Ang Babae sa Septic Tank chronicles a day in the life of three ambitious, passionate but misguided filmmakers as they set out to do a quick pre-prod at Starbucks, a courtesy call to their lead actress, Eugene Domingo, and an ocular inspection of their film’s major location, the Payatas dumpsite. Director Rainier, Producer Bingbong and Production Assistant Jocelyn are well-to-do, well-educated film school graduates who are dead set on making an Oscar worthy film. They believe they have a winning script, the energy and the drive to make their dreams come true. Like most filmmakers they know, they have devised a screenplay that will show the real essence of our culture: poverty. In the course of one day, they brainstorm and exhaust all possible treatment of their project: the story of Mila, a mother from the slums, who out of desperation to survive, has sold her child to a pedophile. As they discuss the possible executions of the story, the movie-within-a-movie gets reborn in Jocelyn’s imagination several times. As a gritty no frills neo-realist film, as a glossy musical, as as over-the-top melodrama and as a docu drama using non-actors. For their last task of the day, they visit the dumpsite for the first time. As filmmakers gunning authenticity, they get excited with the “beauty” of the squalor around them. Soon enough, they are faced with reality as they come face to face with the real effects of their chosen subject. Babae sa Septic Tank is a comedy about misguided ambitions, the art of making art and the romanticization of poverty.
(August 6, 2011)
Cinemalaya days pa lang forte ko na talaga panoorin tong Septic Tank kaya lang wala time. Hahaha kaya hinintay nalang namin itey sa theatres. Kaya nung nagka chance grab kagad. After birthday ko na inabot gang umaga gumising akez ng maaga din para lang matuloy so ayun Pat and I watched it pero sa SM Baliwag tutal dun naman kami na madalas manood. So what's new dba? So anyway ayun, masasabi ko lang sa simula super boring nung movie halos makatulog na nga kami pero nung medyo gitna na bongga na tawa. Super funny talaga ni Eugene Domingo bet na bet ko ang humour niya. Iba level ng energy. Ito namang si Kean naku wit ko talaga feel. Si papa JM naman ang bongga super lovey ko na siya lalo na pag nag smile, kaya lang pinagkaitan ata ng height lolo mo. Pero bet ko pa din siya no matter what. Hahahaha! Anyways hindi ako makapag comment ng maayos first time ko kasi manood ng indie. Hindi ko tuloy alam eexpect ko pero overall okay naman siya pero sana lang talaga hindi ganun ung simula ang boring or siguro puyat at kulang lang talaga ako sa tulog. Ask ko nalang iba nakapanood. Haha. Thanks!
Love,
- D.✯
