Cinemalaya's Ang Babae sa Septic Tank (The Woman in the Septic Tank)

After a 5years, following Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros by Auraeus Solito which gained the curiosity of the Filipinos to Independent Film, Ang Babae sa Septic Tank by Marlon Rivera made another mark not just in the film industry.

For those who haven't watched the film in Cinemalaya, you still have a chance to witness the wonder of this film after winning 5 major awards in Cinemalaya.

It shows the reality. Not just the poverty which is often made as the subject for a Filipino Indie film but the reality in making a film as well. The hardships the production may encounter, the demands of the actors for the films, and the unexpected events that they might encounter.

Starring Ms. Eugene Domingo who won the Best Actress award for the film, with Kean Cipriano, JM De Guzman, and Cai Cortez. With special participation of Cherry Pie Picache and Marcedes Cabral (also part of another Cinemalaya entry, Ligo na ü, Lapit na me).

(Credits to ABSstarcinema)

Ang Babae sa Septic Tank chronicles a day in the life of three ambitious, passionate but misguided filmmakers as they set out to do a quick pre-prod at Starbucks, a courtesy call to their lead actress, Eugene Domingo, and an ocular inspection of their film’s major location, the Payatas dumpsite. Director Rainier, Producer Bingbong and Production Assistant Jocelyn are well-to-do, well-educated film school graduates who are dead set on making an Oscar worthy film. They believe they have a winning script, the energy and the drive to make their dreams come true. Like most filmmakers they know, they have devised a screenplay that will show the real essence of our culture: poverty. In the course of one day, they brainstorm and exhaust all possible treatment of their project: the story of Mila (Eugene Domingo), a mother from the slums, who out of desperation to survive, has sold her child to a pedophile. As they discuss the possible executions of the story, the movie-within-a-movie gets reborn in Jocelyn’s imagination several times. As a gritty no frills neo-realist film, as a glossy musical, as an over-the-top melodrama and as a docu drama using non-actors. For their last task of the day, they visit the dumpsite for the first time. As filmmakers gunning for authenticity, they get excited with the ”beauty” of the squalor around them. Soon enough, they are faced with reality as they come face to face with the real effects of their chosen subject. Babae sa Septic Tank is a comedy about misguided ambitions, the art of making art and the romanticization of poverty. (Source: Cinemalaya)

For those who have seen this movie, you might agree with me that Filipinos definitely deserves a spot in the international film festivals. This is what Director Rainier keeps on telling... AUTHENTICITY!!!