Diamonds in the Sand
Saturday, November 8 · 5:15 PM
TIFF Bell Lightbox · Cinema 3
Screening at Reel Asian Film Festival
Join us for the Toronto screening of Diamonds in the Sand, the debut feature film by Filipina filmmaker Janus Victoria.
Victoria's film is a quietly powerful story about loneliness and connection. A divorced Tokyo salaryman, played by Lily Franky (the acclaimed actor from Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Cannes Golden Palm winning film Shoplifters), follows his late mother’s Filipina caregiver to Manila after discovering his neighbour’s kodokushi — a lonely death. What begins as a meditation on isolation turns into a moving cross-cultural journey about human connection and second chances.
The film has been getting remarkable international recognition: it won the White Mulberry Award for Best Debut Feature at the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy. Victoria’s film was also featured at the BFI London Film Festival and Tokyo FILMeX.
What critics are saying:
“A beautiful story of the human desire to not be alone,” and “A solid and thoughtful meditation on loneliness, grief, and mortality,” via Letterboxd
“Janus Victoria addresses the global problem of loneliness in modern society,” via Nippon Connection Festival
“Diamonds in the Sand encourages viewers to look at the true measure of their life through their past, present, and future,” via Cinema Escapist
Janus is a very good friend of the gallery, and will give a Q&A after the screening.
Join us at TIFF Bell Lightbox this Saturday, November 8th.
Diamonds in the Sand
Janus Victoria has completed seven short fiction films, including “Hopia Express” (2006) and “Myth of Manila” (2021), which received best short film awards at Cinemanila and Sharjah, respectively, and has written and directed nearly a hundred long-reportage documentaries for Philippines broadcasting companies.
Saturday, November 8 · 5:15 PM
TIFF Bell Lightbox · Cinema 3
Screening at Reel Asian Film Festival
