''Sa Pusod ng Dagat'' () is a 1998

Filipino film The Cinema of the Philippines (Filipino: ''Pelikulang Pilipino'' or ''Sine Pilipino'') began with the introduction of the first moving pictures to the country on August 31, 1897, at the ''Salón de Pertierra'' in Manila. The following year, local ...

produced and directed by

Marilou Diaz-Abaya Marilou Correa Diaz-Abaya (March 30, 1955 – October 8, 2012) was a Filipina multi-award winning film director. She was conferred the Order of National Artists of the Philippines for Film and Broadcast Arts in 2022, she was the founder and pres ...

. It stars

Jomari Yllana José María "Jomari" Garchitorena Yllana (born August 16, 1976) is a Filipino actor, model, racing driver, concert producer, promoter, and politician. He rose to fame as one of the members of 1990s teen group ''"Gwapings"'' together with Mark ...

with

Chin Chin Gutierrez Carminia Lourdes Cynthia Arnaldo Gutierrez (born November 22, 1969), better known as Chin-Chin Gutierrez, is a Filipina actress and environmentalist. Gutierrez starred in a number of films during the 1990s, among them are ''Maalaala Mo Kaya: ...

and

Elizabeth Oropesa Elizabeth Oropesa (born July 17, 1954), also known as La Oropesa, or "Boots" to friends is a Filipina actress. She was a Grand Slam Best Actress winner for ''Bulaklak Ng Maynila'' (1999). She was crowned as Miss Luzon of the Miss Republic of th ...

. The film was critically acclaimed in local and international film festivals.

Plot

In a remote fishing island in the 1950s, Pepito (

) grows up learning the trade of his mother, Rosa (

), the only midwife capable of delivering the newborn babies of their community. At first, the young son doesn't mind the unusual arrangement, but as he grows older, he begins to resist the role traditionally meant only for women. In time, Pepito's coming of age intersects with the lives of other islanders whose beliefs and struggles become critical impetus to his maturity. Eventually, embarrassment and prejudices are overcome by acceptance and love between mother and son.

Cast

as Pepito *

as Rosa *

as Mrs. Santiago (as Chin-Chin Gutierrez) *

Pen Medina Crispin "Pen" Parungao Medina Sr. (born August 27, 1950, in Arayat, Pampanga) is an actor from the Philippines who started acting in theater plays in his youth. He eventually played versatile roles on the big screen and in various television s ...

as Gusting * Rolando Tinio as Apo * Mia Gutierrez as Tale * Tanya Gomez as Minda * Manjo del Mundo as Mr. Santiago *

Ronnie Lazaro Ronnie Zabala Lazaro (born November 14, 1957) is a Gawad Urian Award-winning Filipino film and television actor, producer, casting and art director. Biography He has received many nominations throughout his career as an actor, nine of which wer ...

as Berto *

Jhong Hilario Virgilio Viernes Hilario Jr. (born August 11, 1976), professionally known as Jhong Hilario, is a Philippines, Filipino actor, dancer, television host, and politician. He is part of the Filipino dance group ''Streetboys''. He is currently servin ...

as Luis * LJ Moreno as Sara

Production

Production of the film began in June 1997 under the working title ''Mga Bangka sa Tag-araw''.

Awards and nominations

The film received nominations and awards from different local award-giving bodies. It got two Star Awards in 1999 for Cinematographer of the Year (Romy Vitug) and Original Screenplay of the Year (

Jun Lana Rodolfo R. Lana Jr. (born October 10, 1972), known professionally as Jun Robles Lana, is a Philippines, Filipino filmmaker. The winner of 11 Palanca Awards, Palanca Awards for Literature, he became the youngest member of the Palanca Awards#Palan ...

). The film had received invitations from 17 prestigious film festivals abroad, an unprecedented achievement in the history of Philippine cinema. "Sa Pusod Ng Dagat" is the country's official entry to the

Singapore International Film Festival The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) (Chinese: 新加坡国际电影节) is the longest-running film festival in Singapore. Founded in 1987, the festival has a focus on showcasing international films and providing a global platform for ...

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...

, Hong Kong Film Festival, Fukuoka International Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival and Oslo Film Festival. It is an entry to the film festivals in London, Cairo, Bombay, Barcelona, Haifa and New York. The film also made it to the Chicago International Film Festival, Montreal Film Festival, Nantes Festival of Free Continent and Chicago Film Festival. It was also the Philippine entry for

Best Foreign Language Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

in the

Oscars The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

References

External links

*
Cleveland International Film Festival
1998 films 1998 drama films Films set in the 1950s GMA Pictures films Tagalog-language films Philippine drama films Films directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya {{Philippines-film-stub