Venice Golden Lion Winner Milcho Manchevski’s ‘Sister Brother Manhole Cover’ Heads to Tokyo for World Premiere, Trailer Unveiled (EXCLUSIVE)

“Sister Brother Manhole Cover,” the new feature from Venice Golden Lion winner Milcho Manchevski, will world premiere in the Tokyo International Film Festival‘s main competition.

Variety is debuting the trailer.

Francesca Breccia’s Coccinelle Film Sales is handling the film and will start selling it to international buyers during Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market.

Manchevski wrote and directed the dark comedy, which centers on Malina and Viktor, a sister and brother getting by hand to mouth at the edges of Macedonian society. To keep going, the pair pilfer bronze busts and manhole covers, and they do it with plenty of attitude. Their chaotic path eventually brings them to a wealthy elderly woman who is blind. Her mix of hardness and kindness pushes them to examine their own sense of right and wrong, and what it means to be devoted to someone.

“Our anti-heroes defiantly refuse to identify as victims,” Manchevski said.

Sara Klimoska and Filip Trajkovikj lead the cast, with Sonja Mihajlova also on board. Jane Kortoshev is the producer.

“I was interested in telling a story of great love and unconditional acceptance that is not erotic,” Manchevski said.

The filmmaker first drew international attention with “Before the Rain,” which took the Golden Lion at Venice along with the Fipresci Prize and went on to earn an Academy Award nomination for best foreign-language film. His later features include “Dust,” the opening-night film at Venice, as well as “Mothers” and “Willow.”

The new film brings Manchevski back to Tokyo. His last feature, “Kaymak,” also bowed in the festival’s competition as a world premiere.