Filipino fisherman’s tale highlighted in Cannes Critics’ Week

Another staggering Filipino indie film will be reeled in a distinguished international movie competition.

‘Arnie’, a movie illustrating the life of a Filipino fisherman, made it to the ‘Short Films Competition’ in the upcoming International Critics Week, a sidebar competition at the Cannes Film Festival.

The film, directed by Taiwanese-Filipino Rina Tsou, was shot in Cianjhen fishing port in the coastal province of Kaohsiung. It focused on the modest life of Arnie, a fisherman who ended up in the Taiwanese coast after swimming through the rough seas.

Tsou’s entry will compete with other independent films, such as ‘Oh, What a Wonderful Feeling’ by Canadian director Francois Jaros, and ‘Prenjak’, an Indonesian film by Wregas Bhanuteja. Likewise, ‘Arnie’ will be featured with 11 other Taiwanese films in the Kaohsiung Film Festival.

Meanwhile, two Filipinos made it to the festival’s main competition – veteran film director Brillante Mendoza will return to the prestigious French competition for his film ‘Ma’ Rosa’, while his protégé, Raymund Guttierez, will screen his short film entitled ‘Imago’.

READ: Brillante Mendoza returns to Cannes

The International Critics Week will run from May 12 to May 20. Gianna Francesca Catolico, INQUIRER.net