The Asian Three-Fold Mirror project brings together three globally acclaimed directors to co-create omnibus films with a common theme. This year, under the theme of "Living Together in Asia", director Brillante Ma Mendoza, Isao Yukisada, and Sotho Kulikar produced segments set in Japan and the Philippines, Malaysia and Cambodia. Touching stories emerge as each country's culture and history influence each character's past and present.
Co-production by The Japan Foundation Asia Center and Tokyo International Film Festival
Sponsored by IMAGICA
General Producer: Takeo Hisamatsu

The Asian Three-Fold Mirror project brings together three globally acclaimed directors from Asia to co-create omnibus films with a common theme. The first of the omnibus film series, Asian Three-Fold Mirror 2016: Reflections, reflects on the history and culture of the chosen countries, generating new points of light. Under the theme “Living Together in Asia”, crew and cast joined forces across national borders to depict the lives of characters who journey between Japan and Cambodia, the Philippines and Malaysia. These works aim to help bring together people in Asia.

SHINIUMA Dead Horse
Director: Brillante Ma Mendoza
2016 color
Internationally acclaimed director Mendoza gives an account of an illegal Filipino immigrant with his distinctive style of improvisation and energy. The man works at a ranch as a stable hand, but then gets deported back to his home country. Racetracks in Japan and the Philippines are shown at the opening and ending, seamlessly depicting the transfer from freezing Hokkaido to scorching Philippines.

The story begins at Banei racetrack in Obihiro, Hokkaido, in the midst of winter. Manny (Lou Veloso) has won a race and is happily on his way home when immigration officers come to the ranch where he works as a stable hand. Manny is arrested for illegally staying in the country and is deported. From Manila airport he takes a long-distance bus, jeepney and bike taxi and finally arrives in his home village, but his family dispersed long ago and there is no place for him to stay. He sneaks into the Santa Ana racetrack in the end but...

Pigeon
Director: Isao Yukisada
2016 color
Yukisada chose Penang, Malaysia, which is home to many Japanese retirees. The story revolves around a lonely old man. The discord with his son and interaction with his helper are portrayed along with his distant memories of the Pacific War. The young woman is called Yasmin, Yukisada's homage to late, great Malaysian director Yasmin Ahmad whom he loves and respects. Woo Ming Jin and Edmund Yeo assisted in filming in Penang.

Set in Penang, Malaysia, where Michisaburo Tanaka (Masahiko Tsugawa) lives in a big two-storied house with helpers. He keeps pigeons on the roof terrace. His son Masao (Masatoshi Nagase) comes to visit him from Japan every month but he is disinterested and does not stay long. One day a new helper Yasmin (Sharifah Amani) comes to look after Michisaburo. Through various problems a bond starts to form between the two. With the help of Yasmin and Alif, her boyfriend, Michisaburo goes to the beach where his brothers were killed during the war and sets the pigeons free.

Beyond The Bridge
Director: Sotho Kulikar
2016 color
After her directorial debut, Kulikar has chosen to set the Cambodia-Japan Friendship Bridge in Phnom Penh at the center, and created a love story that connects her homeland of Cambodia to Japan through times of civil war to reconstruction. The actor Masaya Kato superbly shows the contrast in the protagonist in his youth and at a later stage of life. The film includes rare documentary footage of the civil war.

In 1994, the reconstruction of the "Japanese Bridge" in Phnom Penh is complete after two years. Fukuda (Masaya Kato), the president of the Japanese company that oversaw the reconstruction, stands by the bridge and remembers the time he spent in Cambodia. It was in early 1970s when he came here to build the bridge. He fell in love with Mealea (Chumvan Sodhachivy) and promised her that they would get married and live in Japan together. However, as the Khmer Rouge gained power, his father made him return for fear of safety. Twenty years later, Fukuda stands by the bridge and wonders if Mealea is still alive.