Saw Tiong Guan – författare

Film censorship has always been a controversial matter, particularly in jurisdictions with restrictive state-based censorship systems. This book reviews the film censorship system in the Asia-Pacific by comparing the systems used in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Australia. It identifies the key issues and concerns that arise from the design and implementation of the system by examining the censorship laws, policies, guidelines and processes. The book evaluates film practitioners’ and censors’ opinion of, and experience in, dealing with those issues, and goes on to develop reform proposals for the film censorship system.

This book is a comparative study of state-based censorship laws and practices in the Asia Pacific region.It provides crucial historical context for each of the common law traditions in Malaysia, Australia and Hong Kong – all former British colonies – and compares it to the tradition of civil law and the lèse majesté law in Thailand. The book sets out to analyse the approach to film censorship of four Asian-Pacific countries. It does so largely from a doctrinal perspective, reviewing each country’s legal history and impact on the local film industry. Chapters detail censorship practices in each jurisdiction; key opinions and issues within individual states, and conclude with options for judicial review and insights relevant to the Malaysian film industry. The book also contains interviews with prominent film practitioners and censorship authorities. Their range of opinions contextualise the doctrinal research and demonstrate the effects of film censorship on artistic vibrancy and commercial viability of the film industries.With its comparative approach to exploring how censorship and state regulation impacts local film industries, this book will interest scholars of film studies, Asian studies, and media law.