july 31 - august 20.1998

photo: THE STEPMOTHER / MADRASTA

The end of WWII, followed quickly by Filipino independence from the U.S., saw a cinematic blossoming dominated by four studios modeled after the Hollywood majors, and annual production surpassed 100+ films by the late 50s. Most of the films followed reliable genre formats (action films, melodramas, comedies), but the postwar period also brought more artistically ambitious works by Manuel Conde, Lamberto Avellana and especially Gerardo de Leon.

The 60s saw the collapse of the industry; all the major studios stopped production, with dozens of smaller independents appearing on the scene. Under-capitalized and lacking the clout of the now-defunct majors, the independents turned to sensationalistic projects that might make a quick profit. Thus, the bomba, or soft-core film, was born; most bombas followed tried-and-true genre conventions, albeit liberally spiced with flesh. Yet the Filipino cinema would rise again, in the 70s, when a new generation of filmmakers--led by Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal and Mike de Leon--moved to the forefront of the intellectual and artistic opposition to the Marcos dictatorship. Although censorship--both official and commercial--made explicitly political films almost impossible, these filmmakers focused their cameras on personal and social relationships, showing how aspects of external repression become internalized and expressed in daily life. Issues of class, gender identity and relationships, as well as the idea of national identity, were all discussed in these films with startling power and immediacy.

Production in the Philippines remains high (161 films in 1997), and as in the past the best work continues not only to entertain, but also to challenge and provoke its audience. Join us in discovering, and celebrating, this exciting tradition of filmmaking.

This series was selected and organized by Agustin L. Sotto and Vincent Nebrida, with the help of Domingo Hornilla Jr., Genevieve Villaflor and Richard Peña. It is presented in collaboration with the Philippine Centennial Commission, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the International Film Festival Committee, and the Philippine Centennial Coordinating Council (North East USA). Special thanks to Loida Nicolas-Lewis, Vicky D. Belarmino, Eva Mari Salvador, Dr. Salvador H. Laurel, Dean de la Peña, The Museum of Modern Art's Department of Film and Video, Pierre Rissient, Mike de Leon, Luz Sapin Micabalo, Luis Morales and Ambassador Willy Gaa of Consulate General of the Philippines in New York. Thanks to Agustin Sotto for providing film descriptions.

Those interested in this series may also wish to check the The Asia Society's Arts and Culture Web Page .

Note: all films are subtitled in English except as noted.

IN THE NAVEL OF THE SEA / SA PUSOD NG DAGAT
Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1997; 116m
In a remote Philippine fishing village, a young boy named Pepito grows up in the knowledge that he will succeed his mother as the district's only midwife--a job passed down from generation to generation. Life becomes desperately complicated when Pepito's mother, a widow, becomes pregnant and must find a way out of the shame she has brought on herself and her son.
Fri, July 31: 8 pm; Sat, Aug 1: 8:45 pm
Sat, Aug 8: 6:45 pm; Sun, Aug 9: 4 pm

AMERICA / 'MERIKA
Gil Portes, 1984; 100 minutes
Cast: Nora Aunor, Rafael "Bembol" Roco
For many Filipinos, the green card is the remedy to many local social ills. A T-N-T (tago ng tago--local parlance for illegal alien) tries to find a solution to his predicament by courting a nurse in an old folks' home. Nora Aunor gives another outstanding portrayal as the object of one such amorous advance.
Sat, Aug 1: 6:30 pm; Sun, Aug 2: 9:15 pm

TOUCH ME NOT / NOLI ME TANGERE
Gerardo de Leon, 1961; 180 minutes
Cast: Eddie del Mar, Editha Vital, Leopoldo Salcedo
Cahiers du Cinema has called Gerardo "Manong" de Leon "a master of world cinema." His cinematic approach has surprised many cinéastes with its provocative turns and unhinging originality. An avowed disciple of Jose Rizal, Manong adapts the Philippine national hero's first novel with judicious fidelity, compressing the sprawling epic into a manageable three-hour meditation on colonial dysfunctionalism.
Sun, Aug 2: 3:45 pm

JACK AND JILL
Mar S. Torres, 1954; approximately 100 minutes
Cast: Lolita Rodriguez, Dolphy, Rogelio de la Rosa
Dolphy's skillful delineation of a gay whose poetic evocations challenged the staidness of a hypocritical society helped to make gay characters popular in Philippine cinema even as early as the 50s. This is a remarkable achievement given that homosexuals were largely invisible (except as objects of bourgeois repression) according to Manila standards at that time. JACK AND JILL follows Gloria/Gorio (Dolphy) as he flees his hostile home environment into a relationship with an aspiring opera singer.
Sun, Aug 2: 7 pm
Sun, Aug 16: 4 pm

THE REAL MOTHER / TUNAY NA INA
Octavio Silos, 1939; 93 minutes
Cast: Rosario Moreno, Rudy Concepcion, Tita Duran
The studio system in Manila was established in the 30s, and by 1939, Philippine cinema's annual output was a little over 50 films. This film is one of the few extant movies from that period, a musical with hit songs and a Shirley Temple clone. Despite its tale of seduction and illegitimacy, the film has the naivete and innocence of someone growing up in a secret garden.
Wed, Aug 5: 6:15 pm; Thurs, Aug 6: 4 pm

THE RITES OF MAY / ITIM
Mike de Leon, 1976; 116 minutes
Cast: Charo Santos, Tommy Abuel, Mario Montenegro, Mona Lisa
Occasionally possessed by the spirit of a sister who died under strange circumstances, Teresa visits the home of a new friend, a young photographer named Jun. There, she begins to have stronger and stronger psychic visions about Rosa's real fate--until the painful truth of her death finally emerges. De Leon's first film is distinctive for its innovative cinematography and haunting musical score.
Wed, Aug 5: 4 and 8:15 pm

PHIL-AMERICAN BOY / BATANG PX
José Javier Reyes, 1997; 110 minutes
Cast: Edu Manzano, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Patrick Garcia
The presence in the Philippines for so many years of two of the largest U.S. military bases anywhere led, not unsurprisingly, to an enormous number of Filipino-American offspring--many of whom, it is sad to say, were abandoned by their fathers once they returned stateside. BATANG PX is the story of one such child, a young man who girds himself against his and his mother's strained circumstances with the belief that his father will one day return to claim him. Amazingly, his father does indeed return--although the meeting with his son does not go as planned. Reyes creates a poignant portrait of the claims of multiple identity and the weight of family history.
Fri, Aug 7: 2 and 6:15 pm

FATIMA BUEN STORY
Mario O'Hara, 1994; 105 minutes
Cast: Kris Aquino, Janice de Belen, John Regala, Zoren Legaspi
Longtime Brocka collaborator and pal Mario O'Hara is a consummate filmmaker in his own right. He possesses the enviable skill of culling nuanced performances from a largely unseasoned cast (former president Cory Aquino's daughter, Kris Aquino, turns in a creditable performance). Based on an actual case, FATIMA BUEN STORY mixes tabloid sensationalism with paranormal symbolism and features O'Hara's trademark qualities: incipient violence and heroic love compromised by a constricting situation. (1994 URIAN Best Film)
Fri, Aug 7: 4:10 and 8:30 pm

GERRY THE TRAMP /
GERON BUSABOS ANG BATANG QUIAPO
Cesar "Chat" Gallardo, 1964; 140 minutes
Cast: Joseph Estrada, Imelda Ilanan
The new Philippine president Joseph Estrada is presented here in the finest of his screen characterizations. Gerry the Tramp is an illiterate of unknown parentage. Despite this handicap, he functions on his turf as the champion of the downtrodden. Estrada's disarming sincerity as Gerry endeared him to the masses, gaining leverage for his political ambitions.
Sat, Aug 8 and Sat, Aug 15: 4 pm

ASK THE MOON / ITANONG MO SA BUWAN
Chito Rono, 1988; 107 minutes
Cast: Jaclyn Jose, Mark Gil, Anita Linda, Susan Africa, Tita Muñoz
The 1994 Amiens Film Festival paid tribute to Jaclyn Jose for her incandescent thespian abilities. One of the late Lino Brocka's favorites, Jose is a highly accomplished actress whose performances resonate with a glowing sensitivity. Here she is a rape victim whose testimony is not corroborated by a witness.
Sat, Aug 8: 9 pm; Sun, Aug 9: 6:15 pm
Tues, Aug 11: 4:20 pm

THE AFFAIR / RELASYON
Ishmael Bernal, 1982; 114 minutes
Cast: Vilma Santos, Christopher de Leon, Jimi Melendrez
In the 70s, a woman shacking up with her lover was a brave act, especially if he happened to be someone else's husband. Bernal upgrades a conventional drama on marital infidelity with keen observations on gender biases and the cultural taboos of a double-standard society. Sun, Aug 9: 8:20 pm; Fri, Aug 14: 4 pm

THIS IS WHAT WE WERE BEFORE, HOW ARE YOU NOW? / GANITO KAMI NOON, PAANO KAYO NGAYON?
Eddie Romero, 1976; 125 minutes
Cast: Christopher de Leon, Gloria Diaz, Dranreb, Leopoldo Salcedo
At the turn of the century, the concept of Philippine nationhood was unknown to many Filipinos, despite the fierce battles against the Spaniards and subsequently the Americans. Driven by such historical forces as well as by his own naivete, a country bumpkin begins querying his political identity. (1976 URIAN Best Film)
Tues, Aug 11: 2 pm; Wed, Aug 12: 8:45 pm

PLEASURE / ALIW
Ishmael Bernal, 1979; 119 minutes
Cast: Lorna Tolentino, Amy Austria, Suzette Ranillo
Quite ironically, the martial-law years saw the rise of Manila as an Asian sex capital. Japanese tourists arrived by the planeloads on packaged sex tours and for a time, Manila's raunchy offerings rivaled Bangkok's. The Philippine capital's steamy side is the focus of this exceptionally vivid exploration as three bargirls turn their backs on the booming sex trade only to be confronted by harsh social realities.
Wed, Aug 12: 2 and 6:30 pm

BLESSINGS OF THE LAND / BIYAYA NG LUPA
Manuel Silos, 1959; 111 minutes
Cast: Rosa Rosal, Tony Santos, Leroy Salvador, Carmencita Abad, Carlos Padilla Jr., Joseph de Cordova
A familial saga deeply bound up with the health of the community and the land: a young couple marry, care for an orchard, and parent four handsome children. Blessings abound, until Bruno, envious of the family's good fortune, ends a long history of brutalizing women by raping the couple's daughter. Thus begins a season of death--marked by the loss of the girl's father and a terrible threat to the orchards. But as spring follows winter, so the cycle of trouble in this community turns, and life moves on.
Wed, Aug 12: 4:15 pm

BATCH '81
Mike de Leon, 1982; 107 minutes
Treating college fraternity Alpha Kappa Omega as a microcosm of Philippine society under Marcos' rule, de Leon follows seven young men through an extreme hazing season, culminating in a violent war with Sigma Omicron Sigma. The boys are brutally tortured psychologically and physically (graphically demonstrated on screen) to make them "fit" for membership in the fraternity's authoritarian community. De Leon emphasizes both fascist and homosexual subtexts in the behavior of his "frat" men.
Thurs, Aug 13: 2 pm; Fri, Aug 14: 8:15 pm

ONCE A MOTH / MINSA'Y ISANG GAMUGAMO
Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara, 1976; 99 minutes
The former American base was also the starting point of the American dream for many Filipinos. Nora Aunor studies to be a nurse in order to pursue her plans of immigrating to the States. However, her view of America changes when her brother is mercilessly shot in the base shooting range.
Thurs, Aug 13: 4 and 9 pm

A NEW HERO / BAGONG BAYANI
Tikoy Aguiluz,1995; 86 minutes
Cast: Helen Gamboa, Chanda Romero
Singapore's refusal to grant a stay in the execution of Flor Contemplacion, a Filipina maid accused of murdering another Filipina and her ward, drew angry responses from those who felt her case was marked with judicial arrogance and cultural misunderstanding. This docudrama presents both the Singaporean and Filipino sides to the controversy. Helen Gamboa gives a poignant performance as the tragic maid, surely one of globalization's first victims.
Fri, Aug 14: 2 and 6:15 pm

THE STEPMOTHER / MADRASTA
Olive Lamasan, 1996; 120 minutes
Commanding the adulation of millions, the Filipino superstar is pampered like a god whose very gesture is studied, every article of clothing copied. Sharon Cuneta is one of a handful of authentic superstars, with many, many fan clubs. In MADRASTA, the story of a stepmother trying to gain acceptance from her new family, Cuneta proves she is also an actress, winning all the acting awards in a proverbial grand slam.
Sat, Aug 15: 6:45 pm

THE MAN IN HER LIFE /
ANG LALAKI SA BUHAY NI SELYA
Carlos Siguion-Reyna, 1997; 93m
Cast: Rosanna Roces, Ricky Davao, Gardo Verzosa
Grossly disappointed with her boyfriend's macho posturings, Selya turns to a romance with a homosexual who needs a hetero cover from societal prejudice. The two are brought closer with the stork's arrival; but their relationship is threatened by the macho's return. Carlitos Siguion-Reyna directs his genial love story, deftly avoiding stereotyping and conventional resolutions.
Sat, Aug 15: 9:10 pm

SISTER STELLA L.
Mike de Leon, 1984; 103 minutes
Cast: Vilma Santos, Laurice Guillen, Tony Santos, Jay Ilagan
Inspired by liberation theology, the Catholic clergy was a voice of dissent in the dark years of the Marcos rule and was instrumental in dismantling the dictatorship. This film looks into the doubts and small victories of an unassuming nun who is reluctantly transformed into a vocal champion of human rights. (1984 URIAN Best Film)
Sun, Aug 16: 6 pm; Wed, Aug 19: 2 pm

CHILD OF SORROW / ANAK DALITA
Lamberto V. Avellana, 1956; 117 minutes
Cast: Tony Santos, Rosa Rosal, Oscar Keesee
A Korean war veteran finds that his medals of valor are worthless metal by the changing social attitudes. Disillusioned by postwar gloom, he goes into currency smuggling, but is saved by a hooker and a shoeshine boy. Avellana directs a poignant drama that won several awards including best film at the 1956 Asian Film Festival.
Sun, Aug 16: 8:15 pm; Wed, Aug 19: 4 pm

WILD FLOWER / LIGAW NA BULAKLAK
Tony Cayado, 1957; 96 minutes
Cast: Marlene Dauden, Susan Roces, Eddie Garcia, Bella Flores
A Filipino film noir with an expert eye for locations, this surprising film uses several characters to present the dark dealings of the underworld. The striking camerawork gives Manila a shimmering personality not seen in other films.
Thurs, Aug 20: 2 and 6:30 pm

A SPECK IN THE WATER / NUNAL SA TUBIG
Ishmael Bernal, 1976; 118 minutes
Cast: Daria Ramirez, Elizabeth Oropesa, Ella Luansing
A small island town finds its livelihood threatened by pollution. Ishmael Bernal is interested in the town's many colors and seasonal moods: its folk rituals, rites of passage and homeopathic remedies, its dark secrets and nocturnal escapades.
Thurs, Aug 20: 4:15 and 8:45 pm

SPOTLIGHT ON LINO BROCKA
During his 20-year career, Lino Brocka became the first internationally respected Filipino filmmaker. His 50+-film oeuvre included many successful commercial films, but his best work was intensely personal and politically motivated. Courageous in life as in art, he took to the front lines when it came to standing up against the repression and censorship of the Marcos regime. In later years, the raves garnered by Brocka's films at the Cannes Film Festival helped to open the doors to international respect for all Philippine directors. A world-class career--cut tragically short by a car accident in 1991.

INSIANG
Lino Brocka, 1976; 95 minutes
Cast: Hilda Koronel, Mona Lisa, Ruel Vernal
Set against the notorious Smokey Mountain, the garbage heap that became the symbol of the country's economic downturn, INSIANG examines the hierarchies of street-corner mafias and slum dwellers. Abandoned by her boyfriend and raped by her mother's paramour, Insiang exacts her revenge on her two-bit oppressors. This tersely directed film, finished in a little over two weeks, occasioned Brocka's Cannes debut and catapulted him to world fame.
Note: INSIANG will be shown with French subtitles and simultaneous translation.
Sat, Aug 1: 4 pm; Mon, Aug 3: 4 and 8:15 pm

MANILA IN THE CLAWS OF NEON /
MAYNILA, SA MGA KUKO NG LIWANAG
Lino Brocka, 1975; 95 minutes
Cast: Rafael "Bembol" Roco, Hilda Koronel, Tommy Abuel
With its promises of golden opportunities, the city beckons country folk like moths to a flame. This landmark film traces the dehumanization of an innocent provincial who works as laborer and male prostitute in order to look for his fiancée, who is locked up as an unwilling mistress in Manila's Chinatown. This film is included in Claude Beylie's listing for an essential Cinematheque.
Mon, Aug 3: 6:15 pm; Tues, Aug 4: 4 pm

YOU HAVE BEEN WEIGHED AND FOUND WANTING /
TINIMBANG KA NGUNI'T KULANG
Lino Brocka, 1974; 88 minutes
Cast: Christopher de Leon, Lolita Rodriguez, Mario O'Hara, Hilda Koronel, Eddie Garcia Deciding that he'd had enough of studio melodrama, Lino Brocka set up his own company to film material of his own choice. Aiming to expose small-town hyprocrisies, he picked this story about a scandalous affair between a leper (Mario O'Hara) and a woman (Lolita Rodriguez) made crazy by a traumatic abortion. The leper character grows out of Brocka's years in Molokai as a onetime Mormon missionary. The film's success demolished the canard that quality filmmaking meant a box-office flop and launched the New Philippine Cinema of the 70s.
Mon, Aug 10: 2 and 6:15 pm

BONA
Lino Brocka, 1980; 85 minutes
Cast: Nora Aunor, Philip Salvador
Fanaticism rules much of Philippine politics, religion--and cinema. Representing millions of movie fans like her, Bona (Nora Aunor) subordinates her own personal ambitions to become a movie actor's factotum. She moves into his squatter shack and works like a slave, getting nothing in return except to be in the mesmerizing presence of her screen god. In the end, her illusions get punctured and she works up a rage equal to her sacrifices. Nora Aunor delivers one of her award-winning performances in this movie.
Mon, Aug 10: 4 and 8 pm

MOTHER, SISTER, DAUGHTER / INA, KAPATID, ANAK
Lino Brocka, 1979; 96 minutes
Cast: Lolita Rodriguez, Charito Solis, Ric Rodrigo, Rio Locsin
Lolita Rodriguez and Charito Solis, two of the finest Filipino actresses, started as matinee idols in the 50s. They are seen here in top form in a drama about sibling rivalry and the decline of a landed family. Lino Brocka is inspired throughout and makes the film rich in character observation.
Mon, Aug 17: 2 and 6:45 pm

STARDOOM
Lino Brocka, 1972; 145 minutes
Cast: Lolita Rodriguez, Walter Navarro, Eddie Garcia, Mario O'Hara
Mainstream filmmaking in the 70s meant adaptations of Komiks novels with implausible plots and a disarming lack of logic. Unlike other academically trained filmmakers, Lino Brocka didn't abandon melodramatic formulas but simply deepened characterizations and removed the illogical elements. STARDOOM is one such serialized melodrama made acceptable to both the audience and Brocka's peers. It is about a stage mother who drives her younger son to his "stardoom" to make up for her downward slide from her bourgeois origins.
Mon, Aug 17: 4 and 8:45 pm