Sometimes a sofa is just a sofa. Sometimes it’s what makes your home a home. Sometimes it’s an eyesore. Sometimes it’s a burden you have to bear and the more you invest in it the more fruitless the endeavor becomes. In PINOY SUNDAY, a sofa is a brand new tacky red leather couch being hauled across Taipei by the reluctant Dado and dreamy eyed Manuel, two Filipino migrant workers determined to deliver the discarded piece of furniture to their dorm so they can lounge on it after a hard day’s work, drink beer and dream of their family back home or that girl they met at the nightclub the night before. Problem is, they have no means of transportation forcing them to lug it by hand through the streets of Taipei. What follows is a Beckettian road film of sorts by way of Cervantes and Laurel and Hardy filled with hilarious and poignant incidents.

Malaysian-Taiwanese director Wi Ding Ho was inspired to make PINOY SUNDAY after observing groups of Filipino migrant workers on their afternoon off and noticing how happy they appeared. Aware of the hardships many of these workers regularly endure, the irony of their cheery exterior made such a profound impression on the filmmaker that it inspired him to make a film that gently balances the two extremes. The result is a finely crafted work that cares little about making sweeping generalizations or grand sociopolitical statements, but is more interested in giving a glimpse into the life of the men and women who leave their loved ones back home to look for work abroad. A deceptively simple film yet the beauty is in the details as well as the nuanced and engaging performances by Bayani Agbayani and Epy Quizon who play Dado and Manuel respectively. In a foreign land, the monotony of work, the detachment and the loneliness is eased by the camaraderie and companionship found amongst fellow ex-patriots. But for Dado and Manuel, that still may not be enough. But maybe, just maybe, a sofa is just what they need.

Synopsis written by: Joel Quizon