Filipiñana Trailer: Sundance Winner Supported by Jia Zhangke, Rafael Manuel’s Film Releases This August

      One of the most artistically accomplished feature debuts showcased at Sundance earlier this year, Rafael Manuel's feature film Filipiñana, supported by Jia Zhangke, is set in a country club in the Philippines. The story follows a 17-year-old "tee-girl" who begins to reveal a decaying core of misogyny and violence among the elite and clientele. With striking visuals created by cinematographer Xenia Patricia, Manuel’s film skillfully unveils the conflicting layers of beauty and systemic issues, highlighting the disparities within the country. Ahead of its August 28 release by Kino Lorber, the first trailer has been unveiled for this Sundance winner of the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Vision.

      Here’s the synopsis: "Isabel, a 17-year-old from rural northern Philippines, is employed at an upscale country club just outside Manila. Amid oppressive heat and ongoing drought, she places golf balls for influential men to drive into the meticulously maintained green horizon. During her breaks, she explores the pristine grounds, indulging in its luxuries and investigating its in-between spaces. The club’s members, including an industrialist and his expatriate niece, the president and his pampered wife, along with a number of Chinese tourists, engage in a complex interaction with the devoted and submissive staff. However, beneath the immaculate fairways of the elite resort lies something rotten, as Isabel discovers when she attempts to return a misplaced golf club to its patriarchal director, Dr. Palanca. As she delves deeper into the most exclusive areas of Alabang, she inches closer to uncovering the violent truths of the club, her homeland, and her own history."

      Watch the trailer and view the poster below.