THE MAID

Every year, during the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar, the Gates of Hell open, and for 30 days, the dead walk among the living. This is a very dangerous time and many rules must be followed in order not to get taken by the ghosts. For Rosa Dimaano, a new arrival in Singapore, those are just a bunch of old wives’ tales. Hailing from a small village in the Philippines, the 18-year old maid is employed by the elderly and gentle couple Mr. And Mrs. Teo. Their mentally handicapped son Ah Soon immediately takes to Rosa. But it soon becomes apparent that the Teo family is more than a little strange, living in a very old house with many locked doors and rooms filled with Chinese opera costumes, while having strange habits and unusual visitors. Within days of her arrival, Rosa starts to see and hear things that frighten her to death. Unwittingly, she has broken many of the 7th month rules. Now all hell breaks loose. With The Maid, the first horror movie from Singapore hits the Bifff. Director Kelvin Tong, who gathered many international awards with his debut, the kung-fu motorcycle movie Eating Air, has realized a colorful and creepy spookfest, filled with Chinese opera, freaked-out Philippino maids and haunting 7th month vibes. Excellent photography and art direction, along with abrupt shifts in sound and editing all conspire to scare us out of our wits.