Cover Anthony Chen shares more about his new cross-cultural projects, including his first Korean film currently in development
Anthony Chen shares more about his new cross-cultural projects, including his first Korean film currently in development
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In celebration of Singapore’s 60 years of independence, Tatler looks at how the country continues to make an outsized mark on the world—not through scale, but through foresight and ambition. From tech visionaries and design trailblazers to cultural leaders and a decorated Paralympian, these individuals reflect the nation’s unique blend of agility, integrity, and global influence rooted in a strong sense of identity. Below, filmmaker Anthony Chen gets candid about making movies in Singapore and what’s next for him
As Singapore celebrates its diamond jubilee this year, filmmaker Anthony Chen finds himself at a parallel milestone—one shaped by time, perspective, and a body of work deeply intertwined with the nation’s cultural fabric. “SG60 feels like a coming-of-age moment for the country,” Chen reflects. For him, it is also personal: “I’ve just completed shooting the third part of my trilogy.” That chapter is We Are All Strangers, the final instalment in his Growing Up trilogy of dramas, slated for release in 2026.
It began with his breakout debut Ilo Ilo (2013), a tender portrait of a boy’s relationship with his mother and their family’s domestic helper, starring Yeo Yann Yann and Koh Jia Ler. It made history as the first Singaporean film to win the prestigious Caméra d’Or for best first feature at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. Chen reunited with the duo in Wet Season (2019), the second instalment of the trilogy, which explores the emotional complexities between a teacher and her student as they navigate fractured family ties.
Both actors return in We Are All Strangers, which Chen describes as “an intimate but epic family drama” set in 2025 and shot entirely in Singapore earlier this year—reflecting on the city-state’s contemporary identity. Beyond charting his own artistic evolution, the trilogy also captures Koh’s literal coming of age. “He was a boy in primary school in the first film, in secondary school in the second one, and now, in the third, he’s 24 and stepping into adulthood,” shares Chen, who adds that this also mirrors his own journey, ”from my 20s to my 40s, becoming a husband, a father, and now raising a seven-year-old son”.
Read more: National Pride: We fete the Singaporean icons fuelling our mighty nation’s SG60
Above Anthony Chen wears Tiffany & Co HardWear necklace and bracelet in yellow gold set with diamonds, Loro Piana turtleneck and trousers
Anthony Chen wears Tiffany & Co HardWear necklace and bracelet in yellow gold set with diamonds, Loro Piana turtleneck and trousers
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Despite spending years in London and now being based in Hong Kong, the 41-year-old auteur’s work remains deeply rooted in home. “You can take a man out of Singapore, but you can’t take Singapore out of him,” Chen says.
Even in international productions, including his first English-language film Drift and The Breaking Ice—both released in 2023 and shot in Greece and China, respectively—Chen’s storytelling sensibility remains unmistakable: quiet, emotional and grounded in human connection.
That emotional core is perhaps why his trilogy has resonated so widely. While each film stands on its own, together they form a nuanced portrait of life in Singapore: from family dynamics and personal growth to societal shifts. “As a nation, we’re multilayered and multifaceted—and if we don’t tell our stories, no one else will,” he says. “But at the same time, to grow, we must collaborate beyond our borders.”
As a nation, we’re multilayered and multifaceted—and if we don’t tell our stories, no one else will
Through Giraffe Pictures, the Singapore-based production company he co-founded, Chen has worked with emerging filmmakers across the region, sharing hard-won insights from navigating the global cinema landscape. “It’s not just about artistic expression,” he adds. “What is a work if no one sees it?”
While proud of Singapore’s cultural growth—“We’re punching above our weight in terms of talent”—Chen is also candid about its limitations. “We’re an expensive city to make anything in. And because we’re such a small country in terms of population, we don’t have a sizable domestic market for consumption,” he says. “For culture to thrive, it’s important that we continue to support one another—and, more importantly, [create the space] to enable dreams to happen.”
Looking ahead, Chen is already juggling new cross-cultural projects, including his first Korean film currently in development. For him, filmmaking goes beyond storytelling—it is an act of bearing witness. “Years from now, when people look through the archives, [we want there to be a record of] how we lived, how we felt, and what it meant to be Singaporean.”
Read more stories from our August issue and Tatler’s SG60 coverage here.
Credits
Photography: Darren Gabriel Leow
Styling: Adriel Chiun
Grooming: Dollei Seah
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As Senior Editor of Tatler Singapore, Hashirin champions and refines the storytelling across platforms—curating and crafting compelling profiles, cover stories and features that spotlight visionaries shaping culture, business and impact. Driven by curiosity, she draws inspiration from the artists, changemakers and trailblazers she encounters through her work. Beyond the pages of Tatler, she is an avid supporter of local theatre and delights in seeking out art in every city she visits.
