''Manila'' is an independently produced twinbill film that pays homage to

Lino Brocka Catalino Ortiz Brocka (April 3, 1939 – May 22, 1991) was a Filipino film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and significant filmmakers in the history of Philippine cinema. He co-founded the organization Concerned Ar ...

's ''

Jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus ''Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the thi ...

'' and

Ishmael Bernal Ishmael Bernal (30 September 1938 – 2 June 1996) was a Filipino filmmaker, stage and television director, actor and screenwriter. Noted for his melodramas, particularly with feminist and moral issues, he directed many landmark Filipino film ...

's ''

Manila By Night ''Manila by Night'', also known as ''City After Dark'', is a controversial 1980 Filipino film directed by Ishmael Bernal and starring Gina Alajar and Charito Solis. Released at the height of the Marcos regime, the film uncovers the other face o ...

''.

Piolo Pascual Piolo Jose Nonato Pascual (, born January 12, 1977) is a Filipino film and television actor, singer, model, and producer. Early life Piolo Jose Nonato Pascual was born on January 12, 1977, in Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center located in Mala ...

co-produced and starred in both episodes.

Cast

as William / Phillip * Rosanna Roces as Juliana * Jay Manalo as Tristan * Alessandra de Rossi as Aleria *

Anita Linda Alice Bueñaflor Lake (November 23, 1924 – June 10, 2020), better known by her stage name Anita Linda, was a Filipino film actress. A romantic lead in her youth, she later gained critical acclaim for her portrayals in maternal or elderly r ...

as Seniora Aleria * William Martinez as Dr. Soriano *

Angelica Panganiban Angelica Panganiban (; born Angelica Jane David Charlson on November 4, 1986) is a Filipino-American actress, model, TV host and comedienne. Regarded as the new “Queen of Drama” by various media outlets, Panganiban is recognized as one o ...

as Sydney *

Baron Geisler Baron Frederick von Geisler (; born June 5, 1982) is a Filipino actor, businessman, occasional model, resource speaker, amateur artist, and aspiring poet of German-American descent. As a child actor and later as a teen idol, Geisler's career ...

as Jorge * Menggie Cobarrubias as Hector *

Marissa Delgado Maria Epifania Garcia Boyle, better known by her stage name Marissa Delgado, is a Filipino actress of American descent. She has appeared in nearly 90 films from 1965 up to present. She is the mother of former character actor Kevin Delgado and ...

as Rodelya * Cherrie Madrigal as Nora *

Jiro Manio Jiro Manio (born , 9 May 1992) is a Filipino actor who started acting at the age of seven in the film ''Pamana'' in 1999. Early life and education Manio was born to a Filipina mother Joylene Santos (died August 8, 2006) and Japanese father . ...

as Nino * Aleck Bovick as Limelyn *

John Lapus Jonathan Anthony Solis "John" Lapus (born July 7, 1973), also known as Sweet, is a Filipino actor, host, comedian, and film and television director. Lapus is known for his various roles in films such as ''Shake, Rattle & Roll''. He was a headw ...

as Julie * Katherine Luna as Bernadette

Production

Shot on 16mm black-and-white film before being transferred to 35mm, ''Manila'' is divided into a Day episode (which is loosely based on Bernal's 1980 film ''

Manila by Night ''Manila by Night'', also known as ''City After Dark'', is a controversial 1980 Filipino film directed by Ishmael Bernal and starring Gina Alajar and Charito Solis. Released at the height of the Marcos regime, the film uncovers the other face o ...

'') and a Night episode (inspired by Brocka's 1979 film ''

''). The script is co-written by Adolf Alix, Jr. and Ramon Sarmiento and co-directed by

Raya Martin Raya Martin (born 1984) is a Filipino filmmaker. His works include '' Independencia''Abrams, Simon"Independencia" ''Slant Magazine'', 4 October 2009. Retrieved on 8 January 2015. and ''Manila'', which he codirected with Adolfo Alix, Jr. Adolfo B ...

and

Adolfo Alix, Jr. Adolfo Borinaga Alix Jr., also known as Adolf Alix Jr. (born October 17, 1978), is a Filipino screenwriter and film director. Biography He was born October 17, 1978 in Makati, Philippines. He graduated magna cum laude at the Pamantasan ng Lun ...

For the Day segment,

portrays William, a drug addict who tries to rebuild his sense of self and reconnect with the people around him. Piolo's character is named William in honor of William Martinez who played the lead role in ''Manila By Night''. The Day segment also stars

and Rosanna Roces. For the Night segment, Piolo portrays Philip, a bodyguard for a mayor's son who mistakenly believes that his boss considers him as part of the family. Piolo's character is named Philip in honor of

Phillip Salvador Phillip Mikael "Ipe" Reyes Salvador (born Felipe Reyes Salvador; August 22, 1953) is a three-time FAMAS award-winning Filipino film and television actor. Acting career Salvador made his film debut in 1971 with ''Adios Mi Amor''. He toiled in m ...

who played the lead role in ''Jaguar''. The Night segment also stars Alessandra de Rossi, Jay Manalo,

, and

Release

''Manila'' had its world premiere (as one of the six films to have a special screening) in the 62nd Cannes Film Festival (May 12 to May 24, 2010). This film was also exhibited at the Films Around The World section of the 31st Moscow International Film Festival to be held from June 20 to June 24, 2010. It also competed in the 25th Warsaw International Film Festival for the Free Spirit Award (October 8 and 9, 2009) ''Manila'' had its

Philippine The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

premiere on July 17, 2010 at the

Cultural Center of the Philippines The Cultural Center of the Philippines ( fil, Sentrong Pangkultura ng Pilipinas, or CCP) is a government-owned and controlled corporation established to preserve, develop and promote arts and culture in the Philippines.Presidential Decree No. ...

as the opening film of the 5th Cinemalaya Film Festival. Regular screenings started on July 22, 2009 in selected theaters nationwide. This film was also screened in Vladivostok, Oldenburg and Bangkok.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Manila 2009 films Philippine independent films Films set in Manila Star Cinema films 2009 drama films 2000s Tagalog-language films 2009 independent films Films directed by Adolfo Alix Jr. Films directed by Raya Martin

Cast

Production

Release

See also

References

External links