The Search for Weng Weng tells an unbelievable but fascinating true story that ultimately draws profound conclusions about the influence of popular culture and the nature of fame.

From the late ’70s through the early ’80s, a homegrown film industry flourished in the Philippines. Inspired by Hollywood in general and the success of locally-filmed Apocalypse Now in particular, Filipino filmmakers responded with films of their own, churning out up to 300 a year at the peak of production. Possibly one of the most unlikely stars to emerge was Weng Weng, the 2’9″ action star usually cast as a James-Bond-style assassin in a bunch of low-budget, but nonetheless very successful, films.

Australian director Andrew Leavold grew to know and love Weng Weng’s work while owning and managing a video store in Brisbane in the mid-1990s. Leavold is a published author, researcher, film festival curator, musician, TV presenter, and occasional filmmaker. But above all, he is an unrepentant and voracious fan of eccentric and lowbrow cinema.

He began to wonder about the diminutive actor whose fame apparently faded as quickly as it exploded. Who was Weng Weng, what was his real name, how did he get into movies, where was he now? Although the actor had a sort of presence on the Internet, no one seemed to know anything else about him, and Leavold’s curiosity was piqued.

He traveled to the Philippines, where the trail was initially cold. As his investigation necessarily widened, it developed into something more – a look at over 30 years of Filipino pop culture, and how it reflects both their country at large and the exported culture of the US. Along the way, The Search for Weng Weng introduces us to a wide variety of colorful characters, from Weng Weng’s sole surviving relative, to Filipino directors, actors, and producers, and in a truly surreal sequence, former first lady Imelda Marcos.

Leavold’s passion for his subject and compassion for Weng Weng imbues his exploration of these exploitative and potentially offensive films with a sense of humanity and respect, and prompts a deeper understanding of “lowbrow” art and what we can learn about ourselves in the most unexpected of places.

The Search for Weng Weng
Documentary – NR – 96 min – Tickets $10 – No passes or coupons – Get tickets online
Wednesday, December 17 at 7:30 p.m. – Followed by a Q + A in person with director Andrew Leavold

Sponsored by San Diego’s Horrible Imaginings Film Festival

Official Selection Cinemanila International Film Festival, Sheffield Doc/Fest, Udine Far East Film Festival