Ilo Ilo

There are 1,400 miles between ILO ILO in the Philippines and Singapore, where Teresa comes to serve as a maid to Teck and Hwee Leng Lim, a Mandarin-speaking family. It’s 1997 and Asia is in a deep economic crisis. Families are under strain everywhere, and Teresa has a young son back home in the Philippines. The Lims are decent enough people, though there’s a baby due soon, and their ten-year-old is a challenging handful. Teck is an unsuccessful tempered glass salesman who wants to get into bubble tea. Hwee Leng has to type the letters of termination for her colleagues at a shipping company. As Teresa moves into their tight living quarters, they all have a lot of adjusting to do. A beautifully-acted and touching family drama, ILO ILO remains fresh and full of surprises. (In Mandarin, Tagalog, and Hokkien with subtitles) —B.B.