showing a film in Hong Kong that are ruled as unlawful by the China Film Bureau can also be condemned as subversion against this or that according to what they wish. Maybe this is what UC should watch out for.
How can we cast a vote of confidence for those role-confusing bureaucrats who don't even have the minimum common sense to make clear on what the Film Festival builds its reputation? The Democratic Party believes that, in order to fully utilize UC's huge resources committed to the culture and art field, our colleagues and those bureaucrats who implement the cultural policy should dispel their prejudices. They should stop the past practice of 'taking up all tasks' in the first instance but passing the buck to others immediately when there are problems. We think that our policy should move towards the separation of administration from artistic expertise. In other words, our officers should be excellent 'housekeepers', while arts professionals should concentrate heart and soul on the direction of arts development, artistic standard and the perspectives of overall policy-making.
In order to put the above said direction into practice, the Democratic Party has the following concrete suggestions:
1. To apply the programmer system used only for the Film Festival to other large scale cultural activities, such as the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the Asian Arts Festival, the Visual Arts Festival and the Dance Festival etc.;
2. To extend the art director system used only for the Art Groups under UC to the Film Archive, the Museums, the Museum of Art and the Central Libraries etc. so as to reinforce the role of the professional leaders;
3. To set up a board of directors system for various aspects of culture and art with professionals appointed to monitor the programme qualities and artistic directions;
Page 362 of 485
Page 362 of 485
Page 362 of 485
76
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
is given due respect. The selection of films is not hindered by any political consideration. It is purely based on the artistic standard of the films and the wishes of the copyright owners. However, after the film withdrawal incident of the 18th Film Festival, our colleagues stooped to compromise in the last Film Festival and proposed that the China Film Bureau be informed about the film list beforehand. This is obviously a disguised form of self-imposed political censorship. The Democratic Party insists that the freedom of film selection principle be upheld. Therefore, that resolution was overruled. However, some people still held fast to this proposal. After visiting the Chinese authorities concerned, they suggested that UC should pay attention that its current film selection procedures and guidelines might violate the law of China. This is ridiculous because they don't understand that Hong Kong is not under the jurisdiction of China. Moreover, since the film show is not held in China, it is really impossible that UC will do something in China that breaks its law. Then, why do we have to be careful? Of course, if holding a painting exhibition or setting up a company in Hong Kong can be construed as 'Wei Jingsheng's subversive activities to overthrow the country and be sentenced to jail for 14 years, then, any Hong Kong people watching or showing a film in Hong Kong that are ruled as unlawful by the China Film Bureau can also be condemned as subversion against this or that according to what they wish. Maybe this is what UC should watch out for.
How can we cast a vote of confidence for those role-confusing bureaucrats who don't even have the minimum common sense to make clear on what the Film Festival builds its reputation? The Democratic Party believes that, in order to fully utilize UC's huge resources committed to the culture and art field, our colleagues and those bureaucrats who implement the cultural policy should dispel their prejudices. They should stop the past practice of 'taking up all tasks' in the first instance but passing the buck to others immediately when there are problems. We think that our policy should move towards the separation of administration from artistic expertise. In other words, our officers should be excellent 'housekeepers", while arts professionals should concentrate heart and soul on the direction of arts development, artistic standard and the perspectives of overall policy-making.
In order to put the above said direction into practice, the Democratic Party has the following concrete suggestions:
1. To apply the programmer system used only for the Film Festival to other large scale cultural activities, such as the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the Asian Arts Festival, the Visual Arts Festival and the Dance Festival etc.;
2.
3.
To extend the art director system used only for the Art Groups under UC to the Film Archive, the Museums, the Museum of Art and the Central Libraries etc. so as to reinforce the role of the professional leaders;
To set up
board of directors system for various aspects of culture and art with professionals appointed to monitor the programme qualities and artistic directions;
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Dago 362 of 485
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