Casts: Kalila Aguilos (Sister Adel)
Dacmay Tangliban (Dacmay)
Racquel Reyes (Nun)
Neil Ryan Sese (NPA)
Fons Desa (Kapitan) Ramil Sumangil (Mayor)
Festivals and Nominations:
Cinemalaya: Philippine Independent Film Festival - July 2007
UK International Filmmaker Festival - June, 2008
Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) 2008, Luna Awards 2008 nominations for Best in Screenplay and Best in Production Design
Through the eyes of a young woman Dacmay, who has returned to her native village after 14 years, we discover the remarkable and tender story of missionary Sister Adel and the special bond that formed between them years earlier and the events which re-shaped their lives forever. Set in a breathtakingly beautiful yet remote provincial region, the story not only captures the true essence of Philippines natural beauty, but also the unique complexities of life in a remote village, whose people are as hard to reach as the pristine mountains. Sent to teach Christianity at the village, Sister Adel encounters battles that continually test her will and determination. She faces a village that resent her ways, the saddening poverty within the village, the lack of modern education for the children and a feisty young Dacmay who can test the will of the strongest. And in the background was a continuing conflict between local rebels and government soldiers that further hinder her progress. Determined to succeed and improve the life and future for the children, she must take on the roles of Sister, teacher, mentor, social advocate, guardian and even that of mother-like figure to Dacmay. Yet her biggest test was still to come when she falls in love. Would she unveil and consent to a night of forbidden passion that would leave her torn between her faith, her love, her bond with Dacmay and her fondness of a village that would condemn her?
An Igorot blogger reviewed the film that was fully filmed in their hometown, in his "From the Boondocks" and states:
"We are now going to open our big mouth because we watched the movie. Our verdict: We didn't expect to like it but we ended up liking it a lot. It is better than Daan Patungong Kalimugtong (which we also like but we like Haw-ang more) and much much better than Batad sa Paang Palay (which we partly liked and partly disliked).
Haw-ang (Before Harvest) is a very good and well-made film. There are many things to like in this movie such as:
Adorable kids? Check
Use of local language? Check. In some portions.
Movie twists and turns? Check
Good acting? Check
Nice music? Check
Great cinematography? Check. It would be poor film making indeed if one shoots in Ifugao and still comes up with a bad cinematography.
Ifugao rituals? Check. At least dito, they are integral to the story. Unlike in Batad sa Paang Palay where indigenous rituals are shown without any apparent reason.
2010
Directed by Sheron Dayoc
Starring John Arcilla, Maria Isabel Lopez
Official Competition :
Pusan International Film Festival 2010,
Tokyo International Film Festival,
Bangkok International Film Festival,
Jakarta International Film Festival
Halaw, in malay-bahasa, means “driven-away.” The film tackles the relevant theme of exploitation and human trafficking from Mindanao to Malaysia.
The story follows through the journey of different people as they take an arduous journey into uncharted territories and illegally cross the borders of Bongao, Philippines to Sabah,Malaysia, in the hopes of substituting certain poverty to a more uncertain future that awaits them.
Sheron Dayoc’s Halaw won the Best Film award in the New Breed Full Length Feature category in the of the 6th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and Competition. This was announced in the Cinemalaya awarding rites on July 18, 2010 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo.
Halaw was cited “for its timely depiction of the rigors and dangers that Filipinos go through in order to reach Sabah in search of greener pastures, its mastery of the elements of filmmaking and meaningful narrative, and its powerful herald that Mindanao cinema has come of age.”
Three other awards went to Halaw--- Best Direction for Sheron Dayoc, who also wrote and produced the film, Best Performance of an Actor (John Arcilla) and Best Editing (Lester Olager and Chuck Gutierrez).
There are 2 categories as mentioned in our previous post about the Cinemalaya 2010 indie film movie entries. One of which is the open category. The other is the full length category. Below is the list of open category film entries to the yearly festival.
2010 Cinemalaya Open Category Film Entries
“Ang Paglilitis ni Bonifacio” by Mario O’Hara
“Isang Pirasong Buhay” by Mark Meily
“Pink Halu-Halo” by Joselito Altarejos
“Sigaw” by Joel Lamangan
“Two Funerals” by Gil Portes
