Be With Me

How can a film capture memories and sensations? Be With Me mixes documentary and fiction in three stories that circle each other like harmonies in a song. An elderly shopkeeper living the twilight of his years in loneliness. A timid security guard pining for unattainable love. A teenager experiencing love, and love lost. At the heart of these stories is 61 year-old deaf-blind Theresa Chan. She has been deaf and blind since her teenage years and plays herself in Khoo’s film. Her story about living life to the fullest despite her disability gives a contrasting depth to the other characters’ fear, anger and communication challenges. Be With Me has been described as a song of hope, where loneliness, melancholy and desire are united in a seductive melody that does not sink into the deep abysses. By tuning down the dialogue and focus on images, music and atmosphere, Khoo has created a complex symphony of emotions. The all-encompassing silence is at the same time an elegant reflection of Theresa Cans enclosed world. Through its minimalist style the film manages to capture the major perspectives: love, loneliness and hope. lac