3 Filipino films in Melbourne fest

RUBY Ruiz in “Imago”

Three Filipino films will be shown at the 65th Melbourne International Film Festival, to be held in Australia from July 28 to Aug. 14. Two short films, Raymond Gutierrez’s “Imago” and Rina B. Tsou’s “Arnie,” are part of the Southeast Asian Shorts program, while Lav Diaz’ “Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis” is included in the Accent on Asia section.

The Southeast Asian Shorts  program showcases “great talent and potential from a new generation of filmmakers who are attempting to capture the idiosyncrasies of their countries, as well as the universal narratives that take place within them.”

An entry in the Shorts tilt of this year’s Cannes, Gutierrez’ “Imago,” according to the fest’s site, “dives head first into somber territory … Blunt in its depiction of the unusual line of work [of a funeral agent], [it] subtly brings morality into the question and reflects on what people do for survival.”

Filipino-Taiwanese Tsou’s “Arnie” tells the story of a Pinoy seaman in Kaohsiung. Tsou’s film, the fest website’s reports, “features recurring shots of fish-out-of-water and on the cutting block, forming a pertinent metaphor on the state of foreign workers who are separated from their homeland in order to provide … for their loved ones.”

Diaz’ eight-hour Berlin winner is hailed by the fest’s website as “truly epic in scope.” “Drawing heavily from history, literature and mythology… [‘Hele’] delves deep into the contours of Filipino identity, past and present.”

Founded in 1952, the Melbourne fest presents “the best in current cinema from around the world.” The annual event is “one of the oldest film festivals in the world and the most significant cinema gathering in Australia.”