A feature debut exploring The Philippines‘ underground punk scene and social activism is participating at the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market, which is part of the Tokyo International Film Festival‘s TIFFCOM market.
“Ria,” directed by award-winning short filmmaker Arvin Belarmino, centers on 25-year-old Ria, who lives in a punk commune facing demolition while caring for her diabetic foster mother. Working as a hotel housekeeper, she becomes entangled in underground porn operations as financial pressures mount. The story culminates in Ria mobilizing her punk community against the forces threatening their home.
For Belarmino, the project emerges from direct experience. “I have always wanted to make a film about the Filipino punk
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