Ina Ka ng Anak Mo

Ina ka ng Anak Mo
Official theatrical poster for the 1979 Metro Manila Film Festival
Directed by	Lino Brocka
Produced by	Alfredo L. Africa (associate producer) Victor Africa (associate producer) Bernardita A. Marquez (associate producer) Josefa A. Marquez
Screenplay by	Jose Dalisay Jr Leticia Fariñas
Story by	Leticia Fariñas
Starring	Nora Aunor, Lolita Rodriguez
Cinematography	Condrado Baltazar
Release dates	25 December 1979
Country	Philippines
Language	Filipino
Box office	₱ 18.5 million

Ina ka ng Anak Mo (lit. You Are the Mother of Your Daughter) is a 1979 Filipino film directed by Lino Brocka and starring Nora Aunor. The film was an official entry to the 1979 Metro Manila Film Festival, and garnered several awards including Best Actor for Raoul Aragonn and a tie for Best Actress between Lolita Rodriguez and Nora Aunor. It also garnered several nominations in the following year's FAMAS and Gawad Urian. Despite its adult theme and rating, the film was successful at the box office during its commercial run. The story portrays the everyday life of the deeply religious Renata (Lolita Rodriguez) and her daughter Ester (Nora Aunor), who is married to Luis (Raoul Aragonn).^[1]

This is Nora's first movie under the direction of Lino Brocka and an entry to the 1979 Metro Manila Film Festival. It was also the first and the only collaboration a between two of the greatest actresses of the Philippine Cinema; Nora Aunor and Lolita Rodriguez. Both actresses were recognized as Best Actress at the film fest award's night, in the process beating the tandem of two other great actresses Charito Solis and Vilma Santos who starred in the another entry, Modelong Tanso.^[2]

Synopsis

This is a story of day-to-day living by Renata Lolita Rodriguez, her daughter Esther Nora Aunor and Esther's husband Luis (Raul Aragon). Ester and Luis are a couple trying to start their own family while living in Renata's house. The couple can not bear a child due to Ester's sterility, which was ironic being that Ester is a family planning program worker. Ester's barrenness becomes a source of constant argument between the husband and wife, aggravated by Ester's unwillingness to allow Luis to seek employment out of the country. Renata often acts as a pacifier of her daughter during the couple's arguments. Unfortunately, Ester and her mother get into a heated argument resulting to Renata feeling emotional about it. She then confides to Luis about her problems, which results to one night of passionate union. The single night of union impregnates the aging Renata who refuses to have an abortion. Renata and Luis try to hide their fault until Ester discovers the truth accidentally when Renata gave birth to her child.

Cast

• Nora Aunor ... Esther
• Lolita Rodriguez ... Renata
• Raoul Aragonn ... Luis
• Lorli Villanueva ... The Lawyer
• Carlito Bonoy Gonzaga ... Tirso
• Crisanta Cruz ... Alma

Reviews

Brocka specializes in acting vehicles. Aunor clearly deserves the Best Actress Award. In fact, she deserves it more than Rodriguez, if only because she is younger and has less experience. Before Ina Ka Ng Anak Mo, only Charito Solis could stand up to Rodriguez; now Aunor is on par with both veteran actresses.

— Isagani R. Cruz, TV Times^[3]

I said that my all-time Nora’s best movie is Ina Ka Ng Anak Mo, a movie she made with Lolita Rodriguez and was directed by National Artist for film, Lino Brocka. That scene when she gets off from the tricycle that brought her to the house where she found her mother (played by Lolita) who just gave birth to a baby sired by her husband (played by Raul Aragon) to my mind remains the single most brilliant acting moment in Philippine cinema. It was all in her eyes – the shock, the humiliation, the bewilderment, the rage. She barely said anything, yet she said it all.

— Boy Abunda, "Direct Line"^[4]

Let me share to you a slice of the gushing, exhuberant display of Nora Aunor’s overpowering, passionate magical spell in Ina Ka ng Anak Mo…By the door, she sees a midlle-aged woman who had just given birth to a baby sired by her husband. She is introduced to a woman, half asleep, tipped to one side, whose figure and voice she knows so well. That woman is her mother!

Stunned by the realization of deceit, she moves back in hushed disbelief while her mother fumbles for repentance. She steps back little by little against the wall as she whimpers in stupor, “Hayup! Hayup! Hayup!”, while the camera pans up close capturing the depth, breadth of pain, humiliation, shock, and quiet rage all over her face. ..It is an electrifying gamut of emotion on screen that triggers complete silence in the theater as if everybody stops breathing. I still have to see one actress who can pull a scene so moving yet in its blend of dignity and tenderness as well as silent rage. It leaves an indelible mark as the greatest acting highlight…

— FAMAS Review^[5]

Awards

References

External links

Ina ka ng anak mo at the Internet Movie Database