Appreciation post: Found a list of films banned in Singapore that really surprised me

Was looking up old movie ratings and stumbled on a government archive. They banned a 2007 documentary about graffiti artists for 'undesirable influences'. Anyone know where to find a copy of that film now?

2 comments

2 Comments

rodriguez.jordan2d ago

Remember Singapore's strict laws on vandalism. They have caning for graffiti, not just fines. A film showing it as an art form could really clash with that. In my view, banning "Wholetrain" wasn't about the paint, it was about the message. Letting it in might have made their tough stance seem less serious. Sometimes a government has to be consistent, even with old movies.

the_riley2d ago

That 2007 graffiti doc was called "Wholetrain". Honestly, banning it seems over the top. It's just a movie about spray paint. Singapore is super clean, they probably just didn't want kids getting ideas. Doubt a film from that long ago is a real threat to public order now. You might find it on some old torrent site or a niche streaming service.