Director: Richard Abelardo
Language: Filipino; English subtitles
Country: Philippines
Runtime: 90 mins
Rating: PG

Full Synopsis

Muse of the Pasig River is one of the few films to survive intact from the archives of LVN Pictures, the celebrated Filipino studio run by Mike De Leon’s grandmother Doña Sisang. Surprised by the film’s “uncanny resemblance” to his own debut feature, Itim, De Leon writes, “Like Itim, Mutya ng Pasig is a ghost story set in a provincial milieu; a father commits a horrible crime; a young woman is possessed by the vengeful spirit of her dead mother…. The story of Abelardo’s film has other magical elements. For instance, a story about a ghostly woman singing in the dead of night the melancholy strains of ‘Mutya ng Pasig’ (a kundiman, or traditional love song), pining for her lost love, seeking pity and justice, circulates in the town of Matangtubig (Water’s Eye—even the town’s name is magical). Nicanor Abelardo, the director’s cousin and one of our greatest composers, created this sublime kundiman while Deogracias Rosario wrote its lyrics.”

Please note: little survives of the film library of LVN studios, and what does survive is generally in poor condition. We nonetheless present these rare films so that Singaporean audiences can experience them for the first time.

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

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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.

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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.

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