The Mortician of Manila
Leah Borromeo (Philippines)
Col / 26' 11"/ In English and Tagalog with English subtitles
Orly Fernandez manages and lives at Eusebio’s, a 24-hour funeral parlour in Manila. His relationships with clients and the journalists he meets daily colour his empathy and contempt towards the drug war victims. This film gives us a deeper understanding of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency and the war-on-drugs. The soundtrack of this film is created by composer Jamie Perera by sonifying data of the number of deaths in the drug war.
Artist’s Statement
Making this film is an attempt to exorcise personal and political demons that haunt me. My privilege, entitlement, knowledge and international status grant me a protection that cannot be shared with people I make films about. It is an attempt to pick apart this conflict, to help the world gain an insight into the long existing situation of injustice. It’s my Wilhelm Scream to wake people up of their humanity and to realise the immediacy with the injustice. It is to show my gratitude to those who have gone before me and taught me that no one or any potential life, should be diminished or forgotten.
