Muro-Ami (1999)

Original title

Muro-ami

Directed by

Marilou Diaz-Abaya

Genre

action, adventure, drama

Country

Philippines

Runtime

2h

Rated

PG-13

Rating

10.0 of 10 from 1 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A ruthless fishing captain leads a crew of muro-ami divers who illegally smash coral reefs to drive fish into nets. The film shows the brutal conditions and child labor involved in this destructive fishing practice.

harshgrittysoberingslow-burnintensebleakconfrontationalhumanizing

What happens

Muro-Ami (transl. Reef Hunters) is a 1999 Filipino adventure drama film co-produced and directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya and written by Ricky Lee and Jun Lana from the director's original story concept. It stars Cesar Montano as Fredo, a ruthless captain of 150 muro-ami divers, who employ illegal fishing practices, such as pounding and crushing corals to scare fish, driving them towards the nets. It depicts one of the worst forms of child labor in the illegal fishing system. Produced and distributed by GMA Films, the film was theatrically released on December 25, 1999, as one of the official entries to the 25th Metro Manila Film Festival, where it won 13 out of 14 nominations, including Best Picture. In 2026, the film was digitally restored and remastered by Central Digital Lab. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

More like this

• Batang pro (1999)
• Isusumbong Kita Sa Tatay Ko (1999)
• Food Delivery (2025)
• Dogwatch (1999)
• Oro (2016)
• Katawan (1999)
• Ang Pinakamagandang Hayop sa Balat ng Lupa (1974)
• Apoy sa Karagatan (2001)