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Filipiñana

Play trailer Poster for Filipiñana 1h 40m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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90% Tomatometer 20 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Verified Ratings
Amid stifling heat and pervasive drought, Isabel (Jorrybell Agoto), a 17-year-old Ilokana from the rural north, works at a posh country club outside Manila, lining up golf balls for powerful men to drive into the verdant horizon. New to the job, she wanders the immaculate grounds sampling its luxuries as members, including an industrialist and his expatriate niece, the club president and his pampered wife, and a slew of Chinese tourists, engage in a complex dance with the club's doting and subservient staff. But something is rotting beneath the pristine fairways of the elite resort, as Isabel discovers when she tries to return a mislaid golf club to its patriarchal director, Dr. Palanca (Teroy Guzman). The deeper she journeys into its most exclusive corners, the closer she gets to the violent truths of the club, her native Philippines, and her own past.

Cast & Crew

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Rafael Manuel

Director

Jorrybell Agoto

Actor

Angeli Bayani

Actor

Carmen Castellanos

Actor

Teroy Guzman

Actor

Carlos Siguion-Reyna

Actor

Critics Reviews

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Keith Phipps The Reveal Feb 19
Manuel’s unhurried pace and commitment to long takes feels more effective as the film progresses, the images grow stranger, and the rot beneath the gleaming surface becomes harder to hide. Go to Full Review Richard Brody The New Yorker Feb 12
A great film can be recognized from its first shot, and that’s how it is with Filipiñana, which I knew absolutely nothing about in advance and which grabbed me from the very beginning, announcing itself as a masterwork. Go to Full Review Aisha Harris NPR Feb 12
An incisive, slow-burning satire of capitalism and powerful men with far too much hubris -- basically, a story for our times. Go to Full Review KT Mahe For Your Reference Podcast Jun 6
5/5
Rafael's ability to weave dream-like visuals with layered commentary makes Filipiñana a heartbreaking and reaffirming watch. The type of file where you don't leave as soon as the credits roll and free up your schedule to ruminate over on a long walk. Go to Full Review Sarah Manvel Movies We Texted About May 11
Writer-director Rafael Manuel, in his first feature film, hereby introduces himself to the world as a visual director of the first order. He understands perfectly how to compose an image and to use style to make a point. Go to Full Review August Hammel AwardsWatch Apr 28
A-
[In] Rafael Manuel’s feature debut, his compositions are steady and work beyond their picturesque surface as a real indictment of the Philippines’ colonial history and the chasm in class disparities that’s been fostered. Go to Full Review Read all reviews
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Filipiñana

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Movie Info

Synopsis Amid stifling heat and pervasive drought, Isabel (Jorrybell Agoto), a 17-year-old Ilokana from the rural north, works at a posh country club outside Manila, lining up golf balls for powerful men to drive into the verdant horizon. New to the job, she wanders the immaculate grounds sampling its luxuries as members, including an industrialist and his expatriate niece, the club president and his pampered wife, and a slew of Chinese tourists, engage in a complex dance with the club's doting and subservient staff. But something is rotting beneath the pristine fairways of the elite resort, as Isabel discovers when she tries to return a mislaid golf club to its patriarchal director, Dr. Palanca (Teroy Guzman). The deeper she journeys into its most exclusive corners, the closer she gets to the violent truths of the club, her native Philippines, and her own past.
Director
Rafael Manuel
Producer
Jeremy Chua, Alex Polunin, Bianca Balbuena, Bradley Liew, Nadia Turincev, Omar El Kadi, Rafael Manuel
Screenwriter
Rafael Manuel
Distributor
Kino Lorber
Production Co
Epicmedia Productions, Protocol, Ossian International
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Filipino
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 28, 2026, Limited
Runtime
1h 40m