Breathe
A visually stunning film, shot in a remote part of The Philippines - Tawitawi island, which is close to the island of Borneo.... near their border with Malaysia and Indonesia. In that region the Sea G…
Breathe
A visually stunning film, shot in a remote part of The Philippines - Tawitawi island, which is close to the island of Borneo.... near their border with Malaysia and Indonesia. In that region the Sea Gypsy people, who live on the sea and from the sea, are devout Muslims. Nora Aunor, a Philippines superstar for a lifetime, is de-glamorized to play the selfless wife, Shaleha, who will do anything for the happiness of her husband Bangas-an. He longs to have a child. To add to the poignancy, Shaleha works as a midwife and has delivered many babies for other women, but never had her own child and now it's too late in her life. So they begin a search to find a second wife. The film shows us the way of life and daily work of this affectionate long married couple, as they go about a search for a suitable girl, whose family will agree to the proposal, and try to find enough money for a dowry. At last a willing girl is found, but the agreement is not without conditions. Shaleha has the simultaneous joy and heartbreak, of assisting at the birth of her husband's long awaited child. Nora Aunor's performance is immensely moving, and the film gives us a look into a culture which most people never knew existed. Their community life, the joys and struggles, the colorful rituals and ceremonies, and their problems with pirates, and the Philippines police/military. This region of The Philippines, Mindanao has had a reputation for piracy, terrorism, and separatist insurgency, and is almost an "unknown place" to the others living to the north and in Manila, says director Brillante Ma Mendoza.
Breathe
Drama
Film Details
A visually stunning film, shot in a remote part of The Philippines - Tawitawi island, which is close to the island of Borneo.... near their border with Malaysia and Indonesia. In that region the Sea Gypsy people, who live on the sea and from the sea, are devout Muslims.
Nora Aunor, a Philippines superstar for a lifetime, is de-glamorized to play the selfless wife, Shaleha, who will do anything for the happiness of her husband Bangas-an. He longs to have a child. To add to the poignancy, Shaleha works as a midwife and has delivered many babies for other women, but never had her own child and now it's too late in her life.
So they begin a search to find a second wife. The film shows us the way of life and daily work of this affectionate long married couple, as they go about a search for a suitable girl, whose family will agree to the proposal, and try to find enough money for a dowry. At last a willing girl is found, but the agreement is not without conditions.
Shaleha has the simultaneous joy and heartbreak, of assisting at the birth of her husband's long awaited child. Nora Aunor's performance is immensely moving, and the film gives us a look into a culture which most people never knew existed. Their community life, the joys and struggles, the colorful rituals and ceremonies, and their problems with pirates, and the Philippines police/military.
This region of The Philippines, Mindanao has had a reputation for piracy, terrorism, and separatist insurgency, and is almost an "unknown place" to the others living to the north and in Manila, says director Brillante Ma Mendoza..