Rafael Manuel’s film Filipiñana acquired by Kino Lorber

Kino Lorber has acquired Filipiñana, the feature debut of director Rafael Manuel. The film, which won the Special Jury Award for Creative Vision at Sundance, is set to have its European premiere at the Berlinale.

Set on an elite Manila country club golf course, the film explores class divides and colonial legacies through the contrasting experiences of two women: a rural teenager working as a “tee girl” and an expatriate navigating local social norms. The narrative uses the setting of the golf course as a microcosm of power, noting that the sport's origins in the Philippines are tied to American military bases and subsequently taken over by the local ruling elite.

Adapted from Manuel’s Silver Bear-winning short film, the project was executive produced by Jia Zhangke. The film examines how the “spectral ghost of colonialism” continues to influence contemporary capitalist systems and social structures.