Public Security Police (PSP) spokesman Wong Wai Chon said yesterday during a regular police press conference that regarding Monday’s film shoot accident, in which a driver lost control while drifting, injuring 12 extras, prior to the incident the police had opposed the shooting method used by the crew.
Wong noted that all the extras injured in the accident have meanwhile been discharged from the hospital.
The accident occurred on a closed section of road when the vehicle, a Volkswagen Golf model, intending to turn from Rua do Seminário (三巴仔橫街) into Largo do Aquino (亞堅奴前地), crashed into a roadside metal barrier and subsequently veered into Calçada de Francisco António (三層樓斜巷).
Wong emphasised that a cross-departmental meeting was held in advance to coordinate the filming arrangements, during which the police explicitly opposed the crew’s proposed filming method due to the area’s narrow roads, which were deemed unsuitable for high-speed driving.
According to Wong, the police demanded that the crew conduct the filming in a safe manner, especially by avoiding any dangerous driving. He noted that the crew, however, had not complied with the police forces’ requirements articulated during the coordination meeting.
Wong also pointed out that the police had informed the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) about their stance on the matter before the shooting. Since the crew obtained filming permission from the bureau, there were currently no grounds for laying charges, Wong said.
Meanwhile, IC President Leong Wai Man spoke to reporters during an event hosted by the Macau Women’s General Association (commonly known as Fu Luen in Cantonese) yesterday, saying that the accident was still under investigation at the time of the press briefing.
Leong added that customarily the bureau provides a one-stop service platform for filming permit applications, with the bureau acting as the lead entity, forwarding relevant plans to other entities involved with the proposed shooting venue for their input. She noted that for certain technically demanding filming projects, a panel meeting may be convened for further approval, while meetings may not be necessary under normal circumstances.
Film shooting permission suspended
Meanwhile, the Cultural Affairs Bureau announced in a statement late last night that it has decided to suspend the crew’s filming permission because of which film shooting for its ill-fated project has been officially suspended with immediate effect.
The statement said that the bureau has ordered the crew to submit a report about the accident, adding that the bureau does not rule out the possibility of even revoking the crew’s filming permission for the whole project.
Last night’s statement noted that as the filming project was deemed to be technically demanding, the bureau convened a meeting attended by representatives of other relevant public entities and those from the crew before the commencement of the shooting, where officials explicitly said that the location concerned was unsuitable for car drifting so that the crew’s representatives were aware of the local authorities’ requirements.
In the wake of the accident, the statement said, the Cultural Affairs Bureau held a meeting yesterday with relevant public entities including the police. Based on the opinions raised by other public entities during the meeting, the statement said, IC officials have decided to suspend the crew’s filming permission for the time being, after concluding that the filming project has “obviously” disturbed public order, safety and tranquility.
Public Security Police (PSP) Wong Wai Chon looks on during yesterday’s regular press conference. – Photo: William Chan
