Singapore International Film Festival 2018
Season of the Devil
Language
Tagalog - subtitles to be advised
Cast
Piolo Pascual, Shaina Magdayao, Pinky Amador
Synopsis
1970s Philippines. Ferdinand Marcos’s martial law is in full swing. Innocent inhabitants of a remote settlement are terrorised by an armed militia bent on quelling rebellious activities. When young doctor Lorena disappears after being captured, her husband Hugo, a poet and activist, goes in search of her. In doing so, he is confronted with the fog of terror and anguish that haunts the village.
Bold and unusual, the film takes the form of a musical. Lines are delivered in a cappella verse composed entirely by director Diaz, who looked to rock operas for inspiration. A spiritual sequel to his 2014 feature From What Is Before, Season of the Devil deals with one of the darkest chapters in Philippine history while inadvertently addressing the nation’s current-day socio-political turmoil.