Tan Pin Pin, the director and producer of  banned documentary “To Singapore, with Love” was frustrated with Yale-NUS college.

This is wrong. I certainly have not agreed to show it at Yale-NUS. http://t.co/7zuX3qVCX6

— Tan Pin Pin (@tanpinpin) September 18, 2014

Here is the background story:

Yale-NUS college, the bastion of freedom of speech, decided to show the documentary deemed by the government as a threat to Singapore's security.

The documentary features interviews with exiled political activists who fled Singapore in the 60s and 70s.

Before they proceeded to screen the documentary later in the year, they asked for permission.

From the director? No.

From the Media Development Authority? Yes.

According to the Yale Daily News, Yale-NUS received the response that the MDA “had no problems" with their plans to screen the film.

But did Yale-NUS remember that the documentary was a new film?

Probably not. So the creators of the film reminded them on Facebook:

No wonder NUS-Yale Professor Robin Hemley has to apologise to Tan. 

Yale-NUS President Pericles Lewis said recently in Yale Daily News that “academic freedom and open inquiry are bedrock principles of Yale-NUS College".

Let's hope these principles can accompany the need to respect the intellectual property of artists too.

Top photo from To Singapore with Love Facebook page.

If you like what you read, follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest updates.