Taipei Times
Date: Mar 19, 2018
Filmmaker Kevin Lee’s latest documentary, ‘Self-censorship,’ explores how China limits
Filmmaker Kevin Lee, left, stands with former Causeway Bay Books manager Lam Wing-kei, center, and co-director Lu Pei-lin at a special screening of the documentary Self-censorship in Taipei on March 1. Photo: Pan Shao-tang, Taipei Times
freedom of expression in Hong Kong and Taiwan. In an interview with ‘Taipei Times’ staff reporter Huang Tai-lin, Lee likened making the documentary to starting a movement, which he hopes would make more people contemplate the meaning of democracy and understand that they need to do more than vote
Taipei Times (TT): What prompted you to shoot “Self-censorship” (并:控制) in the first place?
Kevin Lee (李惠仁): I got the idea for the film after I attended the Taipei Film Festival’s award ceremony on July 16, 2016. That month had been eventful in East Asia. Earlier that month, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands, in a ruling invalidated Chinese claims in the South China Sea.
Unhappy with the ruling, Chinese netizens began circulating a map of China that included Taiwan, alongside a message that read: “China cannot be one bit less” (中國，一點都不能少). Taiwanese actress Ruby Lin’s (林心如) studio also reposted the map, which Lin later said reflected her personal stance as well.
Then, there was an incident involving [Taiwanese actor/director] Leon Dai (戴立忍), who was allegedly a supporter of Taiwanese independence. In response to demands that he clarify his political stance, he issued a 3,000-word statement saying that he did not support Taiwanese independence; nevertheless, he was replaced in a movie by the film’s Chinese production team. [FULL INTERVIEW]
