''Aparisyon'' () is a 2012 Philippine psychological drama film written and directed by

Isabel Sandoval Isabel Sandoval is a Filipina filmmaker and actress who lives in the United States. She directed the films ''Señorita'' (2011), ''Aparisyon'' (2012) and ''Lingua Franca (film), Lingua Franca'' (2019). She also directed a short film called ''Women ...

. Set in early 1970s, where the story about the nuns in the period immediately preceding the declaration of martial law by

Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...

.Erica Gonzales,
Director Isabel Sandoval Wants to Shed Light on Invisible Women
, February 24, 2021, ''Harper's Bazaar'' It is one of the official entries for the New Breed Full Length Feature Category in Cinemalaya 2012. ''Aparisyon'' was invited to film festivals around the world, including

Deauville Asian Film Festival The Deauville Asian Film Festival (the Festival du film asiatique de Deauville) takes place annually in Deauville, France since 1999 and focuses on Asian cinema. A film competition was added to the festival in 2000 and a video competition in 2002. ...

, where it won the Audience Award. At the

Hawaii International Film Festival The Hawai'i International Film Festival (HIFF) is an annual film festival held in the United States state of Hawaii. HIFF has a focus on Asian-Pacific cinema, education, and the work of new and emerging filmmakers. HIFF’s primary festival is h ...

, the film won the

NETPAC The Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) is a worldwide organization of 29 member countries. It was created as the result of a conference on Asian cinema organized by Cinemaya, the Asian Film Quarterly, in New Delhi in 1990 at the inst ...

Award "for its courageous exploration of religious faith, guilt and forgiveness through masterful storytelling and visual imagery". The film was also nominated for the New Currents Award at the 2012 Busan International Film Festival. As of 2021, along with ''Señorita'', it is available for streaming through the

Criterion Channel The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films." Criterion serves film and media scholars, cinep ...

.In ‘Apparition,’ a Philippine Drama, Nuns Face Civil Strife
, May 9, 2021, ''The Criterion Collection''

Synopsis

Set in 1971, the sisters of the Adoration monastery in a remote town in

Rizal Rizal, officially the Province of Rizal ( fil, Lalawigan ng Rizal), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Its capital is the city of Antipolo. It is about east of Manila. The p ...

in the

Philippines 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 ...

lead quiet and peaceful lives.Jeannette Catsoulis,
In ‘Apparition,’ a Philippine Drama, Nuns Face Civil Strife
, July 9, 2013, ''New York Times'' Remy (

Mylene Dizon Mylene Dizon (; born September 6, 1974) is a Filipino actress and model. Dizon has established herself as one of the most renowned actresses in Philippine cinema with an astounding 30 films and nearly 50 television roles to her credit, as well ...

), an extern nun who is able to leave the monastery from time to time to do errands for the other nuns, learns from her mother that her activist brother is missing. She asks Mother Superior Ruth (Cuyugan-Asensio) for an indefinite leave of absence to help her family search for her brother. When her request is turned down, she starts secretly attending meetings of families with missing relatives. Lourdes ( Jodi Sta. Maria) becomes an extern too to go with Remy to attend a meeting.Apparition (Aparisyon): Busan Review
, October 7, 2012, ''Hollywood Reporter'' They fall victim to violence on their way back.

Cast

* Jodi Sta. Maria as Sister Lourdes *

as Sister Remy *Fides Cuyugan-Asensio as Mother Superior *Raquel Villavicencio as Sister Vera *Maria Monica Reyes as Sister Emilia

Awards

References

Notes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Aparisyon Philippine psychological drama films Films set in 1971 2012 films 2010s Tagalog-language films 2010s psychological drama films Films about Catholic nuns