An undocumented Thai caregiver grapples with exploitation in this evocative portrait that received the Caméra d’Or Special Mention at Cannes.

In a remote mountain province of Taiwan, undocumented Thai migrant Oom works as a carer to the elderly and disabled. His calm, attentive manner allows him to grow close to the patients he assists, but his boss also enlists him for shadier tasks, such as placating a local gangster with whom they’ve become entangled. Realising that he is being taken advantage of by his employer, Oom must make a choice between his survival and his humanity.

Executive-produced by legendary Taiwanese New Wave filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien, this striking feature from directors Chiang Wei Liang and You Qiao Yin takes us inside the lives of immigrant workers as they struggle for worth and respect under oppressive conditions. Shot in tight Academy ratio and paced with an exacting rhythm, Mongrel is an unsparing study in despair and indignity driven by an unswerving lead performance from Wanlop Rungkumjad (Manta Ray, MIFF 2019). Yet, in its contemplative focus and meticulous construction, the film also achieves a compelling Zen-like grace.

“This superbly controlled and paced Taiwanese drama bears witness to one of the great crimes of our time … There is a sense after seeing it of having encountered greatness.” – Deadline