ARP Selection, a leading French arthouse distribution company that recently produced and released Richard Linklater’s “Nouvelle Vague,” has acquired Anthony Chen‘s “We Are All Strangers,” the first Singaporean film to compete at the Berlinale.

The film, represented internationally by Paradise City Sales, completes Chen’s acclaimed “Growing Up” trilogy, after “Ilo Ilo,” which won Cannes’ Camera d’Or for best first film, and “Wet Season.”  

“We Are All Strangers” is a portrait of modern-day Singapore and is an epic story highlighting class inequalities and revisiting the definition of family. The movie brings back the acting duo Yeo Yann Yann and Koh Jia Ler, whose performances in “Ilo Ilo” and “Wet Season” earned critical laurels. Yeo Yann Yann won the Golden Horse Award for best supporting actress for “Ilo Ilo” and best actress for “Wet Season,” while Koh Jia Ler was nominated twice at the awards.

“We simply fell in love with this family, and with the way Anthony Chen depicts the dreams, the failures, the intimacy of each of its members,” said Michèle Halberstadt, ARP’s CEO. “He does so with a grace and a tenderness that extends from its characters to Singapore itself, the city they call home. A deeply moving film which we are very proud to introduce to French audiences,” she continued.  

Set in contemporary Singapore, the film tells the story 21-year-old Junyang who drifts through youth while his father quietly struggles to hold their modest life together. When Junyang’s relationship with his girlfriend takes an unexpected turn, the young couple is forced into adulthood sooner than they ever imagined. At the same time, a vibrant woman enters his father’s life, unsettling the fragile balance between father and son.

Chen produced “We Are All Strangers” through his Singapore-based production company Giraffe Pictures. Backing for the project includes support from the Singapore Film Commission, the Red Sea Fund and the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund. Executive Producers are Joe Tsai, Arthur Wang and KH Kuok. 
 
Paradise City Sales’ roster includes another Berlinale competition entry, “Wolfram” directed by
Warwick Thornton.