''Silip'' () is a 1985 Philippine

sexploitation A sexploitation film (or sex-exploitation film) is a class of independently produced, low-budget feature film that is generally associated with the 1960s and early 1970s, and that serves largely as a vehicle for the exhibition of non-explicit se ...

psychological drama Psychological drama or psychodrama is a sub-genre of drama that places emphasis on psychological elements. It often overlaps with other genres such as crime, fantasy, black comedy, and science fiction, and it is closely related with the psychologic ...

film directed by Elwood Perez and written by

Ricardo Lee Ricardo Lee (born as March 19, 1948) is a Filipino screenwriter, journalist, novelist, and playwright. He was conferred the Order of National Artists of the Philippines for Film and Broadcast Arts in 2022. Starting in 1973, he has written more ...

. The film was released outside of the Philippines as ''Daughters of Eve''.

Plot

In the remote countryside of Ilocos, various women are sexually abused by local men. Two sisters, Tonya (

Maria Isabel Lopez Maria Isabel Pagunsan Lopez—Melrod (born 19 August 1957), is a Filipina movie and television actress. Lopez was the Binibining Pilipinas Universe 1982 titleholder and represented the Philippines in the 31st Miss Universe Pageant in Lima, Pe ...

), a

sexually repressed Sexual repression is a state in which a person is prevented from expressing their own sexuality. Sexual repression is often linked with feelings of guilt or shame being associated with sexual impulses. Defining characteristics and practices asso ...

young woman, and Selda (

Sarsi Emmanuelle Maria Jennifer Obregon Mitchell, also known by her screen name Sarsi Emmanuelle (born November 17, 1966) is a former dancer and actress in the Philippines. She earned a Best Actress nomination from the Gawad Urian Awards for ''Boatman''. Caree ...

), a

promiscuous woman Promiscuity tends to be frowned upon by many societies that expect most members to have committed, long-term relationships. Among women, as well as men, inclination for sex outside committed relationships is correlated with a high libido, but ev ...

, meet Simon ( Mark Joseph), the most attractive man in the village. Tonya teaches catechism to the children of the village. Selda comes home from the city with her American lover, whom she throws out shortly afterward. She's the exact opposite of Tonya, as her views on sex are more liberal and less guilt-filled. Tonya is secretly sexually attracted to Simon, but she refuses his sexual advances.

Partial cast

Ma. Isabel Lopez Maria Isabel Pagunsan Lopez—Melrod (born 19 August 1957), is a Filipina movie and television actress. Lopez was the Binibining Pilipinas Universe 1982 titleholder and represented the Philippines in the 31st Miss Universe Pageant in Lima, ...

as Tonya *

as Selda * Mark Joseph as Simon *Myra Manibog as Mona *Daren Craig Johnson as Ronald *Michael Locsin as Miguel (as Michael Angelo) *Arwin Rogelio as Tiago *Jenneelyn Gatbalite as Gloria *Pia Zabale as Pia *Jimmy Reyes as Village leader #1 *Gloria Andrade as Aling Anda *Arthur Cassanova as Village leader #2 (as Arthur Casanova) *Chabeng Contreras as Tonya's grandma *Cheriebee Santos as Child #1 (as Cherriebee Santos)

Production

Sarsi Emmanuelle and Maria Isabel Lopez claimed that they had been almost raped for real while filming a scene in this movie. Sarsi reportedly suffered a nervous breakdown and had to be hospitalized for a week.

Release

First released in 1985, the film was released nationwide on February 7, 1986.

Home media

It was released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

by Mondo Macabro in 2007. The region-one two-DVD set has soundtracks in both Tagalog and English. In 2021, the film was released on Blu-ray Disc with an additional commentary track.

Reception

Of the DVD release, Kurt Dahlke of

DVD Talk DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman. History Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...

noted that ''Silip: Daughters of Eve'' is an exploitation film, but "not your usual empty-headed sleaze show," and he remarked that viewers simply looking for a sexploitation film will not understand ''Silip''. He expands on this by writing, "Other reviewers have complained of the long, boring bits in between each scandalous act, completely missing the point," and he explains that unlike many films of its genre, ''Silip'' delivers its message "in small-scale epic fashion, with a lyric beauty that's hard to argue against. Using the desert-like scenery to maximum effect, nearly every shot is beautiful to look at, fostering a meditative, sweaty atmosphere that's truly unique." He goes on to praise the cinematography and the simultaneous themes that play out in the film and summarizes "While the women-are-the-root-of-all-evil message is ultimately distasteful, the truths exposed, and the path we're lead 'sic''down in getting there, consists of quite a sumptuous, sensuous journey."

References

External links

* *{{IMDb title, 0292236 1985 films 1985 drama films 1980s erotic films 1980s erotic drama films 1980s psychological drama films Philippine drama films Philippine erotic films Philippine psychological drama films Sexploitation films