PH Embassy in Tokyo Hails Brillante Mendoza’s Works at Masters of Southeast Asian Cinema 2019

Philippine Embassy in Tokyo officers and staff pose for a photograph with Filipino film director Brillante Ma Mendoza (fourth from left) following the screening of “Alpha: The Right to Kill.” (Tokyo PE photo)

TOKYO 10 July 2019 —  The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo congratulated acclaimed Filipino director Brillante Ma Mendoza for the successful screening of his films on 08 July 2019 at Asia Center’s Masters of Southeast Asian Cinema 2019.

Mr. Mendoza’s “Shiniuma (Dead Horse)” and “Alpha: The Right to Kill” were well-received by local film enthusiasts at the film exchange initiative showcasing the works of five Southeast Asian master directors.

The films of Singapore’s Eric Khoo, Indonesia’s Garin Nugroh, Thailand’s Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit and Cambodia’s Rithy Panh were screened alongside the Filipino director’s movies.

“Shiniuma” follows the story of an overstaying overseas Filipino worker in Hokkaido who returns home to his village in the Philippines following his deportation from Japan. “Alpha”, on the other hand, is a tale of police corruption and brutality set against the government’s war on drugs.

Speaking before members of the press after the screening of “Alpha”, Mr. Mendoza revealed that consistent with his signature docudrama style, he employed professional and non-professional actors in his movies and shot in locations where people go about their daily business.

“Most of the people playing police officers in Alpha are real policemen and this has helped to make their actions and dialogue authentic. I always aim to bring reality and truthfulness to the screen,” he continued.

Masters of Southeast Asian Cinema 2019 forms part of Asia Center’s Resonance 2019, which is a cultural exchange program between Japan and Southeast Asian countries.  Established in 2014, the Asia Center is a special unit under Japan Foundation to carry out cultural programs for mutual exchange in education, culture and the arts. END

For more information, visit https://www.tokyo.philembassy.net or https://www.tokyope.dfa.gov.ph, or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinJapan/.