When we think of Singapore, most of us picture a clean and ordered city where well-behaved people live by strict rules. But there is a underside to this outwardly flawless city that has been exposed by an independent film. So it's no surprise that it was banned by the Singaporean government.
Entitled 15, this 25-minute docudrama tells the story of three teenage runaways involved in a gang. According to the film's director, Royston Tan, they are the outcasts of the social system who live on the fringes of society.
'Living in this fast-paced city, if they are not good at school, they are seen as not contributing to society,' says Tan, 26.
'The direction of Singaporean youth worries me. I felt that I had to make a film to inform Singaporeans about what they have done to the kids, to let them know that the way they push them will eventually kill them.'
15 deals with issues such as teenage crime, the pressure for good academic results and suicide.
'Teenage crime has increased drastically over the past five years. I believe it's because there is a lack of communication between them and their parents,' Tan says.
'During that one week of filming there were three suicides. The victims were nine, 12 and 15 years old. One of them killed himself for scoring 70 out of 100 at a school test, because scoring more than 95 is considered good.'