Private Nights

Amidst the vast sugar plantations of Negros in Southern Philippines, a matriarch lies in the throes of death. Her children rush home to confront the crisis as news of the impending death of their well-loved mother spreads among the community. There, in their ancestral house, the siblings are forced to deal with the issues of inheritance, tradition and the family legacy. It is a familiar tale. After all, every family has its story. And to each one, its own deserved secrets.

Melba is the wife of a slain farmer-leader whose murder is attributed to an incumbent governor. She goes to the city to appeal the case and to seek out a new life after the tragedy. Working as a staff member at the office of City Councilor, she is introduced to the life inside politics. Eventually she will be deeply involved, as her decision to marry the budding politician lays a carefully planned agenda.

Four interconnected stories during the height of the Martial Law crackdown against rebels. The palpable aura of fear leaves Filipinos in a state of paralysis, unable or unwilling to move until the dark cloud of history passes over.

Estela, an idealistic, call center slacker is mentored by Trevor, a pragmatic, senior agent. Their interaction develops into an unconventional relationship that would challenge their most personal convictions.

In a failed diamond heist, two hopeless thieves hide out in an apartment taking a ten-year-old boy hostage. With a gang of dirty police closing in on them each thief must decide to what lengths he will go to survive--a decision that will change the boy's life forever.

Gene works for the local underworld syndicate but always treats his abductees with kindness. He begins a dangerous affair with ex-bar girl Dolor, who's routinely beaten by her rich husband. When the cops move in on Gene's gang and Dolor's husband winds up dead, the couple flees with the law and their enemies in hot pursuit.

A journalist investigates a woman with the name of China Doll. Soon, he discovers his knowledge of her turns out to be dangerous.

The episodically connected lives of four college friends unfold throughout the incipient martial law years, as they struggle to define their sexual and professional desires and how best to attain them.

Two filmmakers try to create a film venturing on the life of Jose Rizal. Before they do that, they try to investigate on the heroism of the Philippine national hero. Of particular focus is his supposed retraction of his views against the Roman Catholic Church during the Spanish regime in the Philippines which he expressed primarily through his two novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. The investigation was done mainly by "interviewing" key individuals in the life of Rizal such as his mother Teodora Alonso, his siblings Paciano, Trinidad, and Narcisa, his love interest and supposed wife Josephine Bracken, and the Jesuit priest who supposedly witnessed Rizal's retraction, Fr. Balaguer. Eventually, the two filmmakers would end up "interviewing" Rizal himself to get to the bottom of the issue.

In a time in the Philippines when the concept of divorce does not exist, a young woman has an affair with a married man. Eventually, they move in together, and that is when the problems start.

Love in the time of hyperthymesia.

The tale of an activist’s journey during the turbulent years of Martial Law, until his capture in the mountains and the dark, nine years of imprisonment that followed, leading to his birth as a poet.

A story about three children struggling in a depressed neighborhood with their means of survival arriving from the package given to them by their parents who works abroad.

Fe returns home to the Philippines after several years of working overseas, her job a victim of global economic shifts. Fe is initially greeted with affection by her husband Dante, but he has a long history of domestic violence fueled by rage and long-term impotence, and Fe quickly discovers her time away has not changed him. Dante works in a factory making baskets, and Fe soon joins him there; she becomes the lover of Arturo, the man who manages the basket company, but while Arturo treats her well, he's still under the thumb of his father who owns the factory. Meanwhile, an unknown admirer sends her parcels of strange black fruit on a regular basis. Torn between two men who cannot give her what she needs and wants, Fe's frustration leads to take desperate steps to establish her independence.

“Sisid” is the story of a videographer, played by Raymond Bagatsing, who was betrayed by women in the past and swears never to be betrayed again. He meets a nightclub performer played by de Rossi. The two have an affair, perhaps even fall in love, but Bagatsing hesitates to commit himself to her. De Rossi tells Bagatsing the story of one of her lovers, played by Rodel Velayo; Velayo was once chauffeur to the beautiful but spoiled daughter (again, de Rossi) of a wealthy fishpond operator. De Rossi is kidnapped, Velayo helps her escape; when she learns of his involvement in the plot, she leaves him. Velayo wanders about, until he meets de Rossi in the nightclub; he insists that nightclub de Rossi is really his long-lost de Rossi, and pursues her with fierce intensity. Bagatsing feels threatened by Velayo’s presence, even jealous, and the two struggle over the woman they both think they love.

A newly trained ninja warrior journeys to the Philippines, where he must defend his former war comrade's property against a determined adversary.

The story about a teenage boy, Antonio, whose emerging gay sexuality alienates him from his friends and family, until his libertine uncle, Jonbert, comes to live with him and his mother.

Two aging couple who work in the Filipino film industry, a linear editor and an ex-dubber, who, at the twilight of their lives, decide to part ways to know what’s missing in their lives. They both explore things they haven’t explored before as they both undergo a sexual awakening in their lives. The wife finds comfort in a local school janitor whom she sees a slight parallelism to her life. On the other hand, the husband gets enamored on a shy barrio lass whose face elicit the same weakness he has for women chinita eyes.

An alcoholic detective meets a witty attorney.

After a drug lord is apprehended by the police, a syndicate does everything in its power to get him out of jail, since he has money that should be divided among the members, so a general's grandson is kidnapped to facilitate his release.