New Book about Cannes Film Fest at 80! (May 2027)
Camera d’Or Winners, 1978-present
Ilo Ilo (Chinese for “Mom and Dad Are Not Home”) marks the striking debut feature of Singaporean director Anthony Chen.
Its international cast includes Singaporean actor Chen Tianwen, Malaysian actress Yeo Yann Yann, Filipino actress Angeli Bayani, and debut of child actor Koh Jia Ler.
Ilo Ilo premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Fest, part of the Directors’ Fortnight, where it was awarded the Caméra d’Or award, the first Singaporean feature film to win an award at the Cannes.
The film was selected as the Singaporean entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar, but was not nominated.
Set in Singapore, during the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the tale centers on the Lim family as it welcomes their Filipina domestic helper, Teresa (Terry), who like other Filipinas has come in search of a better life.
The father, Teck, works in sales for glass company; the pregnant mother, Hwee Leng, works as secretary in downsizing shipping company.
At first, Jiale, a delinquent boy of 1o, and Terry exhibit a tensely troubled relationship. One day, Jiale climbs over the school fence just to avoid his maid, who comes every day to fetch him.
When Teck loses his job, he conceals it from his wife. Desperate, he accepts a temporary job as a security guard monitoring an egg farm, but is quickly fired for breaking several crates while chasing a robber. As he continues to lose money in the stock market, his wife lambastes him.
Meanwhile, Jiale and Terry begin to kindle a relationship, sparking his mother’s jealousy and feelings of emotional neglect. Hwee Leng attends a motivational seminar, where she is moved by the speaker’s optimistic words and purchases his merchandise; but he turns out to be a fraud.
Jiale shows his intellect in obsessive calculation of past-winning lottery numbers, which he catalogues in his book. One day, after being taunted by another boy that Terry only loves him as part of her job, he pushes the boy against a bathroom wall, and injures him.
Threatened with expulsion and the school’s administration unable to contact his parents, Terry arrives to plead for mercy on his behalf. Hwee Leng shows up, reminding Terry that she is Jiale’s mother.
After Teck is fired from his job for committing a mistake, the Lim family realizes that they can no longer afford to keep Terry employed. Desperate, Jiale uses his savings to purchase lottery tickets but loses. He becomes despondent, cutting a lock of Terry’s hair during farewell.
Holding onto her cassette player, Jiale listens to Terry’s favorite song, Asin’s “Kahapon at Pag-ibig,” with his father in the hospital and Hwee Leng giving birth to a baby girl.
Compassionate in tone and rich in period and character detail, Ilo Ilo exhibited a strikingly mature debut.
Cast
Chen Tianwen as Teck, the father
Yeo Yann Yann as Hwee Leng, the mother
Koh Jia Ler as Jiale
Angeli Bayani as Teresa
New Book about Cannes Film Fest at 80! (May 2027)
Camera d’Or Winners, 1978-present
Alambrista! (1978), US
2. Northern Lights (1979), US
3. Adrien’s Story (1980), French
4. Desperado City (1981), West German
5. Half a Life (1982), French
6. The Princess (1983), Hungarian
7. Stranger Than Paradise (1984), US
8. Oriana (1985), Venezuela
9. Noir et Blanc (1986), French (woman)
10. Robinsonada or My English Grandfather (1987), Soviet-Georgian
11. Salaam Bombay! (1988), US-Imndoa (woman)
12. My 20th Century (1989), Hungary (woman)
13. Freeze Die Come to Life (1990)
14. Toto the Hero (1991), Belgium
15. Mac (1992), US
16. The Scent of Green Papaya (1993), Vietnam
17. Coming to Terms with the Dead (1994)
18. The White Balloon (1995), Iran
19. Love Serenade (1996), Australia (woman)
20. Suzaku (1997)
21. Slam (1998), US
22. Marana Simhasanam (1999), Iran
23. Tie
Djomeh (2000)
A Time for Drunken Horses (2000)
24. Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001), Canadian
25. Seaside (2002)
26. Reconstruction (2003), Denmark
27. Or (My Treasure) (2004), Israel (woman)
28. Tie
Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005), U.S. (woman); The Forsaken Land (2005)
30. 12:08 East of Bucharest (2006), Romania
31. Jellyfish (2007), Israel (woman)
32. Hunger (2008), UK (Black)
33. Samson and Delilah (2009)
34. Año bisiesto (Leap Year) (2010), Mexico
35. Las Acacias (2011), Argentine
36. Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012), US
37. Ilo Ilo (2013), Singapore
38. Party Girl (2014)
39. Land and Shade (2015)
40. Divines (2016)
41. Montparnasse Bienvenue (2017)
42. Girl (2018), Belgium (Gay director)
43. Our Mothers (2019)
44. Murina (2021)
45. War Pony (2022), US (woman)
46. Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell (2023)
47. Armand (2024)
48. The President’s Cake (2025)
49. ? (to be announced May 24, 2026)
