Mongrel

Mongrel (2025)

白衣蒼狗

Oom has no papers or formal training but is good at caring for the elderly and disabled. When his situation as a caregiver in the mountains becomes too much for him, he has to choose between survival or dignity.

Date of release
2025-01-26
TMDB
8.0 / 10 (2)
Runtime
2h 10m
Genres
Drama
Director
Chiang Wei-liang

Casting

Interesting facts

Mongrel is a 2024 drama film directed and written by Chiang Wei-liang, with co-direction by Yin You-qiao. Starring Wanlop Rungkumjad, Kuo Shu-wei, Daniel Hong, Lu Yi-ching, and Atchara Suwan, the film explores themes related to migrant caregivers in Taiwan, focusing on one caregiver (Rungkumjad) who develops a bond with his new patient (Kuo).

Production

In 2017, director-screenwriter Chiang Wei-liang envisioned creating a film centered on migrant caregivers in Taiwan, motivated by his uncle's experience of being bedridden due to a stroke caused by language barriers and a lack of cooperation between his family and their Myanmar domestic helper.

Chiang completed the first draft during the Cinéfondation Residence from late 2019 to early 2020. In June 2020, the project was awarded funding by the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée, receiving a development grant of 5,000 euros. Chiang then participated in TorinoFilmLab and Talents Tokyo to refine the screenplay.

Hou Hsiao-hsien and Liao Ching-sung attached to the project as executive producers in early stages. It was set to be jointly produced by Taiwan, Singapore, and France, with Yin You-qiao credited as co-director. Location scouting and casting took place concurrently with the writing process, and Chiang attributed the lengthy pre-production to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Principal photography began in late winter 2022, primarily in rural Taiwan. Cinematographer Michaël Capron was invited by French co-producer Marie Dubas to lead the shoot while he was filming in Bogotá, and he immediately accepted the offer after reading the script, drawn to its writing and subject matter.

Mongrel was presented at the project market of the International Film Festival Rotterdam in January 2024, with the film still in progress and only the first 15 minutes of footage screened. In April, the France-based Alpha Violet acquired for international sales. Post-production was initially reported to be completed by the second or third quarter of 2024, but ultimately concluded in May 2024.

Read on Wikipedia · Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Data from Wikidata.

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