Lola

Directors’ Showcase/UK Premiere

Brillante Mendoza/Philippines, France/2010/110 min/tbc/Filipino with English subtitles

A murder over a mobile phone forms the basis of this emotional drama set in Manila, from the Palme d’Or winning director of Kinatay, Brillante Mendoza. Featuring two grieving grandmothers united by crime, Lola introduces the business of death and the legal systems in the Philippines to the western world with sensitivity and patience.

Mendoza’s film jumps between the view points of both the female leads as they each attempt to deal with their combined predicaments in the best way that they can. The leap between narratives is an essential part of the plot that shows the reverberations from violent crime affect everyone involved, from the mother of the victim, to the grandmother of the accused. But it’s the insight into the customs and culture of the Filipino people that gives Lola its spark and appeal, as the option of the gift of a cash sum from the defendant to the bereaved family is offered instead of a traditional custodial sentence. Primarily a film concerned with family and loyalty, Mendoza’s piece also refers to the power of money, as both families struggle financially. Although it’s just that little bit too long, Lola is an educational film created by simple understanding.

Showing @ Cineworld, 23^rd of June, 17:50, 25^th of June, 20:45