The Coin Bearer (Oros)

Year: 2012
Country: PHILIPPINES
Run Time: 81 minutes

In the Philippines, where gambling is illegal, families of the deceased are allowed to hold "sakla" games in order to make money during weeks-long wakes. And, in a place where poverty is prevalent, many take advantage of the license for personal gain. Makoy and his reluctant brother Abet organize these casino-style events using unclaimed cadavers, thus helping out many of the impoverished families in the slums where they live. Concocting stories of relationships for the bodies while arranging mass fraud is their only source of income. And dodging crime bosses and corrupt police is beginning to catch up to the brothers as they struggle to coexist in a world where anonymity is crucial and also elusive. Brilliantly acted and daringly directed, THE COIN BEARER is an intense look at the underbelly of a society for the desperate and a brave story of two brothers who risk everything to provide for those with nothing. Edge-of-your-seat drama and a haunting finale make THE COIN BEARER one film you won't be able to shake. (In Filipino with subtitles) – T.W.

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