Ilo Ilo has been one of the most touching shows which I have not seen for the longest time. It personally speaks to me as well as ever since young I have had always a maid around the house. I would say I have been fortunate to have a maid around the house because despite them helping with the chores, they too are human and through communication, we create a bond with each other and get to know each other better especially since both of us are from different background.
Director Anthony Chen reunited with Teresita Sajonia, his Filipino nanny who took care of him when he was younger
As a Singaporean film, Anthony Chen has captured the essence of a maid working in Singapore and may seem foreign to Westerners. Singaporean films are made in a way whereby it relates to your average Singaporean. At the same time, most Singaporean films are keen to touch on a sensitive topic. Take for example Jack Neo’s I Not Stupid which tackled on those in the EM3 stream. Years later we see this system being abolished. And even Royston Tan’s 15 which tackled on gangsterism in Singapore; a sense of brotherhood and companionship which these souls were just looking for.
As a start, we can observe that Theresa, the maid is clueless to her surrounding and requires her employer to teach her the basics. We can also see that the boy as a start despises his maid because now he is being watched by someone. At the same time, he also takes this opportunity to mistreat his maid to show who is boss. However, I do applaud that Theresa acted by scolding him.
And this is the plight of a maid. Coming to a foreign land and leaving it all behind is hard for them. Especially in Ilo Ilo where her kid is only 12 months old, it must have been devastating for Theresa to leave him behind.
There are instances where we see maids being treated badly or even instances where maids treat the kids badly. I too had a similar experience where one of my previous maid would shoot me with rubber bands leaving me scarred for life as I would be afraid when people just simply do the action to me. (PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO POINT A RUBBER BAND AT ME)
Further on however, we see both Theresa and Jiale building a connection and as mention above, this does happen since the maid takes care of the kid day to day. As compared to the mother who is at work and by the time she comes home she is tired, Ilo Ilo has shown that the maid can be there for the kid every day. And that is what a kid needs; care and attention especially during the early stages of their lives.
Showcasing the lives of the family also pointed to how reality can be for the maid and how things are just after the financial crisis. Loss of jobs and scams, these were prevalent in those times and it too is prevalent now. It also showcases the necessity for a maid for both parents to work at ease.
Ilo Ilo has really touched my heart and I do hope the director can once again be able to convey a strong message through his films.
You may refer to these references on more thoughts on this film.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/may/01/ilo-ilo-director-anthony-chen-interview
http://variety.com/2013/film/markets-festivals/cannes-film-review-ilo-ilo-1200488889/
ASIAN CINEMA 
I, too had a maid when I was young. My memories of her have faded while growing up but what was left were good memories. your post has gotten me thinking about why do Singaporeans think they have the right to mistreat or show their superiority to another human being? Was it because they have a little more money that’s why they could do this? But the slow, gradual progress of the bond between Terry and Jiale was heartwarming to see. It showed that Jiale has a hope of changing for the better. While we do not really get to see that at the end, I really hope his moments spent with Terry had been an impactful one. And great to know you have no become a spoilt brat yourself! (Just kidding!) Good job on the movie analysis!
LikeLike