Off World

Two million tonnes of waste inhabit the landfill known as Smokey Mountain in Manila, Philippines. A squatter community of more than 30,000 people live in the slums around the landfill, and make their living by picking through the decomposing mountain of trash, looking for rare valuables. This is the setting for director Mateo Guez’s raw, ethereal first feature film. “Off World” follows a young Toronto man, Lucky, as he returns to Smokey Mountain for the first time since his adoption by Canadian parents when he was just a year old. Aided by NGO worker, Julia, Lucky tracks down his surviving brother, who lives and works as a transsexual hustler. Confronted for the first time with the realities of Smokey Mountain, Lucky struggles to reconcile his desire to reclaim his past with the truth about where he came from. Wrought with rich photography and lyrical narration, “Off World” is a stunning and complex portrait of the rare beauty that exists in even the most squalid corners of the world. As Lucky uncovers the truth about his family, this powerful feature unveils the majesty and strength of the human spirit. – Inside Out LGBT Film and Video Festival (Toronto) World Premiere at the Sao Paulo International Film Festival, 2009 Best Canadian Film Award Reel World Film Festival, 2010