In the opening scene of Legend of China Doll, a journalist is rapped on the knuckles by a detective because he published information about a woman called China Doll. He has put her in danger, the detective says, and the story is all wrong. The journalist shrugs his shoulders. There are many truths, he answers, depending on who experiences it. The two quarrel briefly, then the journalist walks out of the bar into the night. When the detective takes another swig of his beer, we hear gunshots.
What follows is an inimitable (non-chronological), grim, very violent political conspiracy thriller directed by the Filipino auteur-provocateur Adolfo B. Alix Jr., based on a script by his very respected fellow countryman Lav Diaz. Everything focuses on (journalistic) integrity and - above all - on China Doll, a mythical young woman with a constantly changing identity and a very violent past.
- Director
- Adolfo Alix Jr.
- Premiere
- International premiere
- Country of production
- Philippines
- Year
- 2013
- Festival Edition
- IFFR 2014
- Length
- 85'
- Medium
- DCP
- Original title
- Alamat ni China Doll
- Language
- Filipino
- Producer
- Ronald Arguelles
- Production Company
- ABS-CBN Creative Programs Inc.
- Sales
- ABS-CBN Creative Programs Inc.
- Screenplay
- Lav Diaz
- Cinematography
- Albert Banzon
- Editor
- Charliebebs Gohetia
- Production Design
- Adolfo Alix Jr.
- Sound Design
- Mark Locsin, Dante Cuanico, Albert Michael Idioma, Alex Tomboc
- Music
- Lav Diaz
- Cast
- Angelica Panganiban, Cesar Montano