Be With Me the new film by Eric Khoo (Mee Pok Man, 12 Storeys) is a tapestry of stories woven around the themes of love, hope and destiny. The characters lead separate lives but are bound by one common desire - to be with their loved one. The protagonists in the movie are fictitious bar one - Theresa Chan, a courageous deaf and blind woman whose life story inspired Be With Me.

The Festival de Cannes Directors' Fortnight

The cinematic equivalent of a hymn, Be With Me is a film about human beings and their search for love. In his latest film, Eric Khoo manages to
explore the themes of urban loneliness and the sentimental "spleen''
without sinking into a cynical abyss. Neither does he resort to cruel
psychological stereotypes. In fact, the film is a veritable song of hope;
it reclaims the real meaning of the word "humanism".

Like a seductive melody, the musical quality of Be With Me has an immediate hold on our senses. The filmmaker has composed a symphony of complex emotions, with very frugal use of dialogue. The artful orchestration of fiction and reality, invented and real characters imbues Be With Me with a rare quality; it's almost like a cinematographic essay.

Inspired by the memories, biography and everyday life of a remarkable woman Theresa Chan, Eric Khoo has not just made a movie. Be With Me is also a testimony to and meditation on love, hope and destiny.

It's remarkable that a movie with such resonance should come from
Singapore, a country traditionally quiet on the cinematic front. The film's
universality comes from not just from the inspiring character of Theresa
Chan but from its haunting beauty. Be With Me eschews superfluous effects to concentrate on essential concerns - how to film memories, how to film sensations and how to film feelings?

Finally, we love this film because Be With Me confirms that the best
minimalist films can capture immense perspectives, which are those of the heart and soul.

Oliver Pere
Artistic Director
The Festival de Cannes
Directors’ Fortnight