Why watch Lamentasyon, the first ever full length Filipino film produced in UAE

"Oo nga, obligasyon mo ang pamilya mo, pero siyempre di ba, obligasyon mo rin ang sarili mo..."

"...hindi porke't andito ka sa abroad; sabihin mo sa kanila, hindi umuulan ng pera dito."

"Ano yun tatawag lang kayo pag kailangan nyo ng pera?!"

If the words above sound familiar to you, this film is your story.

What sets this apart from other OFW-themed movies is the focus on the mental challenges, and not on the typical physical abuses. The psychological impact of the real struggles and conflicts of a typical OFW is well portrayed in this flick.

Why I am excited to watch Lamentasyon is because this is the first ever full length film produced by an all-OFW cast and crew headed by the award winning filmmaker Archie Enriquez. Not to mention, all of them have their own daytime jobs to take care of as well.

The trailer wouldn't have you guessing that this is created by newbies in full-length film production, yet it speaks so much of a profound, untapped and non-traditional story line that is very much relevant to most OFWs worldwide.

Definitely another feather in the Filipino's cap. I had a chat with one of the actors and he shared the following:

"Lamentasyon was inspired by OFW's working collection of conflicts and situations of a typical Filipino to give the best to their family. Other than misfortunes and unfortunate events our countrymen suffer while working abroad, the film approaches the psychological impact of working miles away from your loved ones." 

The script written by Engelbert Chua and Director Enriquez follows the story of Samuel (played by Dexter Dalisay), a newly-hired chef in Dubai and his struggles from his avaricious mother and being away from his younger brother. While working in Dubai, he experienced strange occurrences that made him distrustful to everyone including himself. With the help of Mang Gerry (played by Emil Barcenilla), his roommate, who seems to be aware of what’s happening to Samuel. Samuel and Mang Gerry meet its end with a very peculiar revelation that makes the embodiment of "Lamentasyon". 

The cast and crew at the Bloggers Meetup Day at Max's Restaurant Al Ghurair

What lies ahead on this character-driven drama set in the formidable risky dilemma of a modern day in Dubai, is what we all have to find out.

In the bloggers meetup, Direk Archie ended our conversation by saying, "Mabubuhay and lungkot. There are many extreme and unexpected turns. Walang uuwi ng hindi iiyak..."

"Wag mong gawing dahilan ang pagmamahal para paniwalain ang sarili mo na sayo lang umiikot ang mundo nila."

Red carpet premiere night is scheduled on 15th November at Grand Cineplex. Regular screening will be on December 26 - 30

Watch the trailer below:

This movie is produced by Ape and Company and Animo Events. For updates on screening, please follow Lamentasyon on Facebook.