Manila Skies (Tagalog: Himpapawid) is a 2009 Philippine neo-noir film directed and written by Raymond Red. It is based on the true story of the May 2000 Philippine Airlines Flight 812 hijacking en route from Davao to Manila.[1] This marks Red's first major feature film since winning the CannesPalme D'Or for his short film Anino in 2000.[2] The film stars newcomer Raul Arellano as a lone, deranged hijacker who is pushed to the edge of his limits as he struggles to make his way back home. It also features John Arcilla, Soliman Cruz, Raul Morit, Karlo Altomonte and Sue Prado. [3]
The film premiered on October 19, 2009 at the Tokyo International Film Festival, where Red was nominated for the Tokyo Grand Prix.[4] At the 2010 Gawad Urian Awards, the film received eleven nominations, the most of any film that year. It bagged Best Supporting Actor for Cruz, Best Supporting Actress for Prado and Best Cinematography for Red.[5][6]
Plot
Manila Skies follows the story of Raul (Raul Arellano), an ordinary guy from the Philippine provinces whose life is shaped by poverty, limited opportunities, and systemic social inequality. When a bag of cash and jewelry falls from the sky onto a rural farmland, a local farmer (Ronnie Lazaro) retrieves it and promises a young Raul that he will send him to Manila to study, highlighting the allure of the city as a place of opportunity.
Decades later, Raul navigates the crowded streets of Manila, carrying goods and attempting to build a life in the metropolis. He faces numerous obstacles, including bureaucratic inefficiencies, unemployment, and exposure to criminal elements. He participates in a failed attempt with friends to reclaim money that had been taken from them. Meanwhile, the film also depicts other residents of the city’s squatter communities, showing the harsh living conditions of families crowded into makeshift homes and the pervasive struggle for survival.
Driven by frustration, delusion and desperation, Raul eventually takes drastic measures, seizing control of an aircraft to demand a change in his fate. [7]
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