Dog Days

Thanks to a feat of magic in which his mother sacrificed her life for him, black Filipino teenager Michael Jordan Ulili has a great talent for basketball. But this talent has not prepared him for the hard knocks given out by life – from his racist teammates to a knee injury and his girlfriend suddenly falling pregnant. When he comes into contact with the underground scene around crystal meth, his basketball dream slowly but surely becomes a nightmare. Young Filipino filmmaker Timmy Harn sees Michael as a symbol of his country: a mix of indigenous roots, the culture of former colonial rulers and that of the promised land people so desire. The title refers to the hottest days of the summer, but just as easily a period of lethargy. Harn records it all in a mix of sports film, melodrama and narcotic nightmare, in glorious black-and-white and with an Oedipal lead role for a Mitsubishi Galant. (International Film Festival Rotterdam)