“Sister Brother Manhole Cover,” a dark comedy from Venice Golden Lion winner Milcho Manchevski, will have its world premiere in the main competition of the Tokyo International Film Festival, which runs Oct. 26 to Nov. 4. Variety, which debuted the film’s first trailer, reported the Tokyo selection.
What Sister Brother Manhole Cover is about
The story follows Malina and Viktor, siblings barely making ends meet on the margins of Macedonian society. They get by stealing manhole covers and bronze busts, with no shortage of swagger.
Their scheming eventually puts them in the path of a rich, elderly blind woman. She is by turns harsh and kind, and dealing with her makes the pair rethink their own moral code and what loyalty really means, according to Variety’s description of the plot.
Sara Klimoska and Filip Trajkovikj star as the siblings, with Sonja Mihajlova also in the cast. Jane Kortoshev produced. Manchevski wrote and directed the film, which is a co-production of North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania, Italy and the United Kingdom, according to Deadline.
“Our anti-heroes defiantly refuse to identify as victims,” Manchevski told Variety. “I was interested in telling a story of great love and unconditional acceptance that is not erotic.”
Manchevski’s festival history
Manchevski broke through internationally with 1994’s “Before the Rain,” which won the Golden Lion and the FIPRESCI Prize at Venice and earned an Academy Award nomination for best foreign-language film. He followed it with “Dust,” which opened the Venice Film Festival, as well as “Mothers” and “Willow.”
“Sister Brother Manhole Cover” marks his return to Tokyo. His previous feature, “Kaymak,” also had its world premiere in 2022 in the festival’s competition, Variety reported.
Sister Brother Manhole Cover in the Tokyo competition
The film is one of 15 titles in Tokyo’s main competition and one of seven having world premieres there, according to Deadline. Australian filmmaker Rolf de Heer leads the competition jury. The festival opens with Zeze Takahisa’s “Sukiyaki,” closes with Yeon Sang-ho’s “Colony” and has “Godzilla Minus Zero” as its centerpiece film, Deadline reported.
Other world premieres in the section include Garin Nugroho’s “Red Before Dawn” from Indonesia, Qiu Jiongjiong’s “Fuxi: Four Tales of Feasting” and Wang Jiangyong’s “The Night That Binds Us.” For more indie and festival picks, see our list of 2025’s best overlooked indie films.
Sales and what’s next
Francesca Breccia’s Coccinelle Film Sales is handling international sales and will start shopping the film to buyers at Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market, Variety reported. No U.S. distributor or release date has been announced.
