Overseas

2019 | 90min | Documentary 

Watch the trailer

Aux Philippines, on déploie les femmes en masse à l’étranger comme aides ménagères ou nounous. Elles laissent souvent derrière elles leurs propres enfants, avant de se jeter dans l’inconnu. Dans un centre de formation au travail domestique, comme tant d’autres aux Philippines, un groupe de candidates au départ se préparent au mal du pays et aux maltraitances qui pourraient les atteindre. Lors d’exercices de jeux de rôles, les femmes se mettent tant dans la peau de l’employée que des employeurs. Aux abords de la fiction, OVERSEAS traite de la servitude moderne de notre monde globalisé, tout en révélant la détermination de ces femmes, leur sororité et les stratégies mises en place face aux épreuves que leur réserve l’avenir.

In the Philippines, women get deployed abroad to work as domestic workers or nannies. In order to do so, they frequently leave their own children behind before throwing themselves into the unknown. In one of the many local filipino training centers dedicated to domestic work, a group of trainees are getting ready to face both homesickness and the possible abuses lying ahead. During role playing exercises, they alternatively play both the roles of the employee and that of the employers. Bordering on fiction, OVERSEAS brings to light the question of modern servitude in our globalized world, while emphasizing these women’s determination, their sisterhood, and the strategies they find to face the ordeals that awaits them in the near future.

image | Thomas Schira
sound | Kwinten Van Laethem
editing | Dieter Diependaele
music | Fréderic Verrières
sound design | Emmanuel Soland
color grading | Matthieu Weil
production | Isabelle Truc (Iota Production), Quentin Laurent (Les Films De L’oeil Sauvage) & Hanne Phlypo (Clin D’oeil Films)
Produced by Iota Production and Les Films De L’œil Sauvage in co-production with Clin D’œil Films, le Cba (Centre de l’audiovisuel à Bruxelles), Michigan Films, BeTV et France TV

With the support of Le Centre du cinema de la Federation Wallonie-Bruxelles, CNC, Fonds Audiovisuel de Flandre (Vaf), DGD, Region Paca, Cnap, Procirep, Angoa et du Tax Shelter du Gouvernement Federal belge Casa Kafka Pictures – Belfius.

Reviews | Press kit (EN / FR) | Website

World premiere



Screenings

72th Locarno Flm Festival (IT) – Cineasti del presente 2019
29th Message to man international film festival (RS) – International competition
15th Camden International Film Festival (US) – Vision award nominee 2019
35th Warsaw Film Festival (PL) – International competition 2019 – Best Documentary Film Award
26th Hamptons International Film Festival (US) – Documentary competition – Best Documentary Film Award
63rd BFI London Film Festival (UK) – Documentary competition
24th Busan International Film Festival (KP) – Wide angle documentary films
33rd Festival International du Film Francophone de Namur (BE) – Place aux docs
IDFA - International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam 2019 (NL) – Best of Fests
Rencontres Internationales du documentaire de Montréal 2019 (CA) - International competition
Hong Kong Asian Film Festival 2019 (CH)
26th Minsk International Film Festival “Listapad” (BY)
12th This Human World Film Festival (AT)
FIPADOC 2020 (FR)
15th Premiers Plans d’Angers (FR) – European Competition - Best directing European Films Award 2020
Doc Fortnight – MoMA’s Festival of International Nonfiction Film and Media in New-York City (US)
19th Docpoint – Helsinki documentary Film Festival (FI)
11th Festival Filmer le Travail (FR) – Grand Prix Filmer Le Travail 2020
Amherst Cinema Arts Center - «Bellweather» Screening (US)
Femspectives 2020 - Glasgow Feminist Film Festival (UK)
Colorado Dragon Film Festival 2020 (US)
10th Luxembourg City Film Festival (LU)
Objectif center for photography Singapore (SG) - « Stories that matters 2020: who cares »
21st Tempo Documentary Festival (SE) - Honorary Mention Stefan Jarl International Documentary Award 2020
Punto De Vista International Documentary Film Festival 2020 (ES) - 2020 Audience’s Prize
Cinemasia Film Festival 2020 (NL)
Toronto Doc Soup (screenings organized by Hotdocs International film Festival) (CA)
Cinemateca de Bogota (CO)
18th FIFDH – International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (CH) - Youth Jury Award 2020
22nd Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival, Greece (GR) – Top Docs section
43rd Portland International Film Festival (US)
One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival 2020 (CZ)
22nd Ljubljana Documentary Film Festival (SI)
CPH:DOX 2020 (DA)
24th Vilnius International Film Festival (LH)
17th Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival (UA)
16th Patois International New Orleans Human Rights Film Festival (US)
2nd Hebden Bridge film festival (UK)
13th One World Romania (RO)
22nd Sarasota Film Festival (US)
18th San Sebastián Human Rights Film Festival (ES)
15th Ambulante Film Festival (MX)
35th DOK. Fest. München (DE)
23rd DocsBarcelona International - Amnesty International Catalunya Award
Documentary Film Festival (ES)
44th Atlanta Film Festival (US) - Documentary feature competition
17th IndieLisboa International Film Festival (PO) - Sylvestre section
16th Docville International documentary film festival (BE) - National Competition
12th Millenium Film Festival (BE) - National competition
14th Asian Pacific Screen Awards (AU) – In competition for “Best Documentary”
29th Innsbruck international film festival (AT)
Construir Cine International Labor Film Festival 2020 (AR) - Best Documentary Film Award