Tropical Manila

Directed by Lee Sang-woo-IV (이상우)

Written by Lee Sang-woo-IV (이상우)

87min | Release date in South Korea: 2012/04/26

"Tropical Manila" is a Filipino-Korean co-production.
Synopsis
This film portrays the survival and conflict of a family through the subtle presentation of non-fictional characters and their visceral life. Kim-Dusik, who committed a murder in Korea, has settled down in the Philippines, in the city of Manila, for almost 15 years since he fled from his homeland. He lives with his Filipino wife, Medusa and their 15-year old Kopino (Korean-Filipino) son, Philip. Dusik's irresistible yearning for his old mother turns into violence which is inflicted on his son, and sadistic sexual abuse on his wife. He is only looking forward to going back to Korea as the 15 year statute of limitations runs out, only a few months of which remain. As Philip grows up, he confronts his father who mistreats his mother. While he feels a strong antipathy to violence, Philip, in spite of himself, takes after his father's violent behavior. Medusa finds out that Dusik is leaving for Korea in a few months and begs him to take Philip with him to raise him as a Korean. However, Dusik believes that Philip must live in the Philippines because he is not a Korean, but a Filipino. Once Medusa, whose whole life has been dedicated to her son, realizes that Dusik will eventually turn down her first and last request, she loses hope for life and gets killed by accident. Philip, who believes Dusik killed his mother, burns his father's passport while Dusik is excited to reunite with his mother in Korea. This leads the father and son to an irrevocable and gruesome scene, where Dusik loses his eyesight. Dusik seems to have no choice but to stay in the Philippines to live with his Kopino son, without being able to go back to his motherland, Korea. Philip now works at the fish market where his father used to work. Their lives go on as if nothing had happened between two of them.

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