Localities / Dagat ang Pagitan
October 23-29, 2020

A is for Agustin (2019)
dir. Grace Simbulan
73 MINS. | PG-13 | With Introduction
Agustin is a tribesman close to his forties who loves to sing but has never had the opportunity to learn to read or write. When he finds out his boss cheats him out of his wages again, he decides to enroll in grade 1. Over time, however, Agustin becomes increasingly torn between two realities: the children's world in school, and the harsh reality of the world outside. As the needs of his family mount, he must decide whether to continue his own quest for self-improvement or pass the opportunity on to his son, the next generation.

Walang Rape sa Bontok (2014)
dir. Mark Lester Valle and Carla Pulido Ocampo, prod. GMA Network
120 MINS. | PG-13 | With Introduction
Two women, both victims of sexual abuse, yearn and search for a utopia where women can live without being sexually violated. By chance, they encounter a study by renowned anthropologist June Prill-Brett, which mentions that the Bontok of the Philippine Cordilleras have lived for eras without a term, nor concept, nor incidence, of rape. At last, a utopia, where the most heinous of gender crimes is unheard of. Or is it?

Gilubong ang Akon Pusod sa Dagat (2011)
dir. Martha Atienza
632 MINS. | PG-13
Gilubong ang Akon Pusod sa Dagat (My Navel is Buried in the Sea) explores the relevance of the sea and its relationship and impact on those who use it as a source of livelihood. Through a three-channel video projection, the work proffers varying scenes and perspectives in simultaneity, briskly balancing alternating rhythms in settings and emotions throughout its duration. In addition to reflecting the Philippines’ historical and geographical relationship with the ocean, it brings the sea into its contemporary reality, as a metaphor of necessity and opportunity, and of community and isolation.

Himurasak (2017)
dir. Francis Solajes
5 MINS. | PG-13 | With Introduction
Himurasak shares stories from communities in Tacloban affected by Typhoon Yolanda, from the collective memory and experiences of the locals themselves.

Ang Pagbabalik ng Bituin (2012)
dir. Sherbien Dacalanio
40 MINS. | PG-13 | With Introduction
Ang Pagbabalik ng Bituin documents a domestic helper’s Ro-Ro (roll-on, roll-off) trip from Metro Manila to Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte.

Budots: The Craze (2019)
dir. Jay Rosas and Mark Limbaga
23 MINS. | PG-13 | With Introduction
Budots swept the entire nation by storm. But few people knew that the dance craze originated in Davao City before it went viral on social media. An internet bum and a small group of people in his community started it all.

Panicupan (2015)
dir. Bagane Fiola
13 MINS. | G
Panicupan, a barangay in Pikit, North Cotabato, is one of the "Spaces for Peace," where Moro, Lumad, and Christian settlers have joined hands in upholding their harmonious relationship amid the conflict between the government forces and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

A House in Pieces (2020)
dir. Jean Claire Dy and Manuel Domes
65 MINS. | PG-13 | With Introduction & Q&A
A war between government and ISIS-affiliated jihadists in Marawi, Philippines, forced hundreds of thousands to flee from their homes. After the war, residents struggle to rebuild their homes and lives in a deformed city.
The film unfolds as an emotional journey weaving together the stories of its protagonists over a period of two years. Displaced couple Yusop and Farhanna and their children yearn for freedom, income, and comfort after returning to their city. But even to return to normalcy is already a struggle. Nancy, a once wealthy woman, has to cope with her loss of home in an evacuation shelter where she will have to remain for years. An anonymous driver with striking insights shuttles back and forth between places and stories around a city which will never be the same again.