Festival Note
Years after mining operations began, a once rugged and undisturbed town changed drastically. Koi, a fresh graduate in his early 20s, returns home with a left ear infection after more than two years of being away. Koi accompanies his mother Tonet in waiting for the former’s father, both of them clueless as to whether he could make it home alive after an accident in the extraction tunnel.
Joanne Cesario is a Filipina short filmmaker and zine creator. She grew up in Tanauan, Batangas and moved to Metro Manila at age 15. Before deciding to enter the Film program of the University of the Philippines, she first became a student activist and organizer. Both her childhood experiences and political undertakings have largely influenced her work. She melds personal and collective histories and memories in addressing matters such as labor, female identity, and ever-shifting landscapes both natural and beyond. She often approaches them through a magical and dreamlike lens.