‘Before the Rain’ Director Milcho Manchevski on Tokyo Competition Title ‘Sister Brother Manhole Cover,’ Whistleblowing and the ‘Death of Beauty’ in Cinema
Milcho Manchevski’s dark comedy “Sister Brother Manhole Cover” is competing at the Tokyo International Film Festival after being held up for years. The director says the delay followed his reports of alleged corruption at North Macedonia’s Film Agency, which he says led to political harassment, a media smear campaign and criminal proceedings.
The film follows Malina and Viktor, impoverished siblings who steal bronze statues and manhole covers to sell for scrap; after Viktor is badly injured, they flee with help from a crooked doctor. Manchevski says the story explores the fierce, complicated bond between brother and sister, while showing poverty as painful and shaped by political circumstances. He resists fixed genre rules and idealised characters, arguing that cinema should open discussion rather than dictate moral lessons.
In short
- Manchevski’s film reaches Tokyo competition after years of delay.
- He links the delay to his corruption reports.
- The dark comedy centres on a sister and brother in poverty.
Explained simply
North Macedonia’s Film Agency is a public body that supports the country’s film industry. Director Milcho Manchevski says he reported alleged corruption there and that his actions were followed by political harassment, a media campaign against him and criminal proceedings; these are his claims.
His film centres on Malina and Viktor, impoverished siblings who steal metal objects to sell for scrap. Their story connects family ties and poverty with the wider circumstances that shape people’s lives. The film’s place in competition at the Tokyo International Film Festival brings attention to both its production history and Manchevski’s views on what cinema should do.