Just before Raymond Red was the first Filipino to be given a Golden Palm in Cannes for his short film Anino (2000), he read a news report about a Filipino who hijacked an aircraft and then jumped out with a home-made parachute. In Manila Skies, Red wonders what drives someone to such an absurd deed and at the same time why his land just doesn't make progress. According to a news item in the film, 80% of the population lives in poverty. So too the protagonist Raul, a country boy who desperately and vainly searches for work in Manila. With his friends, all sharing his fate, he commits a robbery but panics at the high point and flees before finally breaking out of the vicious circle with violence.
A realistic portrait with several magic realistic moments, filmed with the very sharp Red One system, a reaction to the grainy, hand-held style that is now popular in Filipino independent cinema.
- Director
- Raymond Red
- Premiere
- European premiere
- Countries of production
- Philippines, USA
- Year
- 2009
- Festival Edition
- IFFR 2010
- Length
- 104'
- Original title
- Himpapawid
- Language
- Tagalog
- Producers
- Raymond Red, David Hukom, Roger Garcia
- Production Companies
- PelikulaRed, Ignite Media Inc., Pacific Film Partners
- Sales
- PelikulaRed
- Screenplay
- Raymond Red
- Cinematography
- Raymond Red, Raymond Red
- Editor
- Raymond Red, David Hukom, Jay Halili
- Production Design
- Danny Red, Mikey Red, Ramir Diata
- Sound Design
- Ditoy Aguila, Junel Valencia
- Music
- Diwa de Leon
- Cast
- Raul Arellano, Marissa Sue Prado
- Website
- http://www.raymondred.com