As the second edition of our festival comes to a close, Cinematografo, true to its theme, is breaking down its programming walls to expand its reach beyond the borders of the Philippines and the U.S.
Winner of the top prize in this year’s Locarno International Film Festival, Singaporean filmmaker Yeo Siew Hua’s second feature blends the plight of migrant workers in a foreign land with the hardboiled weariness of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. The city-state of Singapore shows its dark side, away from the urban glitz and glamor, diving into the seedy underground of the working class.
After a construction accident, a lonely worker from China goes missing at a Singapore land reclamation site. An insomniac police investigator tracks down the mystery of the missing migrant only to uncover more than he bargained for.
Sand and dirt imported from different countries make up this reclaimed construction area, mirroring the mix of styles and genres of this gripping thriller.