Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan
Tan Siyou
2024
Philippines
Bisaya
fiction
drama | women
14 minutes
Bradley Liew (Epicmedia - Philippines) | Dominique Welinski (DW - France)
Joy, a 19-year-old student, is about to compete at the local talent show. As she's about to enter the audition, a mysterious butcher takes her to unknown horizons…
Chevy Claire Recososa Guantero | Joy
Noriel Tome Obnimaga | Butcher
Kc Lyn Retes | Michelle
Writers & directors | Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan & Tan Siyou
Cinematographer | Tey Clamor, LPS
Production Designer | Sam Manacsa
Editor | Lawrence S.Ang
Sound Design and Mix | Alex Tomboc
Music | Don Eblahan
First Assistant Director | Xeph Suarez
Line Producer | Tin Velasco
Cannes Film Festival | La Quinzaine des Cinéastes
Poitiers Film Festival
Jogja -NETPAC Asian Film Festival
QCinema
Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan (1996) is a Filipino filmmaker born of Ifugao and Visayan descent. Eblahan’s works explore themes of trauma, spirituality, and nature told through the cosmic lens of post-colonial spaces and Indigenous identities. His films Umbilical Cord to Heaven, Hilum, and The Headhunter's Daughter have been shown in international film festivals such as the Sundance Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, and Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival—where he won the International Student Jury Prize as well as the Special Mention of the International Jury for his 2020 short film Hilum. In 2022, his film The Headhunter’s Daughter was awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and the Gold Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival. In 2023, he was one of six participants in the Festival de Cannes’ ‘La Résidence’ program for his debut feature in development, titled Hum.
Siyou Tan (1988) is a Singaporean filmmaker, partly based in Los Angeles. She studied film and art at Wesleyan University before completing a directing fellowship at the American Film Institute. She is an alumna of Berlinale’s Talents Tokyo, Busan’s Asian Film Academy, and Universal’s Director Initiative. Her short films Hello Ahma (2019) and Strawberry Cheesecake (2021) have screened at festivals including the Berlinale, Toronto, and Locarno. She is currently working on her debut feature Amoeba, with support from the Hubert Bals Fund and Torino Script Lab. To date, Amoeba has been awarded Most Promising Project at Singapore’s SEA Film Lab and the Open SEA Fund Award at Thailand’s SEAFIC Lab. Most recently, it was selected for Berlinale’s 2023 Co-Production Market and the Far East Film Festival’s 2023 Focus Asia, where it won the TAICCA/Focus Asia Co-production Award.
Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan
- The Headhunter's Daughter - 2022
- Hilum - 2021
- Umbilical Cord to Heaven - 2020
Siyou Tan
- Hello Ahma - 2019
- Strawberry Cheesecake - 2021
Since 2013, under the leadership of Dominique Welinski and in partnership with the Quinzaine des Cinéastes, the Directors’ Factory has been supporting the emergence of new talent on the international scene. Each year, with the backing of a partner country, the Directors’ Factory brings together eight promising filmmakers, selected for the strength of their first or second feature film projects. In pairs, they co-write and co-direct four short films, which are premiered in May at the Quinzaine des Cinéastes in Cannes.
To make cinema alongside the most loving and hardworking team was something that motivated me each, and every day during the factory. It was also an honor to witness my country’s landscapes, people, and stories manifest through the unique eyes of my co-director, Siyou. Her devotion to our story created such a beautiful partnership that made the experience of making the film so natural. It was inspiring to see the kindness of our team. The culture of giving was apparent with each person in this project in which I forever will be thankful for. - Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan
This experience has profoundly affected me. I loved working with my partner, Don, and witnessing our shared creative energies merge and intertwine. It was especially meaningful to collaborate with non-professional actors from Zamboanga del Norte and collectively express the universal emotions that we all face and fight with. This has been the most joyful and fun set I’ve been on. I am overwhelmed by the talent and generosity of the magnificent team; and am optimistic about co-making films across languages, geographies, and cultures. My imagination has been expanded, and I am forever grateful to Dominique, Bianca and Bradley. - Siyou Tan