Silk Screen Asian Arts & Culture Organization

Content Advisory: This film contains adult themes.

“Audacious” is the only word to describe Philippine director Marlon Rivera’s wicked satirical examination of his country’s film industry.Woman in the Septic Tank is a bonafide hit, breaking box office records and winning awards worldwide and in the Philippines.

 Independent filmmakers Ranieri  (Cipriano), Bingbong (Guzman),  and their production assistant Jocelyn (Cortez) are determined to make a name for themselves in the film industry. Deciding that the most expeditious way to do this is with a contribution to the Philippines number one film export: the poverty expose, they set about casting, writing, and scouting locations for their ultra gritty, ultra realistic tour-de-force on child trafficking.  Utilizing the film-within-a-film device, we see Ranieri and team in the pre-production of their masterpiece “Walang –Wala” (“With Nothing”).  Herein, Rivera reveals the machinations of these young artists.  Reminiscent of “Groundhog Day” in presenting hilarious variations on the same scene, the real motives of the filmmakers become all too apparent. A chance encounter with a big-shot Philippine director proves that indie filmmaking is not without pretense and egotism. In point of fact, the satire makes crystal clear that, often, ambition trumps altruism for all involved.

Concluding with encounters with the lead actress and (gasp) actual poor people are eye-opening for the production team.  Do not miss the post-credit sequence, which makes the meaning behind the film’s title all-too-clear.