Hustisya

Hustisya
Directed by	Joel Lamangan
Produced by	Harlene Bautista
Written by	Ricky Lee
Starring	Nora Aunor Rocco Nacino Rosanna Roces Sunshine Dizon
Cinematography	Nap Jamir
Edited by	Vanessa de Leon
Production company	Likhang Silangan Entertainment
Release date	August 2, 2014 (2014-08-02) (Cinemalaya)
Country	Philippines
Language	Tagalog

Hustisya (English: Justice) is a 2014 Filipino political thriller-drama film starring Nora Aunor.^[1] The film is about the story of a foul-mouthed woman fights for her soul in the belly of the city. Working for a human trafficking agency controlled by a powerful syndicate, she sees no evil, hears no evil. In a society like ours, you have only two choices - to be a victim, or a victimizer - she makes her choice. The film was written by Ricky Lee and directed by Joel Lamangan

The film is one of the official entries to the Directors Showcase of the 10th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.^[2] The film will also have its international premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, under the Contemporary World Cinema selection.^[3]

Plot

Biring is a probinsyana from Bicol who becomes involved in the illegal world of human trafficking. She becomes the right-hand woman of her distant relative Vivian (Rosanna Roces).

Virginia Cabahug or Biring to those who are close to her is the bag lady of the syndicate, her main task in the syndicate is to meet up with the clients for their requirements. She is tough on the outside, foul-mouthed, but soft on the inside. This is what the syndicate wanted to change in her. Vivian is a childhood friend from Bicol, and she took Biring and her family to Manila, sent her daughter (Sunshine Dizon) and grandson (Jeric Gonzales) to school, and made Biring her girl Friday. However, greediness took the better of the friendship and Vivian sets up Biring for the crime of passion she did and that is shooting her unfaithful lover Gardo (Gardo Versoza). When she lands in jail for a crime that she did not commit, Biring experiences the slow grind of justice in the Philippines. Through the help of a corrupt lawyer named Gerald (Rocco Nacino), the syndicate would turn her into a sophisticated crook and eventually replace Vivian. Gerald, a young and scheming lawyer does this task, first teaching her the lesson of how to get ahead in life using the predatory tactic of a frog catching a mosquito, and then getting her beaten by inmates to make her tough on the inside.^[4]

When the right time came, the syndicate bails her out and offers her the role she was prepared for. After some concessions, she agrees to take on the job, but it was only her ploy, she has other plans. Biring wants to have a new life and gets ready to leave for Bicol with her daughter and grandson and quickly meets up with a local investigative journalist (Romnick Sarmenta) to give him a notebook that contains syndicate information. Her decision to escape the syndicate also came with a resolve to expose the crime. Unfortunately, the syndicate knew about her plans and quickly sets up her grandson for illegal possession of drugs. She had to abort her plan for her family’s safety. She becomes co-opted in their crime, and what follows is her ascent into the echelons of greed and power in the syndicate. Vivian is shot in broad daylight, and as she lay dying, Biring looks on her with vengeful eyes. She meets with the journalist to take back the notebook that she gave him and to stop the expose, but the journalist refused and she unintentionally killed the journalist. And although she has kept her personal faith in God (as shown in her devotion to the Black Nazarene and in her friendship with a priest), such did not move her to abandon her criminal acts. The final scenes show her on top of the pecking order, with what used to be her masters but are now on her beck and call. A whisper by Gerald makes her laugh like a demon. She has become the queen of hell. Biring turns the tables on her tormentors. She learns the corrupt practices of the powerful syndicate behind Vivian. The victim eventually becomes the victimizer.

Cast

• Nora Aunor as Virginia Cabahug / Biring
• Rocco Nacino as Atty. Gerald
• Rosanna Roces as Vivian
• Sunshine Dizon
• Romnick Sarmenta
• Chynna Ortaleza as Kristal
• Gardo Versoza as Gardo
• Sue Prado
• Jeric Gonzales as Michael
• Chanel LaTorre

Reception

“Although ‘Hustisya’ is a far cry from the socio-politically driven classics of decades past, its subject matter is at least reminiscent of the time. A big part of that is the presence of Nora Aunor, who has made a point to challenge herself and the status quo by accepting roles that don’t readily fit the mold of commercial viability. Biring is easily one of the most interesting and morally ambiguous characters to come out of the Cinemalaya Film Festival, and that’s due in no small part to Lee’s exceptional character writing... It’s a flawed yet striking film, with a ravenously engaging first half that unfortunately comes undone in its second. But while Hustisya loses focus well towards its end, it is held together by the strength of Nora Aunor’s performance.^[5] -- Zig Marasigan, Rappler Online

“The film was successful in portraying everything that’s ugly about Manila, literally and figuratively... As expected, Nora Aunor gave another tour de force performance as a bida/kontrabida...”^[6] -- Don Rapadas, Film Blogger

“And she’s particularly effective as her character clearly shows her transformation from small-time to big-time in the underworld of crime—drugs, murder, white slavery... Serving as backdrop, more accurately sharing “stellar billing,” is the decaying city that is Manila. Never before has “city of our affection” looked so ugly, so dirty.”^[7] -- Ronald Constantino, Columnist, Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation

“The only thing that holds the film together is Nora Aunor’s riveting performance. Despite being burdened by an uneven script, Aunor manages to make the film very interesting as viewers follow the complex changes that her character undergoes. After playing saintly or oppressed characters for many years, this time around, Aunor plays the victimizer. Biring is probably Aunor’s most shady character, which further expands her acting repertoire.”^[8] --- Brun Philippines Online Magazine

“It’s fascinating to watch Nora Aunor radiate the talent on the big screen up today. She displays perfect restraint and fluidity in playing a character so candid and blunt as Biring, especially during the first half of the film prior to when her character “breaks bad.” She manages to crack jokes in the face of the risks entailed by her means of living. She even flashes her middle finger during her mug shot at the police station. She puts on a tough surface in spite of the fears revealed by her eyes. And that’s just about the saving grace of ‘Hustisya’.”^[9] -- Philippine Entertainment Portal

List of International Film Festival Competed or Exhibited

• 10th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival
• 2014 Toronto International Film Festival
• 30th Warsaw International Film Festival(Competition), Poland October 10–19, 2014
• 3rd Hanoi International Film Festival, Vietnam (Exhibition) November 23–27, 2014
• 8th Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Brisbane Australia Dec. 11, 2014
• 36th Festival des 3 Continents, Nantes France, (Competition) November 25 - December 2, 2014^[10]
• 13th Pune International Film Festival (Competition), India, January 8 - 15, 2015

Awards and Recognition

International

Philippines

References

External links

Hustisya on IMDb