Muro-Ami (transl. Reef Hunters) is a 1999 Filipino adventure drama film directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya. It stars Cesar Montano as Fredo, a ruthless captain of 150 muro-ami divers, who employ illegal fishing practices, such as pounding and crushing corals to scare fish, driving them towards the nets. It depicts one of the worst forms of child labor in the illegal fishing system.[3][4][5][6]
| Muro-Ami | |
|---|---|
 GMA Films' Muro Ami (Reef Hunters) | |
| Directed by | Marilou Diaz-Abaya |
| Screenplay by | |
| Story by | Marilou Diaz-Abaya |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | Cesar Montano |
| Cinematography | Rody Lacap |
| Edited by | Jesus Navarro |
| Music by | Nonong Buencamino |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | GMA Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 113 minutes |
| Country | Philippines |
| Language | Filipino |
| Budget | ₱30 million[1] |
| Box office | ₱60 million[2] |
The film has won 13 out of 14 nominations in the 1999 Metro Manila Film Festival, including Best Picture.[7]
Plot
editFredo (Cesar Montano) is a fisherman who has endured more than his share of hardship in life; his wife and child both perished in a boating accident, and today Fredo approaches each trip to the sea with the angry determination of a man out for revenge. Fredo commands a crew of young people from poor families as he takes his rattletrap ship into the ocean in search of fish that live along the reefs, snaring catch with an illegal netting system. Not all of Fredo's youthful sailors are willing to put up with his abusive arrogance, however, and even his father Dado (Pen Medina) and close friend Botong (Jhong Hilario) have grown weary of Fredo's tirades. Fredo's body is beginning to betray him as well, and as he and his crew damage the sea's reef beds in search of fish, no one is certain how much longer he will be able to continue.[3]
Cast
edit- Cesar Montano as Fredo Obsioma
- Pen Medina as Diosdado "Diyos-Dado" Lacar
- Jhong Hilario as Botong Maldepena
- Amy Austria as Susan Bacor
- Rebecca Lusterio as Kalbo Kee
- Jerome Sales as Filemon Dolotallas
- Teodoro Penaranda Jr. as Tibor Lague
- Walter Pacatang as Tibo
- Ranilo Boquil as Kokoy
- Ariel Estoquia Mijos as Bahoy Ballasabas
Accolades
edit| Year | Awards | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Metro Manila Film Festival | Best Picture | Muro-Ami | Won | [7] |
| Best Director | Marilou Diaz-Abaya | Won | |||
| Best Actor | Cesar Montano | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Pen Medina | Won | |||
| Best Cinematography | Rody Lacap | Won | |||
| Best Production Design | Leo Abaya | Won | |||
| Best Editing | Jess Navarro and Manet Dayrit | Won | |||
| Best Child Performer | Rebecca Lusterio | Won | |||
| Best Original Story | Marilou Diaz-Abaya, Ricardo Lee and Jun Lana | Won | |||
| Best Screenplay | Ricardo Lee and Jun Lana | Won | |||
| Best Musical Score | Nonong Buencamino | Won | |||
| Best Visual Effects | Marc Ambat (Optima Digital) | Won | |||
| Best Sound Recording | Albert Michael Idioma | Won | |||
| Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Awards | Muro-Ami | Won |
References
edit- ^ The film industry lives. Philippine Daily Inquirer. January 9, 2000. p. 40.
- ^ Muro Ami tops Box Office. Manila Standard. December 31, 1999. p. 15.
- ^ a b Eusebio, Aaron (November 19, 2020). "GMA at 2020 PPP: Muro-Ami". GMA News. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
- ^ Hellingman, Jeroen (October 10, 2002). "Movie review: Muro-Ami". Bohol. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
- ^ Burlingame, Burl (November 8, 2000). "Muro Ami a predictable fish tale". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
- ^ Kalu, Ogbu; Low, Alaine (August 5, 2008). Interpreting Contemporary Christianity: Global Processes and Local Identities. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. p. 58. ISBN 9780802862426. Retrieved July 16, 2021 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Tariman, Pablo (February 22, 2010). "Muro-Ami 10 years after". The Philippine Star. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
External links
edit- Muro-ami at IMDb
- "Muro Ami". Archived from the original on October 27, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
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