The Search for Weng Weng

The Search for Weng Weng (DVD) (*)

Out of Stock

Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )

Product Origin/Format:
United Kingdom ( PAL/Region 0 )

Running Time:
93 min

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen (1.78:1)

Special Features:
2-DVD Set
Alternative Footage
Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Interactive Menu
Music Video
Scene Access
Special Edition
Trailer(s)

Movie filmed in 2013 and produced in:
Australia ( Australia, New Zealand )

Directed By:
Andrew Leavold

Written By:
Andrew Leavold
Daniel Palisa

Actors:
Tikoy Aguiluz ..... Himself
Roy Arabejo ..... Himself
Tilman Baumgaertel ..... Himself
Don Gordon Bell ..... Himself
Celso Ad. Castillo ..... Himself
Beth Chai ..... Herself
Teddie Co ..... Himself
Rez Cortez ..... Himself
Roland Dantes ..... Himself
Celing de la Cruz ..... Himself
Editha De La Cruz ..... Herself
Nick Deocampo ..... Himself
Dolphy ..... Himself
Jim Gaines ..... Himself
Peque Gallaga ..... Himself
Eddie Garcia ..... Himself
Franco Guerrero ..... Himself
John Kater ..... Himself
Andrew Leavold ..... Himself
Marrie Lee ..... Herself
Ed Lejano ..... Himself
Maria Isabel Lopez ..... Herself
Anthony Maharaj ..... Himself
Imee Marcos ..... Herself
Imelda Marcos ..... Herself
Pia Moran ..... Herself
Eddie Nicart ..... Himself
Daniel Palisa ..... Himself
Dante Pangilinan ..... Himself
Rusty Santos ..... Himself
Henry Strzalkowski ..... Himself
Bobby A. Suarez ..... Himself
Edgardo Vinarao ..... Himself
Weng Weng ..... Himself (archive footage)

Synopsis:

Almost a decade ago Australian trash cinema aficionado Andrew Leavold set off to the Philippines to uncover the true story behind his cinema obsession, a 2 foot 9, Filipino James Bond, the enigmatic Weng Weng. Over several visits to the Philippines, Leavold manages to piece together Weng Weng's incredible story - packed with pathos, humour and tragedy, whilst at the same time lifting the lid on one of the most extraordinary and bizarre national cinemas on the planet, this is an unforgettable expose of all that is great (and wrong) about the movie business. With a cast full of eccentric characters, from directors, producers, actors, stuntmen to the outrageous Imelda Marcos herself, this is a remarkable journey deep into the eye of Asia's B-cinema tiger. You will come to love the man that cinema history almost forgot, the amazing Weng Weng.

One night in 1996, Australian cult video store owner-turned-guerrilla filmmaker Andrew Leavold dreamt he was in the Philippines directing a documentary about Weng Weng, the long-dead Filipino midget James Bond. Ten years later, he's actually in Manila making a deal with the forces of chaos and following his two-decade obsession to its logical conclusion. It's just the beginning of a very strange adventure, and as fate would have it, it's all captured on film. Armed only with a Mini-DV camera and with a head full of gloriously bad B-movies, Leavold fearlessly leaps into the trenches of the Philippines' once thriving film industry and allows blind chance and serendipity to point the way. He discovers a schizophrenic Asia-cum-America dotted with shopping malls and a scale model of Hollywood now a disaster zone, symptomatic of a country attempting to claw its way out of its post-colonial malaise, yet curiously on the verge of a digital filmmaking revolution. As for Weng Weng: he remains an enigma even to those who worked with him. His reign as the midget Agent 00 was an outrageous novelty that plucked him from complete obscurity and returned him just as quickly. What was he like? When and how did he pass away? In a country of 80 million people, it seems the truth about Weng Weng has slipped between the cracks forever. THE SEARCH FOR WENG WENG leapfrogs from one eccentric character to the next - directors, producers, actors, stuntmen, midget waiters, transvestites and dwarf zombies, each one with a unique place in Filipino cinema - all the while dismantling the country's greatest filmic urban legend. It's part detective story, part forgotten B-film history, and part surreal Quest for the Holy Grail - that is, if the Grail is a two-foot-nine superstar called Weng Weng.

The bizarre history of Filipino B-films, as told through filmmaker Andrew Leavold's personal quest to find the truth behind its midget James Bond superstar Weng Weng.

This product was added to our catalog on Monday 04 May, 2015.