“Metro Manila,” a movie set entirely in the Philippines and featuring an all-Filipino cast, will be competing in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition of the Sundance Film Festival to be held in Park City, Utah from Jan. 17 to 27, 2013.
Up against 11 other films, most of which also involve collaborations from people of different nationalities, “Metro Manila” is written by Oscar- and BAFTA-nominated director Sean Ellis and Frank E. Flowers, according to Rappler. It tells the story of Oscar Ramirez (Jake Macapagal) who moves from Banawe to Metro Manila together with his family for a better life. He gets work as a driver for an armored truck company, where he meets Ong, his senior officer who has bad plans for him.
Apart from Macapagal, also starring in the film are John Arcilla and newbie Althea Vega, known for her parts in Cinemalaya entries “Ang Katiwala” and “Diablo.”
In her Live Feed column for the Philippine Star, Bibsy Carballo asked for Macapagal’s reactions and he said, “I believe the film shows the Filipino as a race of resilience, perseverance and one that puts the family above all else. It’s a very human story about what a man would do for those he loves. The film does show the reality of poverty in the country but it uses this to highlight the strength of character played by its protagonist, and that love can flourish in even the hardest of situations. The film is a montage of every experience Ellis has had in the Philippines and every Filipino he met. This is Sean’s love letter to the Philippines and its people.”
