Forum of Independents - Competition 2015 / Anino sa likod ng buwan / Philippines 2015
The armed conflict between the Philippine military and the communist resistance at the beginning of the 1990s forms the backdrop to this study of three individuals who, for different reasons, are trying to resolve an untenable situation. The film makes sophisticated use of the narration to encourage contemplation of the dignity, morality, and also the manipulation of people trapped in tough circumstances.
A married couple spends the night playing cards with a military man, sitting in their ramshackle hut surrounded by woods. The trio is bound by a friendship which they have managed to foster after the soldier’s relocation to the area. Yet, as dawn gradually approaches, hidden nuances of their mutual relationships, as well as unspoken secrets and lies, start coming to the surface… The film, set in the historical context of the nineties, when thousands of Filipino citizens suffered the consequences of the guerrilla warfare raging between government forces and the communist resistance, is not afraid to touch upon profound questions of morality, manipulation and pretense in the midst of the armed conflict. The picture, shot during the space of a single night in a single location and a single, uninterrupted sequence, succeeds in making the most of the benefits offered by this technique. Its exceptional strength and authenticity are further emphasized by a refined narrative which, as it carefully metes out information to the viewer, turns the story into a spectacular dramatic roller-coaster.
Hubert Poul
120 min / Color, DCP
World premiere
Director Jun Robles Lana
/ Screenplay Jun Robles Lana
/ Dir. of Photography Carlo Mendoza
/ Music Richard Gonzales
/ Editor Lawrence Ang
/ Art Director Tonee Acejo
/ Producer Ferdinand Lapuz, Carlo Mendoza, Tonee Acejo, Lawrence S. Ang
/ Production Octobertrain Films, The Idea First Company
/ Cast Lj Reyes, Luis Alandy, Anthony Falcon
/ Sales Ignatius Films Canada
Jun Robles Lana (b. 1972, Makati, Philippines), graduate of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, is an internationally acclaimed artist and the youngest Filipino to be inducted into the Palanca Literary Awards Hall of Fame. He attracted the film industry’s attention with his script for the movie In the Navel of the Sea (1998), directed by his mentor Marilou Diaz-Abaya, which premiered at the Berlinale and subsequently won him Best Screenplay at the Brussels Independent Film Festival. Lana’s screenwriting collaboration with other Filipino filmmakers earned him several further awards. His first independent movie Bwakaw (2012) was screened at the IFF in Toronto and the Philippine’s film industry representatives chose it as the country’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nominations. His second film Barber’s Tales (2013) followed an equally successful trajectory – among others, it won Best Director at the Madrid IFF.
Ignatius Films Canada
191 San Joaquin Street, 2009, Angeles City
Philippines
Phone: +63 917 551 1434
E-mail: [email protected]
Jun Robles Lana
Ferdinand Lapuz
Producer, Sales Agent
Lourna Jane Reyes
Actress
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