{"id":35542,"date":"2026-10-21T01:22:02","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T05:22:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=35542"},"modified":"2026-10-21T01:41:33","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T05:41:33","slug":"ryo-is-a-contemplative-film-about-second-chances-international-film-festival-manhattan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=35542","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Ryo\u2019 Is A Contemplative Film About Second Chances \/ International Film Festival Manhattan"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Japanese-Filipino film Ryo<\/i><\/b> lands in the line-up of the 2026 International Film Festival Manhattan<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

The motion picture, directed by Jayvee Lajot Arboladora, introduces us to the titular protagonist Ryo (Shotou Iguchi) who wakes up alone in a forest in the Philippines with no clothes and no memory of who he is. During his homeless return to life he meets Sarah and her brother Bito who lend a hand. However, their father\u2019s violent interference in this newfound friendship comes with serious consequences.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prior to this dramatic turn of events, we witness how the Japanese outsider is struggling to rebuild his place in society. The unexpected compassion of strangers \u2014 who are just as impoverished as he is \u2014 compels him to confront his past. Through this interior journey Ryo feels as if \u201chis soul is being cleansed<\/i>\u201d and we understand the meaning of these words profoundly, as the narrative unfolds. In anticipation of the truth coming into full view, spectators wonder about Ryo\u2019s life before his awakening in the forest, that seemingly offered a blank slate, and whether there was more to him than his innocent appearance suggested.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div><\/span><\/p>\n

When the answers to these questions finally surface \u2014 shrouded in darkness to convey the film\u2019s moral message \u2014 they are penned and staged in a rather clich\u00e9-ridden manner. Ryo<\/i><\/b>\u2019s call for humanity to break the cycle of violence and replace it with a virtuous circle is noble in principle, but delivered in a rather na\u00efve manner.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, one of the film\u2019s more compelling aspects is its portrayal of the language barrier between Ryo and his Filipino rescuers. He speaks Japanese, they speak their own language, and yet, somehow, they find a way to understand one another. In a world divided by words, a quiet form of understanding emerges, reminding us that human connection can transcend the limits of language.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/ins>\n

Ryo \u2014 who is brilliantly brought to life by actor Shotou Iguchi \u2014 epitomises the courage to confront the shadows of the past, with the hope that redemption may come. Yet there seems to be a certain hypocrisy in the way the story preaches atonement for the sins of yesterday, as though the weight of previous misdeeds could be ever so easily absolved. It somehow reflect a sanctimonious, conservative mindset, in the way guilt seems to suffice to make up for one\u2019s mistakes. Beyond fiction, some things cannot be forgiven or forgotten no matter how deeply the perpetrator regrets having committed them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nevertheless, the lasting impression filmmaker Jayvee Lajot Arboladora leaves behind, is the quiet struggle to turn the page. By encouraging us to believe that even a life marked with mistakes can begin anew, he reminds us of the importance of finding joy in the little things that make life meaningful.<\/span><\/p>\n

Final Grade: C<\/span><\/p>\n

Check out more of Chiara\u2019s articles<\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Japanese-Filipino film Ryo lands in the line-up of the 2026 International Film Festival Manhattan. The motion picture, directed by Jayvee Lajot Arboladora, introduces us to the titular protagonist Ryo (Shotou Iguchi) who wakes up alone in a forest in the Philippines with no clothes and no memory of who he is. During his homeless…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":35543,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20471,19],"tags":[1561,1510,31898,10975,31897,31899],"class_list":["post-35542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pick-up","category-reviews","tag-international-film-festival-manhattan","tag-japan","tag-jayvee-lajot-arboladora","tag-philippines","tag-rio","tag-shotou-iguchi"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018Ryo\u2019 Is A Contemplative Film About Second Chances \/ International Film Festival Manhattan | Cinema Daily US<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Filmmaker Jayvee Lajot Arboladora presents a story of renewal and atonement, through a tale that transcends linguistic barriers.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=35542\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018Ryo\u2019 Is A Contemplative Film About Second Chances \/ International Film Festival Manhattan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Filmmaker Jayvee Lajot Arboladora presents a story of renewal and atonement, through a tale that transcends linguistic barriers.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=35542\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cinema Daily US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-10-21T05:22:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-21T05:41:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ryo.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1182\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"747\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/?p=35542#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/?p=35542\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1e4cad8d4708cb53e3944d993adf68e5\"},\"headline\":\"\u2018Ryo\u2019 Is A Contemplative Film About Second Chances \\\/ International Film Festival Manhattan\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-21T05:22:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-21T05:41:33+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/?p=35542\"},\"wordCount\":491,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/?p=35542#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/Ryo.png\",\"keywords\":[\"International Film Festival Manhattan\",\"Japan\",\"Jayvee Lajot Arboladora\",\"Philippines-\",\"Rio\",\"Shotou Iguchi\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Pick Up\",\"Reviews\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/?p=35542#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/?p=35542\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/?p=35542\",\"name\":\"\u2018Ryo\u2019 Is A Contemplative Film About Second Chances \\\/ International Film Festival Manhattan | Cinema Daily US\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/?p=35542#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/?p=35542#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/Ryo.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-21T05:22:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-21T05:41:33+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1e4cad8d4708cb53e3944d993adf68e5\"},\"description\":\"Filmmaker Jayvee Lajot Arboladora presents a story of renewal and atonement, through a tale that transcends linguistic barriers.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/?p=35542#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/?p=35542\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/?p=35542#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/Ryo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/Ryo.png\",\"width\":1182,\"height\":747},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/?p=35542#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"\u2018Ryo\u2019 Is A Contemplative Film About Second Chances \\\/ International Film Festival Manhattan\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Cinema Daily US\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1e4cad8d4708cb53e3944d993adf68e5\",\"name\":\"Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/Chiara-Spagnoli-Gabardi-150x150.jpg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/Chiara-Spagnoli-Gabardi-150x150.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/02\\\/Chiara-Spagnoli-Gabardi-150x150.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi\"},\"description\":\"Works as film critic and journalist who covers stories about culture and sustainability. With a degree in Political Sciences, a Master\u2019s in Screenwriting & Film Production, and studies at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, Chiara has been working in the press since 2003. Italian by blood, British by upbringing, fond of Japanese culture since the age of 7, once a New Yorker always a New Yorker, and an avid traveller, Chiara collaborates with international magazines and radio-television networks. She is also a visual artist, whose eco-works connect to her use of language: the title of each painting is inspired by the materials she upcycles on canvas. Her \u2018Material Puns\u2019 have so far been exhibited in four continents, across ten countries. She is a dedicated ARTivist, donating her works to the causes and humanitarians she supports, and is Professor of Phenomenology of Contemporary Arts at Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cinemadailyus.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cinemadailyus.com\\\/?author=6\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"\u2018Ryo\u2019 Is A Contemplative Film About Second Chances \/ International Film Festival Manhattan | Cinema Daily US","description":"Filmmaker Jayvee Lajot Arboladora presents a story of renewal and atonement, through a tale that transcends linguistic barriers.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=35542","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"\u2018Ryo\u2019 Is A Contemplative Film About Second Chances \/ International Film Festival Manhattan","og_description":"Filmmaker Jayvee Lajot Arboladora presents a story of renewal and atonement, through a tale that transcends linguistic barriers.","og_url":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=35542","og_site_name":"Cinema Daily US","article_published_time":"2026-10-21T05:22:02+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-10-21T05:41:33+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1182,"height":747,"url":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ryo.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=35542#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=35542"},"author":{"name":"Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi","@id":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/#\/schema\/person\/1e4cad8d4708cb53e3944d993adf68e5"},"headline":"\u2018Ryo\u2019 Is A Contemplative Film About Second Chances \/ International Film Festival Manhattan","datePublished":"2026-10-21T05:22:02+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-21T05:41:33+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=35542"},"wordCount":491,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=35542#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ryo.png","keywords":["International Film Festival Manhattan","Japan","Jayvee Lajot Arboladora","Philippines-","Rio","Shotou Iguchi"],"articleSection":["Pick Up","Reviews"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=35542#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=35542","url":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=35542","name":"\u2018Ryo\u2019 Is A Contemplative Film About Second Chances \/ International Film Festival Manhattan | Cinema Daily US","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=35542#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=35542#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ryo.png","datePublished":"2026-10-21T05:22:02+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-21T05:41:33+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/#\/schema\/person\/1e4cad8d4708cb53e3944d993adf68e5"},"description":"Filmmaker Jayvee Lajot Arboladora presents a story of renewal and atonement, through a tale that transcends linguistic barriers.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=35542#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=35542"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=35542#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ryo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ryo.png","width":1182,"height":747},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=35542#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"\u2018Ryo\u2019 Is A Contemplative Film About Second Chances \/ International Film Festival Manhattan"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/","name":"Cinema Daily US","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/#\/schema\/person\/1e4cad8d4708cb53e3944d993adf68e5","name":"Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Chiara-Spagnoli-Gabardi-150x150.jpg","url":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Chiara-Spagnoli-Gabardi-150x150.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Chiara-Spagnoli-Gabardi-150x150.jpg","caption":"Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi"},"description":"Works as film critic and journalist who covers stories about culture and sustainability. With a degree in Political Sciences, a Master\u2019s in Screenwriting & Film Production, and studies at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, Chiara has been working in the press since 2003. Italian by blood, British by upbringing, fond of Japanese culture since the age of 7, once a New Yorker always a New Yorker, and an avid traveller, Chiara collaborates with international magazines and radio-television networks. She is also a visual artist, whose eco-works connect to her use of language: the title of each painting is inspired by the materials she upcycles on canvas. Her \u2018Material Puns\u2019 have so far been exhibited in four continents, across ten countries. She is a dedicated ARTivist, donating her works to the causes and humanitarians she supports, and is Professor of Phenomenology of Contemporary Arts at Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.cinemadailyus.com"],"url":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?author=6"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=35542"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35542\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/35543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}