Brillante Mendoza

Patron of La Fabrique Cinéma de l'Institut français 2017

Brillante Mendoza is the 2017 patron of La Fabrique Cinéma de l'Institut français (formerly known as the Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde). This choice shows the Institut français’s commitment to cultural diversity and dialogue, which are central to its activities.
 
Brillante Mendoza, who follows in the footsteps of Jia Zhang-Ke, is one of Asia’s most renowned contemporary filmmakers, and has won awards at the Festival de Cannes. He will support the directors and producers taking part in La  Fabrique Cinéma at Cannes by helping them to develop and finalize their first and second feature film projects.
 
BIOGRAPHY
 
Filipino director Brillante Mendoza gained international recognition with his first feature film, The Masseur (2005), which won the Golden Leopard at Locarno International Film Festival. At Cannes, he has won Best Director for Kinatay (2009) and Best Actress for Ma’Rosa (2016). His fictional work focuses on life in the Philippines, depicting the problems facing underprivileged populations with a powerful sense of narrative.
 
Mendoza is realistic and emotional, a storyteller and a witness. He excels at placing actors in the overcharged environments of poor Manila neighbourhoods, characterized by men, women, children, noises, violence, desire and feelings. However, Mendoza, sometimes known as Dante, has also filmed fishing villages in Thy Womb (2012), coastal areas ravaged by typhoons in Taklub (2015) and the jungle in Captive (2012). The latter film featured Isabelle Huppert in the leading role, and shows his commitment to world cinema.
 
Mendoza is a prolific director, producing 14 feature films in 12 years. He founded and manages Centerstage, a company that produces his films, supports emerging Filipino directors and runs training workshops entitled Rethink! Redefine Cinema.