Insiang

How desperate can life be? Insiang works as a laundrywoman and lives with her mother, Tonya, in a Manila slum. Tonya, whose husband has left her, is a bitter, angry woman, taking her anger out mainly on Insiang. Then Dado, Tonya's new, very young boyfriend, moves in with them. Dado is a bully who soon set his sights on Insiang as well. He assaults her, still Tonya sides with Dado; she is convinced Insiang has herself to blame for being raped. Insiang flees the house and seeks help from her boyfriend Bebot, but with him things only take a turn for the worst. Something has to change...

Director Lino Brocka (1939-1991) is widely regarded as one of the most influential Filipino filmmakers. With this film, a character study of a young woman, he wanted to show how human dignity is affected by social injustice in the overcrowded slums and their inevitable violence.

Restored in 2015 by Cineteca di Bologna/ L’Immagine Ritrovata. Restoration funding provided by The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project and the Film Development Council of the Philippines.