https://www.tosingaporewithlove.com/about/

Singapore political exiles, some of whom have not been home for 50 years, talk about the City of their dreams.

Director Tan Pin Pin attends a funeral in the hills of southern Thailand, a family reunion in Malaysia and goes for a drive through the English countryside, searching the world for the displaced souls of Singapore: different generations of Singaporean political exiles who have not been able to come home. Some have not returned for 50 years. They are now in their 60′s to 80′s. Some were activists, student leaders, others were card carrying communists. Though they are from different political persuasions, they all fled Singapore in the 1960’s, 1970s and 1980′s to escape the prospect of detention without trial carried out by the British Colonial Government and later, by the Singapore Government.

It is clear that while up to 50 years may have passed, the idea of Singapore is still very much on their minds. “Singapore oh Singapore, you are still on my mind, today and everyday” intones a poem written by one of them. As they recount their lives, we see a City that could have been. A love letter to Singapore, from the outside.

Interviewees Ho Juan Thai 何元泰  Ang Swee Chai & the late Francis Khoo 洪瑞釵与邱甲祥 Wong Soon Fong 黄信芳 The late Liu Bo 刘波 Tan Wah Piow 陈华彪 Mr & Mrs Tan Hee Kim 陈喜金与 叶婉珍 Chan Sun Wing 陈新嵘 Mr & Mrs He Jin 贺巾与 苏世华 Dr Poh Soo Kai 傅树介

To Singapore, with Love 星国恋 is part supported by the Asian Cinema Fund, Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). It had its world premiere at BIFF, in competition, Oct 2013.