On Demand
Beastmode, a Social Experiment
by Manuel III Mesina & Banuk Amante
An explosive critical-creative exploration of pop culture, violent spectacle and fascist politics in the Philippines.
2018 · 1h30m · Philippines
Filipino
subs
Share
About the Film
About the Program
Beastmode interweaves what at first sight seem to be two unconnected storylines: the first two years of rule by President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines, notorious for his war against drugs, and the reconstruction of a social and artistic experiment about violence and performance—a sort of Fight Club 2.0.
The central figure in the experiment is the well-known Filipino actor Baron Geisler. He’s apparently incapable of controlling his aggression, and ends up fighting in public. Social media explode, and a media frenzy ensues. Geisler and other protagonists look back in video diary style on the outcry their project has caused.
The narrative line about the experiment is intercut with news footage and scenes from Duterte’s State of the Nation Address in 2017, while a demonstration was taking place outside. This is a fascinating exploration of aggression, sensationalism and manipulation in a country gripped by violence.
Upcoming Screenings
Stay tuned for upcoming screenings!
Past Screenings
Stay tuned for upcoming screenings!
Festivals and Awards
Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, IDFA Official Selection
Film Related
About the Director
Manuel III Mesina
Featuring
On Demand
Guy Davidi · 2022 · 1h40m
Невинност разглежда въпроса за милитаризацията и нейното въздействие върху живота на младите израелци, които са принудени да служат в армията против собствената си воля и ценности.
On Demand
Isabelle Solas · 2021 · 1h40m
Интимен портрет на общност от транссексуални жени в Аржентина, които се сблъскват с насилие и дискриминация на всички нива, но продължават да процъфтяват чрез любов, организиране и грижа.
On Demand
Jenny Murray · 2015 · 1h36m
¡LAS SANDINISTAS! uncovers the untold stories of women who shattered barriers to lead combat and social reform during Nicaragua’s 1979 Sandinista Revolution.
On Demand
Serene Husni · 2021 · 21m
An urban chronicle of the construction material used in building Palestinian refugee homes in Al Talbieh Camp in Jordan.
Part of the Fluid Frames from the Palestinian Diaspora collection
On Demand
Razan Alsalah · 2018 · 7m
On Demand
Razan Alsalah · 2018 · 7m
An experimental short film on displacement and returning to Palestine via Google Streetview.
Part of the Fluid Frames from the Palestinian Diaspora collection
On Demand
Robert Alstead · 2007 · 1h20m
Have cyclists reached a critical mass?
On Demand
Luc Côté · 2010 · 1h40m
The story of Canadian Omar Khadr, detained at Guantánamo for almost a decade without charges.
On Demand
Michael Kanentakeron Mitchell · 1969 · 37m
On Demand
Michael Kanentakeron Mitchell · 1969 · 37m
The classic 1969 NFB doc that puts the audience in the middle of conflict between First Nations and police.
On Demand
Anna Sigrithur & Joel Penner · 2022 · 22m
With time lapse videography of rotting in action, Wrought creates an intimate, immersive world where decay can be beautiful, tender and even surprisingly human.
Part of the Ondes et ficelles & Ripples and Threads collections
On Demand
Rintu Thomas & Sushmit Ghosh · 2021 · 1h33m
A portrait of the courageous Dalit women who broke India's gender and caste barriers to launch their own newspaper.
On Demand
Arwen Curry · 2018 · 1h8m
On Demand
Arwen Curry · 2018 · 1h8m
A spirited biographical portrait of feminist author Ursula K. Le Guin, whose groundbreaking fiction is placed in political-historical context and celebrated.
On Demand
Ameesha Joshi & Anna Sarkissian · 2016 · 1h31m
Three Indian women resist traditional gender roles to become world champion boxers and fight for recognition and dignity in their communities.
On Demand
Gordon Quinn, Teena Webb, Suzanne Davenport, Greg Grieco & Betsy Martens · 1974 · 12m
On Demand
Gordon Quinn, Teena Webb, Suzanne Davenport, Greg Grieco & Betsy Martens · 1974 · 12m
Winnie, the daughter of a steel worker and a teacher, lives in Gage Park, a Chicago neighborhood that is changing from white to black.
Part of the The Kartemquin Collection collection
On Demand
Sabaah Folayan · 2017 · 1h43m
A visceral, gritty and gutsy film on the Ferguson Uprising that captures the tension contemporary America’s racism, police brutality and anti-racist resistance movements.
Part of the Black History Month Collection collection
On Demand
Terre Nash · 1995 · 1h34m
On Demand
Terre Nash · 1995 · 1h34m
Alternative economist, politician and feminist Marilyn Waring explores the value of women's work.
On Demand
David Lavallée · 2011 · 1h5m
An investigation about the inextricable link between water and oil in our modern world.
Part of the The Commons collection
