Aishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita

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Aishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita
Directed by Joel C. Lamangan
Screenplay by Ricardo Lee
Story by
  • Ricardo Lee
  • Joel C. Lamangan
Produced byRoselle Monteverde-Teo
Starring
CinematographyRolly Manuel
Edited byMarya Ignacio
Music byVon de Guzman
Production
company
Distributed by
Release date
  • December 25, 2004 (2004-12-25)
Running time
106 minutes
Languages
  • Filipino
  • Japanese
  • English
Budget₱75 million
Box office₱26.3 million

Aishite Imasu 1941 (Mahal Kita) [a] is a 2004 Philippine romantic war drama film directed by Joel C. Lamangan from a story co-written with Ricky Lee, who solely made it into a screenplay. Starring Judy Ann Santos, Raymart Santiago, Jay Manalo, and Dennis Trillo, the film is a story of love, betrayal, and honour in wartime, set in the Japanese occupation of the Philippines (1941–1945) during World War II.

Contents

A co-production of Regal Films and BAS Films, the film was theatrically released on December 25, 2004, as an entry for the 30th Metro Manila Film Festival.

Plot

In the town of San Nicolas, Inya is newly married to her childhood sweetheart Edilberto and is excited about starting a new family. Ignacio "Igna" Basa is Inya's best friend, a transgender woman who has been in love with Edilberto for years. However, their lives are interrupted by the start of the Pacific War in 1941 and the Japanese invasion.

At the start of the Japanese occupation, Edilberto becomes a guerilla leader in San Nicolas and takes the nom de guerre Berto. Ignacio becomes the movement's spy inside the Japanese forces. At the same time, she falls for Ichiru Hamaguchi, a Japanese Army official who returns her affection. Anytime Berto attacks a Japanese patrol, the latter burns a village and executes suspected guerrilla members under the direction of Maura, a collaborator. Inya is also suspected as a Japanese spy and tortured by the guerrillas. She later reveals Ignacio's secret to a Japanese officer, Hiroshi, who in turn tells his superior Ichiru. Ichiru refuses to believe until he suffers a nightmare of holding his father's blood in front of the Americans. He tries to make love with Igna, but the latter refuses. Ichiru reveals that he knows Igna is transgender and he does not care as long as he loves Igna.

A few years later, local guerrilla forces are led by Inya, who replaces Berto in 1943 after he is killed in action. The Japanese retaliate with brutality, hanging the mayor and others. As Igna returns to camp after warning Inya of a raid, she is caught along with Ichiru by Maura and Hiroshi. Igna is beaten but later escapes with the help of Ichiru and a sympathetic colleague, Akihiro. Sheltering at a house, Akihiro and Ichiru commit seppuku. Igna again is arrested by Maura and Hiroshi and is tortured. Inya then raids the town hall and rescues Igna, while eliminating the Japanese garrison at the cost of several guerrillas. But as Inya and Igna escape, Maura and Japanese reinforcements arrive and shoot Inya. However, she is shielded by Igna, who dies instead, whereupon Inya's men open fire on Maura's vehicle, killing her and the Japanese.

Decades later, an elderly Inya tells the truth about what happened during the war. As the mayor and a historian discuss future plans, including a memorial for the victims, she leaves.

Cast

Production

Writing

The film's story and screenplay are inspired by the wartime experiences of the townmate of director Joel Lamangan. Ricky Lee, who co-wrote the story with Lamangan, took three days to write the screenplay. [1] He revealed to the public that the project was rejected for five to seven years by various producers until Regal Films founder-executive producer Lily Y. Monteverde approved it and then, gave a green light. [1]

Casting

The film marks the first time where Judy Ann Santos and Raymart Santiago acted together despite they are from different networks and film studios at the time, with Santos being an exclusive TV talent of ABS-CBN and did film projects for Star Cinema and Regal and Santiago being an exclusive talent of GMA Network and Viva Films. [2]

Awards

YearOrganizationCategoryName of Recipient
2005 Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Best Supporting Actor Dennis Trillo
Best Production DesignJoey Luna
Best SoundRamon Reyes
Film Academy Of The PhilippinesBest PictureRegal Entertainment Inc. and BASFILM Productions
Best Director Joel Lamangan
Best ActorDennis Trillo
Best Supporting Actor Jay Manalo
Best EditingMarya Ignacio
Best Production DesignJoey Luna
Gawad Pasado3rd Best PictureRegal Entertainment Inc. and BASFILM Productions
Best ActorDennis Trillo
Best Supporting ActorJay Manalo
PMPC Star Awards for MoviesBest ActorDennis Trillo
Best New Movie ActorDennis Trillo
ENPRESS Golden ScreenBreakthrough Performance by an ActorDennis Trillo
Gawad TanglawBest Supporting ActorDennis Trillo
Young Critics CircleBest Performance by Male or Female, Adult or Child, Individual or Ensemble in Leading or Supporting RoleDennis Trillo
2004 Metro Manila Film Festival-Philippines [3] 3rd Best Picture Regal Entertainment Inc. and BASFILM Productions
Best Supporting Actor Dennis Trillo
Most Gender Sensitive Film Regal Entertainment Inc. and BASFILM Productions

Nominations

YearOrganizationCategoryName of Recipient
2005Filipino Academy of Arts and SciencesBest PictureAishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita
2005Filipino Academy of Arts and SciencesBest Director Joel Lamangan
2005Filipino Academy of Arts and SciencesBest Supporting Actress Angelu de Leon
2005Gawad UrianBest Supporting Actor Dennis Trillo
2005Film Academy of the PhilippinesBest Sound
2005Film Academy of the PhilippinesBest Musical Scoring
2005Gawad PasadoBest Actress Judy Ann Santos
2005PMPC Star Awards for MoviesBest PictureAishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita
2005PMPC Star Awards for MoviesBest Director Joel Lamangan
2005PMPC Star Awards for MoviesBest Actress Judy Ann Santos
2005PMPC Star Awards for MoviesBest Original Screenplay
2005PMPC Star Awards for MoviesBest Editor
2005PMPC Star Awards for MoviesBest Production Designer
2005PMPC Star Awards for MoviesBest Original Theme Song
2005ENPRESS Golden ScreenBest Sound
2005ENPRESS Golden ScreenBest Original Song
2004 Metro Manila Film Festival-Philippines [3] Best Actress Judy Ann Santos
Best Actor Raymart Santiago

Themes

The film has been described as one of the "affirmative gay films" in the Philippine cinema production from the late 1990s-early 2000s. [4]

References

Notes

  1. Both "Aishite imasu" (愛しています) and "Mahal kita" mean "I love you" in Japanese and Filipino, respectively.

Sources

  1. 1 2 Daza, Paul (December 27, 2004). "Ricky Lee: "I write because I want to be remembered". Philippine Daily Inquirer . Inquirer Group of Companies. p. 70.
  2. "A long last love for Judy Ann, Raymart". Philippine Daily Inquirer . Inquirer Group of Companies. December 22, 2004. p. A2-3.
  3. 1 2 "Metro Manila Film Festival:2004". IMDB. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  4. Martin, Fran (October 15, 2008). AsiaPacifiQueer: Rethinking Genders and Sexualities. University of Illinois Press. ISBN   978-0-252-03307-0.