Filipiñana

Isabel, a 17-year-old from the rural north of the Philippines, works at an elite country club outside Manila, lining up golf balls for powerful men. New to the job of tee-girl, she wanders the immaculate grounds sampling the club’s luxuries as its members engage in a complex dance with the doting and subservient staff. But something is rotting beneath the pristine fairways, as Isabel discovers when she tries to return a mislaid golf club to its patriarchal director, Dr. Palanca. The deeper she journeys into its most exclusive corners, the closer she gets to the violent truths of the club, her native Philippines, and her own past. The debut feature from Rafael Manuel, Filipiñana won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Vision at Sundance 2026 and reveals a major new filmmaking talent. The Mon 30 Nov 17:40 screening will be followed by a ‘Thought in Action’ panel discussion with a UWE Phil student and a guest speaker TBC, chaired by Suwita Hani Randhawa and presented in partnership with the Philosophy and Politics & International Relations Departments at UWE.