Contemporary World Film Series: CRYING LADIES from the Philippines

The film tells the story of three ‘professional mourners’ hired by Wilson, the scion of a rich Filipino-Chinese family in Manila’s Chinatown, to grieve the death of his father and uphold the Chinese funeral tradition of hiring mourners. These ‘mourners’ are three Filipino women, each facing a personal crisis. Stella is a struggling single mother who cannot afford to take care of her son whom she loves dearly. Aling is a former B-grade actress, still clinging to the glory of her past roles. Choleng is a pious woman tormented by guilt over her affair with a married man. Amid the theatrical wailing and ceremonial grief, the women share their private sorrows, struggles, dreams, and hopes. The film balances humor with deeply moving, thought-provoking moments while showcasing core Filipino values such as love for family and the importance of community and bayanihan spirit. Despite the challenges faced by the lead characters, they demonstrate a strong sense of determination and a desire to overcome adversity, reflecting the Filipino spirit of humor amid hardship, and overall resilience.

A genuine feel-good movie, Crying Ladies won several awards at the Metro Manila Film Festival, and was selected as the Philippines’ official entry for the Academy Awards . The movie captured the hearts of critics and audiences at film festivals across the world, including in Asia, Europe, North America, Canada.

The film event is supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Philippines, who will serve Filipino refreshments after the screening. The Ambassador of Philippines. HE Ms Millicent Cruz Paredes  will introduce the film.

Due to limited seating,  Reservations need to be made at the earliest. Ticket Reservations: filmforum17@gmail.com  (Ticket: 20 B, to be paid at door, for non-TK Park members.  )