The documentary To My Nineteen-Year-Old Self, which was suspended from public screening in 2023 due to controversies over filming ethics and students’ privacy rights, has once again sparked dispute. It was earlier reported that the film would be shown as a special screening at the Far East Film Festival in Italy. However, Ying Wa Girls’ School issued a statement denying that it had granted permission, saying it would not agree to any screening “without the unanimous consent of all major participants involved in the filming.”
Director Mabel Cheung responded that the school’s account did not reflect the facts. She said the team had discussed the festival participation with the school as early as the beginning of the year, and met with the principal and vice-principal in February, during which no objections were raised. She also claimed the school had said it had contacted most of the alumni involved and received their consent.
Regarding objections raised later by some former students, the team said it had respected their wishes and removed all relevant footage, ensuring the festival version did not include disputed content.
The production team criticised the school for later issuing a unilateral statement denying authorisation, describing the move as a “disassociation” and questioning whether it was an attempt to distance itself from responsibility. Cheung stressed that the film was made voluntarily by a group of alumni to document their school experience, and denied any coercion or invasion of privacy during filming.
Commentary:
The conflicting accounts from Cheung and the school point to a possible breakdown in communication: what exactly was agreed during meetings, and whether both sides interpreted those discussions in the same way. It also raises a key question of whether any clear written consent or formal record exists to verify the arrangements.
Even with a revised version prepared for screening in Italy, the controversy goes beyond specific deleted scenes. The core issue remains the ethics of the filming process itself. As a result, even a modified release is likely to reawaken earlier debates and emotional responses, once again bringing the film’s underlying controversy back into public focus.