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Two million tonnes of waste inhabit the landfill known as Smokey Mountain in Manila, Philippines. A squatter community of more than 30,000 people live in the slums around the landfill, and make their living by picking through the decomposing mountain of trash, looking for rare valuables. This is the setting for director Mateo Guez's raw, ethereal first feature film.
Off World follows a young Toronto man, Lucky, as he returns to Smokey Mountain for the first time since his adoption by Canadian parents when he was just a year old. Aided by NGO worker, Julia, Lucky tracks down his surviving brother, who lives and works as a transsexual hustler. Confronted for the first time with the realities of Smokey Mountain, Lucky struggles to reconcile his desire to reclaim his past with the truth about where he came from.
Wrought with rich photography and lyrical narration, Off World is a stunning and complex portrait of the rare beauty that exists in even the most squalid corners of the world. As Lucky uncovers the truth about his family, this powerful feature unveils the majesty and strength of the human spirit.
DIRECTOR IN ATTENDANCE
BEST CANADIAN FEATURE, REELWORLD FILM FESTIVAL
A group of Iranian refugees have found shelter in an abandoned church in the middle of Brussels. When Belgian police arrive to oust them, a protective and sympathetic priest blocks the entrance, and two of the fleeing Persian men climb to the top of a massive construction crane towering high above the city. Together they remember the injustices in Iran that compelled them to flee, and the bloody fates of their lovers and friends. Hudûd is a story of forbidden love infused with politics and the strength of the human spirit. Stunning photography and gripping performances make this dynamic short a must-see.
