Mongrel

Like many Vietnamese, Filipinos, Indonesians and Thais, Oom is an illegal worker in a rough province of Taiwan. Under the thumb of an unscrupulous boss, he can't refuse any of the jobs he's given. There are menial tasks, but there are also more worthy vocations: he helps a sick old woman and a mentally handicapped man at home, with patience and gentleness, perhaps recognising in them his own imprisonment. A stark film, with bursts of intense light. (Cannes Film Festival)