"The startlingly assured direction and screenwriting of the winning film surprised us all. Anthony Chen's Ilo Ilo also chose a domestic canvas, but the imaginative and innovative voice of this filmmaker elevated the film technically and narratively, and made us wonder at the fragile nature of family life in this modern Singapore tale."
This film from Singapore tells the story of a struggling couple, their Filipino maid and their difficult young son. The relationships are complex and directed with sympathy and insight. Anthony Chen also wrote the script of this subtle and touching film.
A wonderful performance, full of nuance, of a woman coping, not always succcessfully, with the pressure of a weak husband, a wayward son and a housemaid she regards with suspicion.
The startlingly assured direction and screenwriting of the winning film surprised us all. Anthony Chen's Ilo Ilo also chose a domestic canvas, but the imaginative and innovative voice of this filmmaker elevated the film technically and narratively, and made us wonder at the fragile nature of family life in this modern Singapore tale.
In recognition of a clear talent, strong presentation and a clearly thought through project now in pre-production, one with a strong subject and moving subject with potential international appeal, we make the Award of the first NEXT MASTERS to ILO ILO by Anthony Chen.
