Mani Pedi

Raymond’s career is on the ropes. When a series of concussions forces him to retire from professional boxing, the thirty-five-year-old Laotian refugee has no choice but to take a job at his older sister’s nail salon. In this unfamiliar environment, Raymond must contend with unspoken expectations and hidden occupational hazards, all while carving out a new life for himself.

“Mani Pedi” is based on the short story by O. Henry Award and Giller Prize winner Souvankham Thammavongsa. Filmed in both English and Lao, the film shines a light on people and places seldom featured in mainstream cinema. Its exploration of two starkly gender-coded realms—the boxing ring and the salon—weaves diverse aspects of the Southeast Asian experience into an emotionally charged portrait of refugee life in Canada.

This film marks the third screen adaptation from the work of a major Canadian author by filmmaker and Professor of English Marlene Goldman. As in her previous films “Piano Lessons” and “Torching the Dusties,” Dr. Goldman displays a sensitivity to the lives of people with disabilities. “Mani Pedi,” produced in collaboration with concussion specialists as well as members of the Southeast Asian community, serves as a moving work of fiction and a teaching tool that sheds light on both the refugee experience and brain health.

Find “Mani Pedi” screening dates here.

Watch the Trailer

Mani Pedi: Behind the Scenes Documentary by Chan Khamphoomee

A man gives a pedicure to a client at a nail salon while a second woman looks on
A boxer lays on the mat with obvious injuries to his face
A woman sits in a nail salon staring thoughtfully outside the frame
A man leans on a mirror with an expression of exhaustion on his face
A woman clasps her hands together and looks pensive
A woman and a man in conversation at an outdoor table