As the 77th Cannes Film Festival came to a close on Saturday (May 25), Singaporean filmmaker Chiang Wei Liang received a Special Mention Camera d’Or prize for Mongrel, a film he wrote and co-directed.
The Camera d’Or is an esteemed award at Cannes, recognising the best first feature film from any of these three sections: Official Selection, Directors’ Fortnight, or Critics’ Week. An independent jury presents the award during the festival’s closing ceremony.
The Special Mention acknowledges films of exceptional quality that, while not winning the main prize, deserve recognition for their outstanding merit as first feature films.
Mongrel, Chiang’s debut feature, premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight, a festival segment that highlights short films, feature films, and documentaries from around the globe.
The drama centres around Oom, portrayed by Thai actor Wanlop Rungkumjad. Oom is an undocumented immigrant worker in Taiwan, struggling under the demands of his exploitative boss.
His situation becomes more complicated when he starts helping a mentally handicapped man and his elderly mother, which eventually puts Oom in a difficult position as he is forced to choose between his survival and his principles.
