Fable of the Fish

 Fable of the Fish Directed by Adolfo Borinaga Alix Jr. 2011, 85 min, Tagalog, The Philippines, Drama Sales Contact: 173 Richardson Street, Brooklyn, NY 11222 USA Office: +1.718.312.8210 Fax: +1.718.362.4865 Email: info@visitfilms.com Web: www.visitfilms.com
SYNOPSIS Lina and Miguel are a poor married couple who are trying to survive. When they move to a nearby slum, Lina and Miguel have no choice but to join the local scavengers digging through a garbage dump in order to survive. Advancing in years, Lina still dreams of becoming a mother despite Miguel's lack of enthusiasm. Somewhat magically, her prayers are answered and she becomes pregnant. In her flooded house during a storm, she gives birth to a son. However when her son turns out to be a fish, Lina's love for her offspring, as well as her marriage to Miguel, are tested by the strange and surreal moments that surround them. DIRECTOR’S NOTE The film is based on a true story about an incident in the late eighties about a talk show host who was asked to be a godmother in the baptism of a supposed-­‐to-­‐be mudfish. In such times when a lot of things happen in the Philippines involving corruption and poverty-­‐stricken issues, it is refreshing to take such moments, surreal yet rooted in reality, and to dissect and discuss the cross-­‐section of the Philippine society through the point of view of this seemingly normal family. The situation feels like a modern day version of the Sarah-­‐Abraham story. The premise may be based on a peculiar incident but the story deals primarily with the workings of a typical family -­‐ the oddity being that the son is a fish. It is interesting to explore the relationship of the community within the context of such an occurrence as Philippine cinema most often portrays it as fantasy rather than human. The film follows the characters in a stationary canvass to reveal the portrait of the different characters – showing the development of each of them as well as the community in order to emphasize the dilemma and the humanity of the concept. The camera gazes through them as they try to survive in their own conflicts. Fable of the Fish may be shot in a dumpsite, which is typical of the current movies being produced in the Philippines, but the “realness” of the situation makes these prejudices blur the lines between fantasy and reality. Genuine tragedies in the world are not conflicts between right and wrong; they are conflicts between two rights. Cinema can also be like that. It can feel real but also has a sense of fantasy. -­‐Adolfo Boringa Alix Jr.
DIRECTOR’S PROFILE Adolfo Borinaga Alix Jr. was born in 1978 at Makati City, Philippines. He graduated magna cum laude at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (University of the City of Manila) with a degree in Mass Communications. He started as a screenwriter for films and television before starting to direct features in 2006. His first film Donsol (2006) was the Philippines’ official submission to the Best Foreign Language film category of the Academy Awards. Since then, he has become one of the most promising young filmmakers from the Philippines. His subsequent films were screened in various international film festivals including Cannes, Toronto, Rotterdam, Moscow, Locarno, Pusan, Warsaw and Mar del Plata. Alix has been recently listed by The Hollywood Reporter in its “Next Generation Asia 2010,” which features the top 20 young entertainment personalities in the region deemed “the best and the brightest among their peers.” FILMOGRAPHY Isda (Fable of the Fish), 2011, 95 minutes, Feature. Liberacion (Liberation), 2011, 100 minutes, Feature. Presa, 2011, 95 minutes, Feature. Chassis, 2010, 73 minutes, Feature. Muli (The Affair), 2011, 105 minutes, Feature. D’ Survivors (The Survivors), 2010, 75 minutes, Feature. Romeo at Juliet (Romeo and Juliet), 2010, 76 minutes, Feature. Karera (Ante), 2009, 75 minutes, Feature. Aurora, 2009, 90 minutes, Feature. Manila (co-­‐director), 2009, 95 minutes, Feature. Adela, 2008, 95 minutes, Feature. Imoral (Amoral), 2008, 90 minutes, Feature. Daybreak, 2008, 73 minutes, Feature. Nars (Nurses), 2007, 90 minutes, Feature. Batanes (co-­‐director), 2007, 100 minutes, Feature. Tambolista (Drumbeat), 2007, 90 minutes, Feature. Kadin (The Goat), 2007, 90 minutes, Feature. Donsol, 2006, 105 minutes, Feature.
TECHNICAL SPECS Country of Production Language Running Time Shooting Format Aspect Ratio Sound CAST Lina Miguel Juling Dolor Cory Turing Luz Jaime Philippines Tagalog 85 minutes HD 2:35:1 Stereo Cherry Pie Picache Bembol Roco Anita Linda Rosanna Roces Angel Aquino Alan Paule Evelyn Vargas Arnold Reyes PRODUCTION CREW Production Company Director Writer Co-­Producers Line Producer Associate Director Assistant Director Production Manager Location Manager Director of Photography Production Designer Art Directors Editor Music Sound Design Field Sound Recordists Phoenix Features Adolfo Borinaga Alix Jr. Jerry B. Gracio Jonas Antonio Gaffud Elizabeth Juan Maan P. Dimla Armando Reyes Benjamin G. Tolentino Rolly Palmes Robin Palmes Albert Banzon Adolfo Alix, Jr. Roland Rubenecia Jerome Zamora Benjamin Tolentino Eigen Ignacio Ditoy Aguila Junel Valencia Mark Locsin Herbert Relagio Nicolas Varela Joseph Santos FESTIVALS: Toronto International Film Festival Busan International Film Festival Dubai International Film Festival Hong Kong Asian Film Festival Festival Les 3 Continents Goteborg International Film Festival Edinburgh International Film Festival