And If Thuy Didn’t Exist

Ya Thuy Olmasaydı / Et si Thuy n’existait pas

DCP / Color / 16’
French, English and Vietnamese with Turkish and English Subtitles
Philippines, France, Indonesia, 2026

Director: Carlo Francisco Manatad
Screenplay: Carlo Francisco Manatad
Cinematography: Adham El Khodary
Editing: Carlo Francisco Manatad
Cast: Thuy Cecile Dior, Jeanmax Roman Yenkey, Frog Joaquim Ferraz, Woman with the Frame Mikee dela Cruz, Makbul Mubarak, Thief Luan Dias
Producer: Chad Cabigon, Sam Manacsa
Production: Next Lives
World Sales: LIGHTS ON

Synopsis

Buffering through a new country on odd jobs and a phone that speaks for her, an undocumented immigrant is now “ready to pair”. Applying the language of devices to a human life, Carlo Francisco Manatad portrays a woman who speaks through a translation app rather than her own voice, and whose very existence becomes a question in the title. Known for a style that moves between absurd humour and harsh reality, Manatad has shown his shorts at Locarno, Cannes Critics’ Week and Toronto.

Screenings