The woman in the septic tank
Philippines
|
2011
|
Color
|
87 min
This directory compiles the glossaries from all editions of Cines del Sur: eleven already held and the twelfth currently underway. It serves as a living memory of the festival, its films, guests, sections, and spaces for reflection on the cinemas of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Arab world. Here you can trace the evolution of its programming, rediscover filmmakers, and follow the thematic threads that have defined Cines del Sur's identity as a meeting point for cultures, perspectives, and ways of understanding cinema from the Global South.
Rainier, Bingbong, and Jocelyn are well-off, educated young people who studied film at university. They are determined to make an Oscar-worthy film, convinced they have a winning script. Like all the filmmakers they know, they have developed a script that will depict poverty. Over the course of a day, they scrutinize and explore all possible treatments for their project, focusing on the story of Mila, a mother from the slums who, out of desperation, sold her daughter to a pedophile. As the young filmmakers desperately search for authenticity, they become emotional about the “beauty” of the misery surrounding them. They will soon face reality when they come face to face with the true consequences of their chosen subject. The Woman in the Septic Tank is a self-reflexive parody that satirizes the entire film industry surrounding poverty dramas in the Third World, as well as the festival circuit's taste for them.
Technical Details
Direction:
Marlon N. Rivera
Cinematography:
Larry Manda
Music:
Vincent de Jesus
Production:
Josabeth Alonso, Chris Martinez, Marlon N. Rivera, John Victor Tence
Art Direction:
Michael D. Labora
Sound:
Albert Michael Idioma, Addiss Tabong
Screenplay:
Chris Martinez
Editing:
Ike Veneracion
Cast:
Eugene Domingo (Eugene / Mila), JM de Guzman (Bingbong), Kean Cipriano (Rainier), Cai Cortez (Jocelyn), Jonathan Tadioan (Arthur Poongbato)
Director
Marlon N. Rivera
Born in the Philippines in 1967. He graduated with a degree in Communication from Ateneo de Manila University in 1987. He directed his first play at the Bulwagang Gantimpala Summer Workshop between 1983 and 1985. Later, he worked at PTV 4 as a researcher and production assistant after the EDSA Revolution. He has worked as a copywriter, producer, production designer, makeup artist, stylist, and assistant director for television commercials. He has written for concerts, television shows, and documentaries. He also taught Audiovisual Communication for seven years in the Viscom Department of the College of Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines. In 2009, Marlon himself and Chris Martinez established Martinez-Rivera Films to produce 100 for Cinemalaya. The Woman in the Septic Tank is his first feature film as a director. He is currently the president and creative director of Publicis Manila.
