| Biyaya ng Lupa (Blessings of the Land) |
|
|---|---|
| Directed by | Manuel Silos |
| Written by | Celso Al Carunungan Pablo Naval |
| Starring | Rosa Rosal |
| Editing by | Ike Jarlego Sr. |
| Release date(s) | 16 December 1959 |
| Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | Philippines |
| Language | Filipino (Tagalog) |
Blessings of the Land (Tagalog: Biyaya ng lupa)[1] is a 1959 Filipino drama film directed by Manuel Silos. It was entered into the 10th Berlin International Film Festival.[2] The film won Best Picture and Best Story from the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences. In 1960, it was shown at the Asian Film Festival held in Tokyo. The story was written by Celso Al. Carunungan, while the screenplay was written by Carunungan together with Pablo Naval. The movie was produced by LVN Pictures.[3]
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The film is a melodrama about the life of a Filipino couple residing in a village. The couple's deaf-mute son, Miguel, is tested and "must rise above his handicap" after the tragedies experienced by the family.[1]
Maria and Jose begin their married life by establishing a countryside orchard of lanzones. They soon have four children, namely Miguel, Arturo, Angelita, and Lito. They live happily in the community, until Bruno comes along; he is a widower believed to have killed his own wife. Bruno wants to remarry and courts Choleng, a niece of Jose. Choleng dies by falling from a cliff while trying to evade Bruno. Bruno goes to the mountains to hide from the angry villagers. Bruno returns and rapes Jose's daughter, Angelita. Together with the villagers, Jose pursues Bruno but is shot by the latter.[3]
Jose’s son, Arturo, goes to Manila, while Jose’s other son Miguel (the deaf and mute) courts Gloria, a woman in the village. Arturo returns from Manila accompanied by a woman from the city. Arturo succeeds in convincing his mother, Maria, to mortgage the rice fields before going back to Manila.[3]
A landowner from another town hires Bruno to destroy the lanzones harvest of Maria’s family. Bruno and his group fail because of the villagers. Miguel kills Bruno. Arturo comes back from Manila and reconciles with his family.[3]