The '70s

Chito S. Rono's 2002 Filipino film follows a family raising five sons under martial law. Amanda and Julian see themselves as outside politics, but some of their sons join the opposition and the house becomes a site of conflict. The mother's position is at the centre. Amanda has to accommodate both the order her husband has built and her sons' choices; the narrative makes her late recognition of her own view the main line of development. It is adapted from Lualhati Bautista's novel. Vilma Santos leads and carries a period of more than a decade. The narrative keeps the political events in the background; the interest is in how they look inside one house. Who it's for: those interested in Philippine history and family drama. Who it's not for: viewers sensitive to torture and state violence; the film shows both directly.