Underplayed Gems

Malvar

Malvar poster
Directed by
Jose Balagtas
Genre
action film
Country
Philippines
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

This is an unfinished Philippine biographical war film about General Miguel Malvar, one of the last Filipino generals to surrender in the Philippine-American War. The project was delayed for years over political concerns and then faced controversy over permissions from the general's descendants.

unfinishedambitiouspatriotichistoricalcontroversialdisruptedslow-burngrounded

What happens

Malvar: Tuloy ang Laban (lit. 'Malvar: The Fight Continues') is an unfinished Filipino biographical war film directed by Jose "Kaka" Balagtas and written by Ed Samson. It would have depicted the life of Miguel Malvar, one of the last Filipino generals to surrender in the Philippine–American War. The film's cast included Manny Pacquiao as the titular General Malvar, with Isko Moreno as Andrés Bonifacio and E.R. Ejercito as Emilio Aguinaldo. Producer Jose Malvar Villegas Jr. began plans for a film about General Malvar in 2000, though it was stalled due to apprehension that the American government, a close ally of the Philippines, could be offended with the work. After Rodrigo Duterte became President of the Philippines in 2016 and favored a more independent foreign policy for the country, Villegas was encouraged to proceed with his plans, with Pacquiao cast as Malvar by mid-2019. Though shooting was intended to take place in Batangas, the eruption of Taal Volcano in the province forced the production to move to Bulacan. As plans for a Malvar film production became more public in late 2019, controversy arose over the production's lack of sought permission from Malvar's descendants, while the casting of Pacquiao as Malvar has been criticized. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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