The Garden of Earthly Delights (2025 film)
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- Morgan Knibbe
- Roelof Jan Minneboo
- Armi Rae Cacanindin
- Frank Hoeve
- Eurydice Gysel
- Martien Vlietman
- JP Rodriguez
- Benjamin Moen
| The Garden of Earthly Delights | |
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| Directed by | Morgan Knibbe |
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| Cinematography | Frank van den Eeden |
| Edited by | Xander Nijsten |
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| Distributed by | September Film Distribution (Netherlands) |
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Running time | 124 minutes |
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The Garden of Earthly Delights (Filipino: Ang Hardin ng Makalupang Kasiyahan) is a 2025 drama film directed by Morgan Knibbe from a screenplay he co-wrote with Roelof Jan Minneboo. The story, set in Manila's informal settlements, follows a young boy who aspired to become a gangster, crossed paths with a Dutch tourist who sought solace in the capital's red light district after being scammed, and whose lives collide in a brutal encounter of exploitation and survival.
An international co-production between the Netherlands, the Philippines, and Belgium, the film premiered in the Netherlands on 22 March 2025, as part of the Movies That Matter Festival. It received a Philippine release on 15 November, as part of the 13th QCinema International Film Festival's Before Midnight category.
11-year-old scavenger, Ginto, who fights for his life, respect, and freedom, is determined to become a prominent gangster rather than scavenging trash every day.
Cast
- JP Rodriguez as Ginto: An 11-year-old scavenger who aspired to be a gangster
- Benjamin Moen as Michael: A Dutch tourist who was scammed by a fake relationship
- Francesca Dela Cruz as Asia
- Bunny Candag as Beyonce
- John Michael Toling as Jojo
- Daniel Palisa as Evil Jesus
- Milan van Aagten as the voice of Evil Jesus
- Joshua Eliason as Tourist
Production
The idea of the film originated from Morgan Knibbe's one-year experience as a director of photography for a documentary about street children. While writing the screenplay in 2019, he further immersed himself in the country with co-writer Roelof Jan Minneboo and associate producer Kristine Kintana. The director points out that it addresses overlooked realities, highlights global postcolonial inequalities, and employs cinema to reveal injustice, spur actions, and advance a more inclusive society via a wide range of genuine viewpoints.[1]