Great news for those who didn’t manage to see the film by Singaporean author Eric Khoo In the room at the Singapore International Film Festival last year, as the film R21 is scheduled for commercial release on February 25th!
The film was shown as one of the special presentations at the 26th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) with an R21 rating and no cuts.
The Media Development Authority (MDA) did not give the film a rating because it contained two scenes that “exceeded the classification guidelines for sexual content.” This also means that the film cannot be shown commercially in Singapore unless the two scenes are edited out.
For the upcoming theatrical release, an international version will be shown to audiences in Singapore before the film travels to other countries later this year.
(Read our interview with Eric Khoo to learn more about the film!)
The budget was $800,000. In the room combines six stories spanning several decades and set in Room 27 of the fictional Hotel Singapura. The film features an international cast including Hong Kong actress Josie Ho, South Korean Choi Woo Shik, Malaysian Lawrence Wong and Singaporean actor George Young, all of whom appear in brave explorations of sexual mores in changing times.
Encore Films managing director Joyce Lee, who will co-distribute the film in Singapore, says: “IN THE ROOM is a sensual, poignant film that all Singaporeans should see. In its tastefully staged erotic scenes, the film blatantly explores human nature by showing us how a hotel room, with its promise of privacy, unleashes the amorous feelings and illicit desires hidden within different people. The changes in Singapore’s history, population and politics are also cleverly and subtly expressed through the various relationships that take place in this hotel room over the decades.”
