Jesus the Revolutionary

  • 112'
  • Philippines
  • 2002
It's the year 2011 and the Philippines has been taken over by a military junta; the leader, a General Racellos, wields tight control over the country's single TV station, radio station and newspaper. Racellos' power is being challenged by Muslim secessionists, by the Communist movement and by a rival military group. In the middle of this turmoil stands Hesus Mariano (a quietly volatile Mark Anthony Fernandez) - scholar, musician, sharpshooter, poet, warrior. Jesus the Revolutionary was made on a shoestring budget (around five million pesos / 75,000 euro) and shot in roughly twenty days, but the ideas teeming in it are enough to fill a half-dozen lesser films. Except for the deserted streets and spray-painted graffiti, you won't see any evidence of progress, of advanced technology, any sign at all that it's almost a decade into tomorrow; if anything, things appear to have gotten worse... which is probably precisely Diaz's point. It's an action flick with an attitude, a political satire with a philosophical bent, a science-fiction drama with a committed political stance. The film mixes the influences of George Orwell, Jose Rizal and video games, using the future as a prismatic lens to focus on the follies of the present. (NV)
  • 112'
  • Philippines
  • 2002
Director
Lav Diaz
Country of production
Philippines
Year
2002
Festival Edition
IFFR 2006
Length
112'
Medium
Betacam SP PAL
Original title
Hesus Rebolusyonaryo
Languages
Tagalog, Filipino
Producers
Regal Entertainment, Lily A. Monteverde
Sales
Regal Entertainment
Screenplay
Lav Diaz
Cinematography
Lav Diaz
Editor
Lav Diaz
Cast
Joel Lamangan, Mark Anthony Fernandez
Director
Lav Diaz
Country of production
Philippines
Year
2002
Festival Edition
IFFR 2006
Length
112'
Medium
Betacam SP PAL
Original title
Hesus Rebolusyonaryo
Languages
Tagalog, Filipino
Producers
Regal Entertainment, Lily A. Monteverde
Sales
Regal Entertainment
Screenplay
Lav Diaz
Cinematography
Lav Diaz
Editor
Lav Diaz
Cast
Joel Lamangan, Mark Anthony Fernandez