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Dalagang Bukid
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Wikipedia article
'Dalagang Bukid' () is a 1919 Filipino silent film directed by Jos Nepomuceno. It is the first Filipino-produced and -directed feature film. Like all of Nepomuceno's works, 'Dalagang Bukid' is now a lost film.
Plot
'Dalagang Bukid' is a story about a young flower vendor named Angelita (Atang de la Rama), who is forced by her parents to marry a loan shark, Don Silvestre, despite her love for Cipriano, a law student. Angelita's parents are blind to her reciprocated love for Cipriano, as their shortage of money and consumption by various vices (gambling and cockfighting) make Don Silvestre's offer of marriage attractive. With her siblings, Angelita shines shoes at a church to provide income to her parents. Meanwhile, Angelita's parents give Don Silvestre permission to marry their daughter after he arranged for her to win a beauty contest. Before going to Angelita's coronation, Cipriano and Angelita get married in secret. At the coronation, Don Silvestre faints after learning about Angelita and Cipriano's wedding.
Cast
*Atang de la Rama as Angelita
*Marcellano Ilagan
*Mar Esmeralda
*Den Reed Lamosao
Production
On May 15, 1917, Nepomuceno bought his first film equipment from Albert Yearsley and Edward Meyer Gross. For the next two years, Nepomuceno practiced using the equipment in preparation for making the first locally produced feature film of the Philippines. He decided to adapt Hermogenes Ilagan's zarzuela titled 'Dalagang Bukid', which was successfully performing at the box office at the time. For the casting, he decided to use the original performers of the zarzuela, which included Atang de la Rama and Marceliano Ilagan, the latter being the brother of Hermogenes.
Release
The film was released with English, Spanish, and Tagalog subtitles. During its theatrical run, leading actress de la Rama had to sing 'Nabasag ang Banga' (a song which is a part of the film) for every screening of the film in Manila, along with three others playing a violin, a cornet, and a piano.
Box office
Released on September 12, 1919, it was a major box-office success, earning 90,000 pesos from a budget of 25,000 pesos.References
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