INSIANG

Philippines, 1976, 95 minutes, Colour.
Hilda Koronel, Mona Lisa, Ruel Vernal, Rez Cortez, Marlon Ramirez, Nina Lorenzo.
Directed by Lino Brocka.

Insiang is one of the earlier films of celebrated Filipino director, Lino Brocka. It was screened at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival and won awards as it did locally.

The setting is Manila slums, a vivid opening sequence with detail of slaughter and management in an abattoir – perhaps visually suggestive of the drama that was to come. The film has Filipino sensibility, very emotional at times, with a touch of soap opera plot and responses, something characteristic of later Brocka films.

Hilda Koronel plays a teenage girl, the father abandoning his wife and daughter, her mother grown very severe and critical, even blaming her daughter. He takes up with a younger man who then has eyes for the daughter and seduces her. There is a great deal of gossip around that part of the district.

There are quite a number of boys, many unemployed, some with part-time jobs, sitting around, drinking, bragging, groping the girls. One of them is the boyfriend of Insiang to whom she turns after the seduction but he is feckless. The brother of her girlfriend offers support for which she is thankful – and perhaps will respond to her in the future.

The film moves to melodrama with Insiang getting revenge against the young man, his confessing his love to her and his plan for a new job, thinking the mother was not present, but she emerges and stabs him to death. Finale is at the prison, the mother seeming to refuse the outreach of her daughter and Insiang walking away but the mother with some emotion looking after her.

Lino Brocka had a gay sensibility and this emerges from many of the films that he was to make over the next 15 years before his untimely death.

1. The historical importance of the film, the Philippines and its industry, the 1970s, screening at Cannes, awards? Influence?

2. The work of the director, his perspective on the Philippines, on life in the Manila slums, men and women, sexuality, unemployment?

3. The locations, the homes, the slums, shops, the abattoirs, the markets, the streets? The musical score?

4. The sense of realism, situations, people, reactions? The plot, Filipino emotions, touches of the soap opera?

5. The introduction, the detailed work in the abattoirs, marketing? The workplace for the men of the area? Visual symbol of what was to follow?

6. The title, the focus on Insiang, age, relationship with her mother, her mother critical and demanding, the amount of housework, the shopping? The father abandoning his family and taking up with another woman? The mother blaming Insiang? Her friendship with the girl at the shop, chatting, trying the lipstick, but her friend eventually blaming her for the situation at home?

7. The young men, employment, unemployment, drinking, sitting around, boasting? Groping the girls? Going to the bar, playing billiards, gambling?

8. The mother, age, experience, hardship? Her husband walking out? The severity on her daughter, critical, demanding, physically hitting her? Her taking up with the younger man, his living in, the gossip in the district? The mother gambling with him?

9. Dado, age, experience, taking up with the mother, the relationship, sex, love? His eye on Insiang? Her resistance? His coming to her the night, the seduction, his continued declarations of love, critical of the mother? Getting a job in Cebu, wanting to move? His being stabbed to death – Insiang’s revenge, urging him on, provoking her mother?

10. Bebot, the boy around the town, investing, submissive to Dado, work in the garage, the attraction to Insiang, her going to him, the night in the hotel, his leaving, abandoning her, her getting him bashed?

11. Her girlfriend, support, Nanding and his devotion, mending things in the shop, his declaration to Insiang? Her gratitude?

12. Her mother arrested, Insiang going to visit her in prison, her embracing her, declaring her love, the mother and her hard expression? Insiang leaving, walking across the street – but
her mother looking after her?

13. Filipino slice of life?