Queer East: Asog CTBA

This screwball tragicomedy stars a cast of real-life survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda, focusing on the adventures of Jaya, a non-binary schoolteacher and comedian. Picking up the pieces in their life, Jaya decides to travel across the Philippines in the hopes of winning a drag beauty pageant.

But a chance encounter with bereaved student Arnel complicates their plans, and as they head on a journey together, the unlikely duo find themselves forever changed by the people and places they encounter.

Featuring outstanding performances from its non-professional cast, Seán Devlin’s unconventional road movie is a riotously funny crowd-pleaser: both an empowering queer fairy-tale and a profound, politically-charged ode to the power of solidarity in the face of tragedy.

Including a recorded introduction from the film’s protagonist, Jaya.