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Standing ovation for Singapore director at Cannes

Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 11:27 am
by tankee
Home-grown director Anthony Chen's first feature film, Ilo Ilo, premiered to a 15-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday night.

Although there were some technical glitches, which caused the film to stop screening thrice, the 800-strong audience stayed on. They even joined in to sing a birthday song when the film stopped midway in a birthday-celebration scene.

When My Paper contacted the 29-year-old film-maker, who is in Cannes, Chen said the standing ovation was surreal.

"I was still recovering from the trauma of the technical glitches, but it soon became clear to us that the audience really loved the film. There were tears in their eyes, it spoke to them.

"Despite being set in a country foreign to them, they felt that (the film) was universal and could relate to it," he said.

Ilo Ilo, which stars veteran television actor Chen Tianwen and actress Yeo Yann Yann, is about a Singapore family and its newly-arrived Filipino maid, played by Angeli Bayani, in the midst of the 1997 Asian financial crisis......

http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BN ... 24368.html

Re: Standing ovation for Singapore director at Cannes

Posted: Mon May 27, 2013 9:56 pm
by tankee
Ilo Ilo is first S'pore film to win at Cannes

SINGAPORE: Ilo Ilo has become the first Singaporean feature film to win at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, with director Anthony Chen taking home the coveted Camera d’Or prize for best feature film debut on Sunday.

"It is a complete surprise and I’m still trying to take it in," Mr Chen told TODAY from Cannes, the festival's closing ceremony.

"This is not just an honour for me but for Singapore, since it is the first time a feature from Singapore has been awarded at Cannes."

Some 18 films from the Official Selection, Director's Fortnight and International Critics' Week sections were eligible for the Camera d'Or at this year’s 66th Cannes Film Festival....

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sin ... 87760.html

Re: Standing ovation for Singapore director at Cannes

Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 4:42 pm
by Mdm Koh
Funny thing is that some people are now alleging that the film is PAP propaganda. It's so silly. I guess there are people out there who will just criticise everything! :laugh:

Even though it is the first time that a Singaporean film has won such a prestigious award, the director (a graduate of Ngee Ann poly) carried himself very well when he received his prize at Cannes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXYLnU9zzEI

Hopefully we will be able to nurture more talent like him among our younger generation!