The Woman in the Septic Tank (Filipino: Ang babae sa septic tank) is a 2011Filipinocomedy film directed by Marlon Rivera, written by Chris Martinez, and starring JM De Guzman, Kean Cipriano, Cai Cortez and Eugene Domingo.[2][3] The film follows three aspiring filmmakers who set out to make a film for the sole purpose of receiving international recognition and awards.
The Woman in the Septic Tank was submitted as the Philippines' official entry for the 2011 Academy Awards for Best Foreign Film, and was an entry for the 2011 Cinemalaya Festival.[4] It was produced by Martinez-Rivera Films and Quantum Films. The film was released on August 3, 2011, by Star Cinema and grossed 38.4 million pesos and was the highest grossing Filipino independent film at the time until it was surpassed in 2015 by That Thing Called Tadhana.[5]
After the mass critical success of the movie at the film festival, Star Cinema purchased the rights to release the film for a wider release.[6] The film was released on August 3, 2011, to over 50 theaters nationwide and grossed almost 40 million pesos becoming the highest grossing Philippine independent film at the time.[5]
Synopsis
Jocelyn, Rainier, and Bingbong are three film school graduates who are dead-set on making an Oscar-worthy film. They set out to do a quick pre-production as a courtesy call to their lead actress played by Eugene Domingo, and a thorough inspection of their film's major location, the Payatas dumpsite. They believe they have a winning script, and the energy and drive to make their dreams come true, no matter what the cost. There, they use Eugene Domingo's acting skills to her limit, including forcing her to swim in a sewer, despite her pleas that she can do anything, except swim in a sewer.
Cast
Eugene Domingo plays a fictionalized version of herself, whom the filmmakers want to star in their movie Walang Wala (With Nothing)[2]
Domingo also portrays Mila, the protagonist of With Nothing.
JM De Guzman as Bingbong, the producer of With Nothing, who is focused on adjusting the film to help them gain recognition from festivals and win awards.
Kean Cipriano as Rainier de la Cuesta, the director of With Nothing.
Cai Cortez as Jocelyn, the mostly silent production manager of Bingbong who visualizes several scenarios of With Nothing presented by Rainier and Bingbong.
Cherry Pie Picache and Mercedes Cabral appear in cameo appearances as themselves, who are the other options of Bingbong, Rainier and Jocelyn in casting the part of Mila.[2]
The film broke box office records for the Cinemelaya Independent Film Festival. It is the first full-length film to have its audience tickets sell to its maximum capacity within ten days of showing at the festival. The film was a commercial as well as critical success.[7][8] The film earned a total of P20 million on its first five days.[9] The total gross of the film amounted to P38.4 million, making it the highest grossing independent film in the history of Philippine cinema until it was surpassed in 2015 by That Thing Called Tadhana.[1]
International
Richard Kuipers of Variety describes The Woman in the Septic Tank as "a lively laffer." He also praises the performance of lead actors Cipriano and de Guzman, calling it "spot-on as the guys with one eye on the slums and the other on travel and trophies."[10] Meanwhile, Maggie Lee of The Hollywood Reporter says the film is "a lambast of the pretensions of independent cinema in his country and his fellow filmmakers' inflated egos." However, she is concerned about its "specialized topic and low-budget look" that may be off-putting for some audience, which may minimize its commercial prospect internationally. She also compares how the film replays specific sequences, each with narrative or stylistic revisions, to "a Groundhog Day of pilot filmmaking."[11]
