Late Night Maria. Caught this film on late night #CinemaOne and realized this was the first film I watched that showed me how violent relationships can be, how women see the signs early enough, but dismiss these as boy talk or as men stuff, because being an understanding girlfriend requires handling the discomfort of misogyny, or the fascination with violence, better: in this scene Luisa listens as her husband-to-be calls another woman names for having slept with many men. The next scene, a fight outside the restaurant starts, Luisa wants to leave, but her fiancée forces her to stay, as he watches the fight ensue and end with a man being knifed in front of them. Jake does not flinch, fascinated. Luisa is almost in tears and it doesn't matter to him. The rest of this film is about the violence of Jake, borne of male chauvinism and misogyny as we know it in this country, one that is in calling women names and judging them, one that Luisa realizes -- too late -- can transform into other forms of violence, beyond words. I asked the Nanay: Why did we watch this film? She answered: Because fan ka ni Maricel! Which is good, as I learned about male violence early on, and how women can and will get away soon enough, or at least try to, even if it means risking their lives. #Perspective #moviesPH #oldmovies #MaricelSoriano #feminism #feminismPH #feminist #feministPH 📷 from #Dahas (#filmPH), written by Roy Iglesias, directed by Chito Roño.
