Ma' Rosa
Ma' Rosa is a 2016 Filipino drama film directed by Brillante Mendoza and written by Troy Espiritu. It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. At Cannes, Jaclyn Jose won the award for Best Actress. It was selected as the Filipino entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards but it was not nominated.
Plot
Rosa is married to Nestor, with whom she has three children. Rosa's family runs a sari-sari store in a neighborhood in Manila. The income from the small convenience store business alone isn't enough to meet the family's daily needs, so illegal drugs, particularly "ice" or crystal meth are also sold at Rosa's store. One day, police officers arrest Rosa and Nestor for selling drugs and ask them for "bail money" or a bribe for the couple's release. Rosa's children, left on their own to deal with the struggles of daily life, find a way to free their detained parents.Cast
- Jaclyn Jose as Rosa Reyes
- Julio Diaz as Nestor Reyes
- Baron Geisler as Sumpay
- Jomari Angeles as Erwin Reyes
- Neil Ryan Sese as Olivarez
- Mercedes Cabral as Linda
- Andi Eigenmann as Raquel Reyes
- Mark Anthony Fernandez as Castor
- Felix Roco as Jackson Reyes
- Mon Confiado as Sanchez
- Maria Isabel Lopez as Tilde
- Kristoffer King as Jomar
Production
Director Brillante Mendoza decided to make the film to tackle the issue of small-scale drug selling in the Philippines, which he says is happening in the country, and described the situation as alarming. Mendoza noted that the concept of corruption, a subject of the film, appeals to a worldwide audience because it is a global issue, affecting many countries on varying scales.Ma' Rosa was originally titled Palit Ulo. The film was shot in Mandaluyong during the rainy season of 2015 and was supported by the French distributor firm, Film Distribution.