ILO ILO

The Cannes Film Festival 2013 Caméra d'Or winner.

In 1997 in the midst of a looming financial crisis, Teresa arrives in Singapore from the Philippines with hopes of a better life. There she finds work as a maid for a couple and their troubled son. But as the bond grows between Teresa and the boy, the inertia of this new, unspoken family member soon puts pressure on the parents' already-strained relationship.

Beautifully observed and shot with quiet understatement, this autobiographical slice of life by Accelerator alumnus Anthony Chen looks at the conflicts that can emerge between cultures while revealing that some relationship troubles are universal. Moments of delicate, bittersweet humour and finely tuned, empathetic characters bring this story of childhood, immigration, class struggles and economic crisis home in a disarmingly human way.

"The very beating heart and soul of cinematic storytelling." - Film Comment

Anthony Chen is a guest of the festival.

D/S Anthony Chen P Ang Hwee Sim, Anthony Chen, Wahyuni A Hadi Dist Madman Entertainment L Mandarin, Hokkien, English, Tagalog w/English subtitles TD DCP/2013