One of the only two Filipino-helmed films at the 26th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) gets a win, bringing much pride to the country
If there's one thing we humans have in common, it's that we're all facing our own battles every single day.
But the burden weighs heavier for a disabled Nao Tsuyama (played by Itokazu Shogen), who dreams of fighting in the ring as a professional boxer, as portrayed in the film Gensan Punch, written by Honee Alipio and directed by Brillante Mendoza, an esteemed film director recognised on Tatler's Asia's Most Influential list.
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See also: Life Begins at 40: Brilliante Mendoza Exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum
The film is based on the real story of a Japanese boxer named Naozumi Tsuchiyama, who had to live with a prosthetic leg after getting into an accident in his childhood days. His disability didn't stop him from registering at the Japanese Boxing Association, which unfortunately turned him down.
But after being rejected by the Japanese Boxing Association, he took a one-way ticket to the Philippines and arrives at General Santos City to acquire an international license.
The path to victory is just as challenging; the Japanese boxer will have to learn a new language and adapt to a foreign culture. Along the way, he meets Rudy (Ronnie Lazaro), a former boxing champion who owns the Gensan Quarter in General Santos City, and forms a bond with more people he meets.
