Cinema
Insiang
Lino Brocka · 1976
Synopsis
In Tondo, the poorest district of Manila, Insiang lives with her mother Tonia, who has driven her absent husband's family out of the house and installed Dado, a young local tough, who has become her lover. Dado covets the girl; Bebot, Insiang's sweetheart, promises to take her far away and slips off. One evening, Dado rapes her, and Tonia, blinded, blames her daughter.
Context
The film is based on a television play written by Mario O'Hara, who wrote the screenplay with Lamberto Antonio, and was the first shot in the alleys of Tondo, in eleven days according to Pierre Rissient, in three weeks according to its producer, Ruby Tiong Tan, to meet the date of the Manila festival. Hilda Koronel plays the young girl, Mona Lisa the mother and Ruel Vernal the lover. Released in December 1976, it was a failure and brought about the collapse of CineManila, the company founded by its director.
Who it is for
A harsh film, in Tagalog with subtitles. The scenes of violence are explicit and the melodramatic tone is fully embraced.
Prizes and reception
First Philippine film presented at Cannes, in 1978; at the 1976 Manila festival, acting awards for Hilda Koronel and for Mona Lisa.