The British Official Film in South-East Asia : Malaya/Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong

This book explores the ways in which the British official film was used in Malaya/Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong from 1945 to the 1970s. Aitken uncovers how the British official film, and British official information agencies, adapted to the epochal contexts of the Cold War and end of empire. In addition to an extensive introduction, which touches on a number of critical issues related to the post-war British official film, the book provides an account of how the tradition of film-making associated with the British documentary film movement spread into the region during the post-war period, and how that tradition was contested by a ‘Colonial Office’ tradition of film-making. The volume concludes by covering the rise of television in the region within the context of developing post-colonial authoritarian states in Singapore and Malaysia, and the continuation of colonial authoritarianism in Hong Kong. Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Contents -- Chapter 1: The Forms of the British Official/Sponsored Documentary Film -- The Griersonian Form -- The Griersonian Form, the Post-war Expository Form and the Absence of 'Zeal' -- The 'Colonial Form' of the British Official Documentary Film38 -- The 'Late-Colonial Form' of the British Sponsored Official Documentary Film -- Late-Colonial Films of the MFU -- The Knife (MFU, 1952) -- A New Life: Squatter Resettlement (1951) -- Alien Orders (COI, 1951) -- 1955: The Year in Malaya (MFU, 1955) -- The 'Post-colonial' Form of the British Official Documentary Film77 -- Conclusions -- Notes -- Chapter 2: Diverging Jurisdictions: The Influence of 'Griersonian' and 'Civil Service' Traditions of Official Film-making on the Malayan Film Unit (1946-57) and Hong Kong Film Unit (1959-73) -- Malaya, the Griersonian Connection, and the Malayan Film Unit (1946-52) -- Voices of Malaya (1948) -- Hong Kong Film Unit (1959-73) -- Conclusions -- Notes -- Chapter 3: Delusions of Regional Superintendence at the End of Empire and the Case of the Singapore Regional Information Office, 1947-61 -- The Hawes Reports -- The Fall of the RIO, 1951-61 -- The Beauclerk Report -- Conclusions -- Notes -- Chapter 4: The Use of the Official Film in Malaya/Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong, 1957-1973, and the Role of the United Kingdom Information Services, British Information Services, British Council and Hong Kong Government Information Services (with Ka Y -- The Official Film in Hong Kong: BIS, the British Council and Hong Kong Government Information Services -- The Films of the COI and Their Use by GIS and the British Council in Hong Kong -- Notes -- Chapter 5: Berita Singapura (1963-9) and Hong Kong Today (1967-73) -- Introduction -- Part One: Berita Singapura -- The People's Action Party -- PAP Key Policies -- Genesis of Berita Singapura Front Matter....Pages i-xii The Forms of the British Official/Sponsored Documentary Film....Pages 1-44 Diverging Jurisdictions: The Influence of ‘Griersonian’ and ‘Civil Service’ Traditions of Official Film-making on the Malayan Film Unit (1946–57) and Hong Kong Film Unit (1959–73)....Pages 45-85 Delusions of Regional Superintendence at the End of Empire and the Case of the Singapore Regional Information Office, 1947–61....Pages 87-115 The Use of the Official Film in Malaya/Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong, 1957–1973, and the Role of the United Kingdom Information Services, British Information Services, British Council and Hong Kong Government Information Services (with Ka Yee Teresa Ho)....Pages 117-156 Berita Singapura (1963–9) and Hong Kong Today (1967–73)....Pages 157-192 The Rise of Television, Persistence of Authoritarianism, and Decline of the Official Film in Singapore, Malaya/Malaysia and Hong Kong, 1955–75....Pages 193-233 Back Matter....Pages 235-248 Machine Generated Contents Note: 1. The Forms Of The British Official/sponsored Documentary Film -- 2. Diverging Jurisdictions: The Influence Of `griersonian' And `civil Service' Traditions Of Official Film-making On The Malayan Film Unit (1946 -- 57) And Hong Kong Film Unit (1959 -- 73) -- 3. Delusions Of Regional Superintendence At The End Of Empire And The Case Of The Singapore Regional Information Office, 1947 -- 61 -- 4. The Use Of The Official Film In Malaya/malaysia, Singapore And Hong Kong, 1957 -- 1973, And The Role Of The United Kingdom Information Services, British Information Services, British Council And Hong Kong Government Information Services (with Ka Yee Teresa Ho) -- 5. Berita Singapura (1963 -- 9) And Hong Kong Today (1967 -- 73) -- 6. The Rise Of Television, Persistence Of Authoritarianism, And Decline Of The Official Film In Singapore, Malaya/malaysia And Hong Kong, 1955 -- 75. Ian Aitken. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.