The latest Third Window Film release caught my attention earlier this year because it saw the collaboration between Wong Kar-Wai’s favourite cinematographer Christopher Doyle (the man responsible for the look for Happy Together, In the Mood for Love, Chungking Express) and the awesome actor Tadanobu Asano (Vital, Watashi no Otoko, Ichi the Killer, Survive Style 5+).

The film is a gangster flick which looks stylish and involves Asano falling for a gangster’s moll played by Mexican star Nathalia Acevedo (Post Tenebras Lux) and the two going on the run. They are working with the Phillipine director Khavn (Mondomanilla) and music is provided by German synth-pop duo Stereo Total. Long time readers will remember that I wrote about this when Asano and Stereo Total were at Nippon Connection earlier this year when trio played a concert and attended the screening of the film. Here are the details!

RUINED HEART:

Another Love Story Between a Criminal and a Whore

A film by Khavn (Mondomanilla, Misericordia: The Last Mystery of Kristo Vampiro)

Official Selection at the 59^th London Film Festival &
Competition of the 60^th Cork Film Festival

Philippines / 2014 / 73 Mins / In Tagalog with English subtitles / Colour

Out on Limited Edition Blu-Ray 

December 7th, 2015

Extra Features:
1,000 only limited edition featuring soundtrack CD, 16 page booklet and cardboard slipcase cover
Three music-videos plus an audio track with the live music by stereo total at Nippon Connection
The short film “ruined heart” by khavn.
“This is not a premiere” (some impressions from the Manila premiere)
“This is not behind the scenes” (impressions from the sets)

Synopsis: Somewhere in Manila, a crime boss rules with an iron fist. He uses religion and violence to stay in power. What superstition and razzle dazzle don’t accomplish, his goons do. To his most loyal henchman he gives the task of guarding his woman, who is headstrong and impulsive, and often gets into trouble. Before long, she falls in love with the henchman, and the star-crossed lovers decide to leave town.  Fighting ensues. It  is  while  on  the  run  that  they  finally  get  to  know each other for the first time.

About Director Khavn

Khavn  De  La  Cruz  is  considered  as  the  father  of  Philippine  digital  filmmaking.  He has  made  45 features and more than a hundred short films, most of which have received prizes, been given retrospectives, and presented in international film festivals. He has served as a jury member in the  Clermont-Ferrand  (France],  jeonju  (Korea],  jihlava  (Czech  Republic]  and  Dok  Leipzig (Germany] film festivals.

Khavn is also a Palanca-award-winning poet and fictionist whose books are published by the University of the Philippines Press and University of Santo Tomas Press. His 5th book, Shockbox, was released in 2013.

Bandleader of The Brockas, Khavn is an acclaimed composer, songwriter, singer and pianist who has  performed  in  Europe,  Asia,  Australia,  and  America  and  has  made  several  albums,  rock operas, and film soundtracks. He performs live piano score for several of his films.

About Cinematogapher Christopher Doyle 

Christopher Doyle is an Australian cinematographer who often works on Chinese language films and has worked together with filmmaker Wong Kar-wai on many of his movies. He is an award winner of Cannes Film Festival and Venice Film Festival. He has also won the AFI Award for cinematography, the Golden Horse awards (four times), and Hong Kong Film Award (six times). Doyle is an affiliate of the Hong Kong Society of Cinematographers.