Directed by Glenn Barit • 2019 • Philippines
Starring Ianna Taguinod, Leomar Baloran, Julian Narag
At a Catholic high school in the Philippine city of Tuguegarao, a rambunctious batch of students rebel against all expectations to be clean: a germaphobe is tested by a bout of uncontrollable diarrhea; a trio of emos are forced to perform Tinikling (a traditional Philippine folk dance) with a normie; an uncircumcised boy asks an ostracized pregnant girl to prom; and the mayor’s son is tempted by his father’s corrupt example while running for youth-council chairman. Every frame of filmmaker Glenn Barit’s CLEANERS was xeroxed, hand-colored with highlighters, and then rescanned, giving each of its angst-drenched emotions a singular handmade texture and the whole film a bone-deep nostalgia for growing up in the Philippines in the early aughts.
Up Next in Comedies
-
The Plot Against Harry
Directed by Michael Roemer • 1969 • United States
Starring Martin Priest, Ben Lang, Maxine WoodsA treasure of American independent filmmaking that was neglected for decades until its triumphant rediscovery, writer-director-producer Michael Roemer’s feature follow-up to his landmark NOTHING BUT ...
-
The World’s Greatest Sinner
Directed by Timothy Carey • 1962 • United States
Starring Timothy Carey, Gil Barreto, Betty RowlandTimothy Carey—the unforgettable character actor whose weird, wiggy energy brought a manic edge to classics like THE KILLING and PATHS OF GLORY—wrote, produced, directed, and starred in this outrag...
-
Miracles
Directed by Jackie Chan • 1989 • Hong Kong
Starring Jackie Chan, Anita Mui, Gua Ah-lehJackie Chan pays homage to classic Hollywood spectacle in this 1930s-set gangster-musical romp. An inspired reworking of a Damon Runyon story (previously filmed twice by Frank Capra as LADY FOR A DAY and POCKE...
