WATCH: Award-winning 'Filipiñana' unveils the hidden realities behind an elite golf country club
The official trailer for Filipiñana has ignited online buzz ahead of the film's upcoming run at the Film Forum in New York City. The satirical drama follows a 17-year-old caddie as she navigates the hidden violence, exploitation, and strict class structures operating just beneath the surface of an exclusive golf country club.
In the two-minute trailer, Isabel (Jorrybell Agoto), a newcomer tee girl, is introduced lining up golf clubs under the sweltering heat alongside fellow caddies. The trailer then shifts into seemingly musical-inspired sequences, with the tee girls moving in sync, including one striking shot of them positioned beneath a row of men in white polo shirts as the golfers swing their clubs in sync.
"Alam mo, isang bola mas mahal pa sa kinikita natin sa isang araw," a character says in a voiceover. "Anong ginagawa nila sa bola?" Isabel asks, to which another tee girl replies, "Binebenta nila sa golfers, pero hindi lang bola nila ang binibenta sa mga golfers."
The trailer also introduces Dr. Palanca (Teroy Guzman), the golf club's owner, to whom Isabel is oddly drawn. It also features Isabel's fellow tee girls, who are shown resting shoulder to shoulder and eating in a cramped canteen—a stark contrast to the golf club's luxurious facade.
"Kaya dapat mag-ingat ka dito sa golf course. Karamihan ng mga golfers, hindi mabait," a character added.
"Tee girl Isabel feels strangely drawn to Dr. Palanca, the president of the country club where she works. However, after piecing together a violent picture of what lies beneath the club’s pristine surface, she realizes that what began as an innocent infatuation is actually rooted in a sinister shared history," the synopsis read, as shared on Sundance's website.
The trailer also features dance sequences with performers dressed in traditional barong, as well as scenes of Isabel exploring the golf course before later being seen shouting for help.
Many social media users praised the trailer, with some comparing its meticulously composed visuals to Wes Anderson's films, while others likened its aesthetic to A24's Midsommar.
Filipiñana is written and directed by Rafael Manuel. It stars Jorrybell Agoto, Carmen Castellanos, Teroy Guzman, Carlitos Siguion-Reyna, Isabel Sicat, and Nour Houshmand, and produced by Jeremy Chua, Alex Polunin, Bianca Balbuena, Bradley Liew, Nadia Turincev, Omar El Kadi, and Manuel.
According to Variety, Manuel first conceived Filipiñana as a feature screenplay while studying at film school in London in 2018. He later expanded the story through a short film set in the same universe before developing it into the feature.
It has won the Special Jury Award for Creative Vision in the World Cinema category at the Sundance Film Festival, where it was also nominated for the Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Features. The film has also been selected for the 76th Berlin International Film Festival.
It is set to open at Film Forum in NYC on Aug. 28 and will be the closing film at this year's Cinemalaya happening also in August.
Watch the trailer below:
