Ma’ Rosa
Gritty, tragicomic tale set in rain-swept nighttime Manila, about a woman who owns a small convenience store and resells tiny amounts of narcotics to make ends meet.
Family matriarch Rosa struggles to keep their small convenience store afloat in tough economic times. To make ends meet, Rosa and her husband, Nestor, resell small amounts of narcotics on the side. When Rosa and her drug-addled husband are arrested, they discover that the cops are greedier and crueller than any junkie or dealer.
Through his films, director Brillante Mendoza presents a social critique of contemporary problems in the Philippines. Jaclyn Jose took home the Best Actress prize at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival for her performance in MA’ ROSA.
Brillante Mendoza, Philippines, 2016, 110 min. Tagalog spoken, Dutch subtitles.