Anthony Chen’s We Are All Strangers is first Singaporean film in Berlinale’s main competition
SINGAPORE – Local film-maker Anthony Chen’s new drama We Are All Strangers has been selected to compete for the Golden Bear at 2026’s Berlin International Film Festival. This makes it the first Singaporean film to be picked for the main competition in the festival’s 76-year history.
The writer-director’s film is among 22 works in the main competition, and one of only two from Asia. The other regional entry is the Japanese animation A New Dawn by Yoshitoshi Shinomiya, according to a statement from the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).
The festival, also called the Berlinale, runs from Feb 12 to 22. It has in the past awarded the top prize of the Golden Bear to critically acclaimed works such as Taiwanese film-maker Lee Ang’s drama-comedy The Wedding Banquet (1993), Lee’s adaptation of the Jane Austen novel Sense And Sensibility (1995), Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s fantasy Spirited Away (2001) and American director Terrence Malick’s war drama The Thin Red Line (1998).
We Are All Strangers caps Chen’s series of dramas known as the Growing Up trilogy. It began with Ilo Ilo (2013), winner of the Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and was followed up with Wet Season (2019), which received several Golden Horse nominations – Malaysia’s Yeo Yann Yann won in the Best Leading Actress category.
The third film will see Yeo and Singapore actor Koh Jia Ler return as leads, both having starred in Ilo Ilo and Wet Season playing different characters in the standalone films, which do not feature a continuing storyline.
We Are All Strangers takes place over three years in present-day Singapore and, as in the previous two films, will feature realistic portrayals of characters dealing with unconventional relationships and family bonds while adjusting to new challenges in the city-state.
The film, supported by IMDA and the Singapore Film Commission and produced by Chen’s label Giraffe Pictures, is set for release in Singapore in 2026.
It is also the first feature in Berlinale’s main competition with a Singaporean film-maker behind it. The Tagalog historical fantasy, A Lullaby To The Sorrowful Mystery (2016), directed by acclaimed Filipino film-maker Lav Diaz, competed for the Golden Bear in 2016. It featured production participation from Singapore labels Akanga Film Asia and Potocol.
In a statement, Ms Yvonne Tang, assistant chief executive of IMDA’s media industry group, said the agency is excited about We Are All Strangers’ historic first for Singapore cinema.
“This ground-breaking selection marks Singapore’s inaugural entry into Berlin’s most prestigious category, competing alongside the world’s finest films for the Golden Bear. The film exemplifies the remarkable rise of made-with-Singapore storytelling on the global stage. This milestone further validates Singapore’s emergence as a significant force in international cinema, showcasing our ability to create compelling narratives that resonate with audiences worldwide,” she said.
Chen, 41, is based in Hong Kong with his wife Rachel Yan and their seven-year-old son Ethan. He added that in making the trilogy, he had embarked on a “profoundly personal journey”.
“We Are All Strangers also reflects my own evolution, as a son, a husband and now a father. Ilo Ilo was made in my late 20s, Wet Season in my 30s and We Are All Strangers in my early 40s. These films capture my love for Singapore and our people, my enduring portrait of home. I am immensely proud to present this final chapter at Berlin.”
On Jan 20, he posted on Instagram that he is incredibly grateful and humbled to be honoured. He wrote: “These stories were born from personal memories, quiet observations and a deep love for the people and places that shaped me.
“I’m finishing up the final touches to the film now... I’m deeply thankful, and quietly excited, to share We Are All Strangers with the world. Berlin, here we come.”