Filipinana (2020)

Director Rafael Manuel was finishing film school and had an idea for a feature film. Unable to secure funding he used the money he had raised and created the short film Filipiñana. The short won numerous film festival awards including Best Short Film (Silver) at the Berlin IFF. Though distinctly Filipino, the basic message rings universal.

Isabel is a bored “tee girl” at a luxury golf club. She finds ways throughout the day to amuse herself and push the envelope regarding the rigid rules set for employees.

Filipiñana showcased the disparity between the haves and have nots. At the practice range, pretty young women set the balls on tees so that golfers did not have to strain themselves bending over. It looked more than a little dangerous as the tee girls were not far from swinging clubs, especially when a child wildly swung his club near Isabel. Women caddied, searched for balls submerged in the water hazards, massaged clients’ feet, and occasionally helped golfers, uh, find their balls in the bushes. Opulence was ever on display but decidedly out of reach for Isabel and her co-workers. That didn’t stop the lowly tee girl from stealing a taste of the other side when no one was looking though.

Well shot and slightly enigmatic, Filipiñana was an entertaining 24 minute glimpse into the gap between the privileged lives and those who serve them in this sharp take on capitalism.

20 May 2025

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