Rafael Manuel’s debut feature “Filipinana” is being pitched at the Tokyo Gap Financing Market as the international co-production enters advanced post-production.
The film is an expansion of Manuel’s short story of the same name, which won the Silver Bear Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival, and follows Isabel, a tee girl at Manila’s Alabang Golf & Country Club, who spends her days teeing up golf balls just inches from the clubs she swings. When she meets the club president, Dr. Palanca, asleep in the bushes on the course, their brief connection takes her on a deep journey into the world of country clubs and what Manuel describes as “a universe that reflects the inherent structural violence of the Philippines.”
“Yes, this movie is set on a golf course in the Philippines, but it really could have been set anywhere,” Manuel told Variety. “What I’m trying to say is that no matter where we are in the hierarchy of oppressive institutions, we all have a role in perpetuating them. And when a place becomes beautiful, the violence underneath becomes less visible.”
The project took six years, and Manuel cites patience as the biggest challenge. “But this is because we were as intentional as possible in finding the right partner for the project,” he said, noting that Jia Zhangke has joined as a mentor.
The film is a four-country co-production between the UK (Film4/Ossian), Singapore (Potocol), the Philippines (Epicmedia Productions) and France (Easy Riders), and is funded through a combination of state funds, rebates, investments and advance sales.
“We’re working pretty extensively on our first film,” says producer Jeremy Chua. “This has definitely added to the complexity of the law and the allocation of spending.”
Filming had unique logistical hurdles, with different sequences filmed at multiple golf courses around Manila due to restrictions. Production designer Tatiana Honegger “created a singular and absurd architectural world” from the disparate locations, Chua says.
Producer Bianca Balbuena Liu said the film secured both development and production grants through rebates from the Film Development Council of the Philippines. She joined the project after film director Lorna Tee and Chua approached Epic Media to join.
“We all believed in Rafael’s vision, which is probably why the last six years have felt like a breeze,” says Valbuena Liu.
In Tokyo, the team is seeking pre-sale opportunities from distributors in Japan and throughout Asia, potential P&A partners for Asian releases, and increasing programmer interest in the festival tour. “We also want to deepen our understanding of the Japanese market,” Chua said, adding that the company may need to fill a small funding gap pending final construction requirements.
The film still has some VFX and editing to do and is being prepped with distributor Magnify for a world premiere next year.
“We believe this film will offer audiences a new sound and image of Southeast Asian cinema, made with an ambitious scale but with a handmade touch,” says Chua. “This movie was designed for the big screen.”
Manuel is currently developing several projects, including a colonial-era piece set in the Philippines.
