SINGAPORE - Singapore filmmaker Tan Pin Pin's controversial film about the country's political exiles, which was given a "not allowed for all ratings" (NAR) classification by the Media Development Authority, is now available outside of Singapore.
After touring the international festival circuit, the documentary To Singapore, With Love is now available on DVD and through video-sharing website Vimeo to viewers outside the country. Due to the classification, which amounts to a ban, the DVD cannot be sold and the film cannot be streamed in Singapore.
This was announced on the film's Facebook page and its website on Thursday evening (July 2).
The film team is currently collating international orders for the limited-edition DVD, and the order window closes on July 31. The DVD is licensed for home use only, and to screen it at festivals and other educational institutions or organisations would require a different license. It is a region 0 DVD and can be played in all regions.
To Singapore, With Love was at the centre of a censorship furore last year, after director Tan appealed the NAR classification but was rejected. The MDA said that "the contents of the film undermine national security because legitimate actions of the security agencies to protect the national security and stability of Singapore are presented in a distorted way as acts that victimised innocent individuals".
The film premiered at the prestigious Busan International Film Festival in 2013, and has since picked up a Best Director trophy at the 10th Dubai International Film Festival. Hundreds of Singaporeans also streamed across the Causeway to watch a screening of the documentary in Johor Baru last September.
