Underplayed Gems

The Man in Selya's Life (1997)

The Man in Selya's Life poster
Original title
Ang Lalaki sa Buhay ni Selya
Directed by
Carlos Siguion-Reyna
Genre
LGBTQ-related film
Country
Philippines
Runtime
1h 36m
Rated
AA
Rating
6.0 of 10 from 8 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

A woman in the Philippines must choose between two men. One is a closeted high school principal. The other wants a deeper commitment. As she decides she faces prejudice from her judgmental community.

tenseprovocativeemotionalseriousuncomfortableintimatesincere

What happens

The Man in Selya's Life (Filipino: Ang Lalaki sa Buhay ni Selya) is a 1997 controversial Filipino drama film directed by Carlos Siguion-Reyna and written by his wife, Bibeth Orteza. Starring Rosanna Roces, Ricky Davao, and Gardo Versoza, the story follows a woman who confronts her own prejudice among the community of intolerant, bigoted, and homophobic gossipers when she chooses between two men: a high school principal who is a closeted gay man and a man who wants more commitment with her. It is the second and last film of Rosanna Roces with Reyna Films and one of the films directed by Carlos Siguion-Reyna that bravely features taboo topics in Philippine cinema. A co-production of Reyna Films and Star Cinema, via its Star Pacific Cinema label, it is the first film produced by the latter entity where its story and themes are aimed at adult audiences. It was first premiered overseas in Canada on September 7, 1997, at the 22nd Toronto International Film Festival, exhibited under the "Contemporary World Cinema" section, before it received a domestic commercial release. on February 11, 1998. Since then, it became a blockbuster and received accolades from international film festivals and controversy from the censors. In 2015, the film was digitally restored and remastered by ABS-CBN Film Restoration. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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