What makes a father? Is it blood, presence, choice—or circumstance?
This June, Fathers of Circumstances brings together five deeply moving films from Japan and
the Philippines that challenge conventional ideas of fatherhood. The screenings will take place
on June 14–15, 2025 at Red Carpet Cinemas, Shangri-La Plaza, curated by Eunice Helera, a
film programmer and festival coordinator. The program is part of the Professional
Development and Networking Initiative for ASEAN-Japan Film Programmers and
Curators, organized by the Japan Foundation in partnership with the Tokyo International Film
Festival (TIFF).
The lineup features Like Father, Like Son (2013) by Hirokazu Kore-eda, Dear Etranger (2017)
by Yukiko Mishima, Close-Knit (2017) by Naoko Ogigami, Kinakausap ni Celso ang Diyos
(2024) by Gilb Baldoza, and Ang Tatay Kong Nanay (1978) by Lino Brocka.
These films span across class, gender, and kinship—offering a spectrum of what it means to
care, provide, and stay. Kore-eda’s exploration of fatherhood from both affluent and
working-class perspectives finds resonance in Baldoza’s Filipino fathers, who may lack money
but never intention. In Mishima’s Dear Etranger, the longing to be accepted as a stepfather is
quiet and piercing. In Close-Knit and Ang Tatay Kong Nanay, it is a transgender woman and a
gay man who step into the role of parent—not through biology, but through pure will and love.
“This program is deeply personal,” Helera shares. “I never got to fully experience the
love of my biological father, who passed three years ago. What I’ve carried since is grief,
longing, and the imagination of what could have been. But I was raised by other father
figures—my stepdad, who silently cheered me on since grade school. My grandfather,
who filled in whenever no one else could. Two uncles, one of whom became a mentor
who shaped the path I’m now walking. And a queer aunt who showed up with fierce
loyalty and care.”
Screenings will be followed by talkbacks, including guest appearances and a Q&A with some of the film directors. Tickets are priced between ₱100–₱150, with festival passes available for ₱500,
granting access to all four screenings.
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Organized by Japan Foundation and Elevated Frames PH, In partnership with Red Carpet
Cinemas, Shangri-La Plaza, and the Film Development Council of the Philippines.
We would like to thank our Media partners, AGIMAT.Net, SINEGANG.PH, TEAM PCHENG,
MAGANDA BA MOVIE, and Butingthings.
For full program and updates, follow @japanfoundationmanila, @elevatedframesph, and
@fdcpofficial on Facebook.
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