Mountain Thief

Dir. Gerry Balasta
Phillipines | 78min

Mon 7.19 | 9:00p | CVMOUN
Clearview Chelsea Cinema

In the depths of the biggest dumpsite in the Philippines lies the small yet mighty village of Little Hope, where the residents make a living by collecting recyclable items such as aluminum cans, plastic bottles and glass in exchange for a few measly cents. Julio, with his young, sickly son Ingo, decides to seek refuge from the war in Mindanao within the mountains of trash. Here he faces territorial battles, the true desperation of the scavengers, a murder accusation and the severity of his son’s sickness. Despite the horrific living conditions and extreme poverty, the strong willed people of Little Hope survive on love and determination to follow their dreams. Shot in Payatas Philippines, filmmaker Gerry Balasta takes independent cinema to a whole new level by casting the actual resident scavengers of the infamous dumpsite, giving the audience an eye-opening dose of reality.

Preceded by Letters from Alaska dir. Ang Roberto Reyes, part of the Cinema Me Shorts Competition

Click here to watch the trailer!

Director Gerry Balasta and producer Douglas Morse will be in attendance and available for Q&A after the film.