Presa

Presa is a prison drama by explosive young Filipino film talent Adolfo Alix Jr. This description may catch you off guard, however. It is above all the scale of Alix' production that is explosive - he has directed 16 films in the past four years, and written even more. As a prison film set in a women’s prison, with well-known Filipino actresses in the leading roles, Presa is one of the most amiable of its genre. We only gradually discover the personal dramas that lie hidden behind the almost documentary portrayal of everyday life that calmly passes by, though jealousy and silent revenge also find a place. There is sorrow about the death of a beloved prisoner, a female police officer sentenced for murder wants to see her daughter again, and then there is the perky 85-year-old (Anita Linda steals our hearts) who was once a film star, before being sentenced for drug-trafficking. She hopes to be pardoned at Christmas.