Kinofest Special: Experimental Films from Germany and the Philippines
Mondomanila in the year 2031, where the poorest of the poor live. The dwellers earn their living with the dirty business of coal making. The Kostkas, a gang of street kids steals and kills in the „black capital“. When they go for the ultimate heist and rob the central bank, the robbery goes awry, the money disappears and their boss is jailed for 28 years. After he is released the Kostkas want to know where the money is buried. But the boss doesn’t reveal the location and the gang members are gradually killed off. Panic spreads among the remaining surivors and suspicion grows that one in their midst is behind the killings.
Disclaimer: This film contains graphic scenes of violence which may be disturbing to some viewers.
Philippines, Germany | 2016
Director: Khavn
Genre: Crime, Revenge
Filipino & English with English Subtitles
Duration: 88 mins
Rating: R16
FAMAS Awards 2018: Nomination, Outstanding Achievement in Production Design
ALIPATO: THE VERY BRIEF LIFE OF AN EMBER (2016) Rotterdam, Melbourne, Bucheon Film Festivals
"Alipato" is an audacious exploration of chaos and anarchy in a near-future no-future Mondomanila. This film defies conventions with its chaotic narrative, vivid visuals, and transgressive elements, painting a grim world of juvenile delinquency.
The story follows Jose Rizal’s outsider kids navigating violence, robbery, and degradation, with shocking scenes challenging norms. "Alipato" is unapologetic cinema, offering a detached view of the Philippines' harsh realities.
Since 2004, I've made a bunch of shorts and eight features set in the Mondomanila multiverse — namely Mondomanila, Alipato, Ruined Heart, Bamboo Dogs, Squatterpunk, Overdosed Nightmare, Manila In The Fangs Of Darkness, and Love Is A Dog From Hell. These films are all set in an extreme alternate dystopia of Metro Manila in my head I called Mondomanila — a sprawling meta-narrative that celebrates and desecrates in the name of surrealism and sheer fun.
In "Alipato," I aim to subvert norms, transforming mundane reality into analogies of anarchy. Divided into two parts, the film explores an adolescent gang leader's life and reunites the gang two decades later in the dumpster megalopolis. Provocative elements and farce contribute to reflect the gritty reality, push boundaries, and confront societal decay.
