// Presented as part of August's Contemporary Asian Cinema Series //

Phuttiphong Aroonpheng / 2018, Venice, Annonay, Busan, Cabourg, Cairo, Edinburgh, Fajr, FICUMAN, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Kerala, Marrakech, Maryland, Melbourne, Minsk, Montclair, Moscow, Mumbai, Munich, New Directors / New Films, New Zealand, Pingyao, Prague, Queer Lisboa, Rotterdam, San Sebastián, Stockholm, Sydney, Tallinn, Taipei, Thessaloniki, Tokyo, Toronto, Vancouver, Zagreb / 105'

Under the cover of night, a fisherman wades through a labyrinth of mangrove roots, gems gleaming in the moonlight. He collects these stones to toss into the sea, where they attract manta rays. One evening he makes a startling discovery—an injured man, lying unconscious, submerged in mud. The fisherman brings this man to his small coastal hut and nurses him back to health; the man does not speak, so the fisherman names him Thongchai, after a popular Thai singer. No sooner do they form a friendship than the fisherman disappears—Thongchai arrives at his workplace, but gathers no leads. The arrival of the fisherman's estranged wife adds new layers of intrigue to Thongchai's tenuous process of assimilation.

A richly sensorial cinematic experience imbued with an immersive sound design, evocative visuals, and stirring performances from its non-professional actors, Manta Ray explores salient topics of identity, friendship, and loss within the context of one of the most pressing humanitarian issues of our time—the Rohingya refugee crisis. Phuttiphong Aroonpheng's feature film debut premiered at Venice, where it won Best Film - Orizzonti; Mumbai, where it won the International Competition; Cairo and Thessaloniki, where it won Best Director; and Taipei and Zagreb, where it won a Special Mention.