Muro-Ami
| Muro-Ami (Coral fishing) | |
|---|---|
 Muro-Ami | |
| Directed by | Marilou Diaz-Abaya |
| Written by | Ricardo Lee & Jun Lana |
| Starring |
Cesar Montano Amy Austria |
| Music by | Noni Buencamino |
| Distributed by | GMA Films |
Release dates | 1999 |
Running time | 110 mins |
| Country | Philippines |
| Language | Filipino;Tagalog |
| Box office | P 110.3 million* |
Muro-Ami, also known as Coral Fishing, is a 1999 Filipino film directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya starring Filipino actors Cesar Montano, Amy Austria, Jhong Hilario, Rebecca Lusterio, Jerome Sales, Teodoro Penaranda Jr., and Walter Pacatang.
This movie is about the destructive method of Muro-Ami in the Philippines and its effect on the poor. It is a look at the poverty in the Visayas , primarily seen through the eyes of the coral fishers (Muro-Ami).
Plot
Fredo (Cesar Montano) is a fisherman who has endured more than his share of hardship in life; his wife and child both perished in a boating accident, and today Fredo approaches each trip to the sea with the angry determination of a man out for revenge. Fredo commands a crew of young people from poor families as he takes his rattletrap ship into the ocean in search of fish that live along the reefs, snaring catch with an illegal netting system. Not all of Fredo's youthful sailors are willing to put up with his abusive arrogance, however, and even his father Dado (Pen Medina) and close friend Botong (Jhong Hilario) have grown weary of Fredo's tirades. Fredo's body is beginning to betray him as well, and as he and his crew damage the sea's reef beds in search of fish, no one is certain how much longer he will be able to continue.
Maestro Fredo, a tyrant captain, fixates to claim the treasures of the sea—no matter what, in whatever diabolical technique for as long as he profits. He employs dozens of men, mostly children, in his dangerous expeditions. Conditions aboard the ships are oppressive. Children are often overworked and his crew is furious with the way they are living. He blames the sea for claiming the lives of his family and he exacts revenge by plundering its depths.
Cast
- Cesar Montano - Fredo
- Amy Austria - Susan
- Pen Medina - Dado
- Jhong Hilario -Botong
- Rebecca Lusterio - Kalbo
- Jerome Sales - Filemon
- Teodoro Penaranda Jr. - Tabugok
- Walter Pacatang - Tibo
- Ranilo Boquil - Kokoy
- Kokoy - Albularyo
Awards
- Metro Manila Film Festival, 1999
- Best Film (won)
- Pen Medina - Best Supporting Actor (nominated)
- Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Awards
- Best Director (Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
- Best Child Performer (Rebecca Lusterio)
Trivia
- The movie is known for the dramatic fishing scenes"