In news that is sure to cause waves in conservative Singapore, Hong Kong production outfit Distribution Workshop has just started shooting an erotic feature, In the Room, which is billed as a rare foray into the sensual in the generally straitlaced city-state.
Leading Singaporean filmmaker Eric Khoo (Tatsumi) is directing the movie and leading Hong Kong producer Nansun Shi is producing with a budget of $800,000 (S$1 million). The cast includes Hong Kong actress Josie Ho, who plays a mama-san (a brothel owner).
“It’s a high-concept erotic movie. It will be controversial. But it’s erotic and serious, not porn, all about relationships and history and love; it’s very powerful,” Distribution Workshop CEO Jeffrey Chan tells The Hollywood Reporter.
The movie, which takes place in a single hotel room, features six different couples over the years, starting in the 1940s, and includes Japanese, British and Chinese couples.
Singapore is notorious for strict moral guidelines for all entertainment laid down by the government of the small city-state. Earlier this year, the country banned a gay marriage issue of the comic Archie and earlier this week, the BBC cut out a lesbian kiss from an episode of Doctor Who that contravened the broadcast code.
