Underplayed Gems

Itim (1976)

Itim poster
Directed by
Mike De Leon
Genre
drama film
Country
Philippines
Runtime
1h 45m
Rating
6.5 of 10 from 12 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A young photographer returns to his father's town during Lent. He meets a mysterious woman and becomes drawn into unsettling events that blur the line between the living and the dead.

darkmoodyatmosphericsupernaturalslow-burnmysterioussombergothic

What happens

Itim (Filipino: Black), released overseas as The Rites of May, is a 1976 Philippine gothic supernatural horror film directed by Mike de Leon in his feature film directorial debut, from a screenplay written by Clodualdo del Mundo Jr. and Gil Quito. It stars Tommy Abuel, Mario Montenegro, and Charo Santos in her acting debut, and follows a young photographer who encounters a mysterious woman whilst visiting his father in San Ildefonso during Lent. Itim addresses the topics of occultism and religion in a "foray into gothic horror, exploring the spiritual nature of life and people in the quiet little town of San Ildefonso". The Association of Filipino Film Critics included the film on their list of the 10 Best Films of the 1970s. The film was digitally restored in 2022, with a subsequent theatrical premiere as part of the Cannes Classics section at the 75th Cannes Film Festival. In a 2022 retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art, the film was described as "one of the most remarkable debuts in cinema history". (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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