Kisapmata (In the Blink of an Eye, 1981)

  • March 26, 2023 | 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM | Sunday
  • Oldham Theatre

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Director: Mike De Leon
Language: Filipino; English subtitles
Country: Philippines
Runtime: 90 min
Rating: M18

Full Synopsis

Shot in the blink of an eye—a mere three months—and featuring some of Filipino cinema’s greatest actors from the studio era, including Charito Solis, Kisapmata was inspired by the real-life crime story “The House on Zapote Street” (1961) by Nick Joaquin, who wrote as Quijano de Manila during his career as a literary journalist. Mike De Leon writes, “Kisapmata explores the concept of strongman rule as exemplified by the character of Dadong, ang Tatang, the psychotic padre de familia, rendered monstrous by the unforgettable performance of Vic Silayan. The father has incestuous relations with his daughter—the ultimate corruption. That the film was interpreted as an allegory of the regime of Ferdinand Marcos was no coincidence, though the crime happened in 1961. Nevertheless, many elements in this allegory were present in the original story. The policeman was an Ilocano, and so was Marcos. He ruled with an iron fist and subjected his family to unmitigated terror, just as Marcos did to the country.”

The restoration of Kisapmata was made possible using the incomplete 35mm original camera negative, an original optical soundtrack negative, and a positive print preserved by the Asian Film Archive.

 


This screening is part of Retrospective: Mike De Leon. For the full programme, please click here.

Oldham Theatre’s opening hours

For further assistance, please contact us at ticketing@asianfilmarchive.org 


Important Notice:
Do note that Oldham Theatre operates on a free seating arrangement. Doors will open 20 minutes before showtime so arrive early to choose a seat and avoid disrupting the screenings as AFA does not play ads and screenings will start promptly.
All patrons are encouraged to purchase your tickets online. If you choose to purchase tickets or merchandise at Oldham Theatre’s box office, cashless payment is preferred.
Measures will be taken to ensure the health and safety of all patrons at Oldham Theatre. Mask-wearing is optional as of 29 August 2022.

T&Cs
Concession tickets apply to Students (Local & Overseas), Full-time National Servicemen (NSF), Senior Citizens (55 years and above) only.
Please check film ratings before purchase of tickets. Please note that you may be asked to present your ID at the door (this applies to concession tickets as well). Only physical photographic identification is allowed, digital copies of identification are not allowed. AFA reserves the right to turn away any members of the public without physical photographic identification.
Upon confirmation of your order for Tickets, no exchange of Tickets will be made under any circumstances and Tickets are not transferable. No refund on Tickets will be made under any circumstances except due to cancellation of the event. The resale of Tickets at any price is prohibited.