Muro Ami

Muro Ami (Reef Hunters)
GMA Films' Muro Ami (Reef Hunters)
Directed by	Marilou Diaz-Abaya
Screenplay by	Ricardo Lee and Jun Lana
Story by	Marilou Diaz-Abaya
Starring	Cesar Montano as Fredo, Pen Medina as Dado, Amy Austria as Susan, Jhong Hilario as Botong, Rebecca Lusterio as Kalbo/Amy
Cinematography	Rody Lacap
Editing by	Jesus Navarro
Distributed by	GMA Films
Release date(s)	December 25, 1999
Running time	120 minutes
Language	Tagalog

Muro Ami (Reef-Hunters) is a Filipino film that depicts one of the worst forms of child labor in the illegal fishing system. Fredo is the ruthless captain of 150 Muro Ami divers. The illegal fishing is done by pounding and crushing corals underwater to scare the fishes and drive them towards the nets. With a high quota to meet, Fredo forces the divers, who consist mostly of children, to accomplish at least eight dives a day to meet their goal before the millennium. Tired and harassed after the burdensome task being given to them, the children have to make do in subhuman conditions in the Muro Ami boat, The Aurora. They sleep in rat-infested bunks and are fed only twice a day. Life above the water in the boat is much worse than the suffering the children encounter beneath the sea. For every dive, a child's life is perilously in danger.

On January 22, 2008, filmmaker Nick Deocampo, Director of the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation (Mowelfund) announced the holding of a Ricardo Lee Film Festival from February 4 to 10, 2008 - the World Arts Festival under Mayor Tito Sarion, in Daet city, Camarines Norte. Lee’s scripts became Philippine cinema classics of Philippine cinema, which made the 2nd golden age of 1980 Filipino movies. 5 films will be shown in the festival: Gina Alajar's "Salome," "Anak," "Muro Ami," "Gumapang Ka sa Lusak", and "Memories of Old Manila".^[1]

Awards and Citations

Winner of thirteen awards of its sixteen nominations at the 1999 Metro Manila Film Festival including Best Child Performer (Rebecca Lusterio), Best Story (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, Ricardo Lee, Jun Lana), Best Screenplay (Ricardo Lee and Jun Lana), Best Director (Marilou Diaz-Abaya) and Best Picture. It also received the Jury and Public Choice Award in the Bénodet Filmfest in France.

Production

Direction: Marilou Diaz-Abaya
Screenplay: Ricardo Lee and Jun Lana
Cinematography: Rody Lacap
Film Editing: Jesus Navarro
Production Design: Leo Abaya
Art Direction: Bonna Fajardo and Mannix Mateo
Music: Nonong Buencamino
Producers: Butch Jimenez, Jimmy Duavit, Marilou Diaz-Abaya

Cast

• Cesar Montano - Fredo
• Pen Medina - Dado
• Amy Austria - Susan
• Jhong Hilario - Butong
• Rebecca Lusterio - Kalbo
• Jerome Sales - Filemon
• Teodoro Penaranda Jr. - Tabugok

See also

• GMA Films
• GMA Network

External links

• Muro-ami at the Internet Movie Database
• Site about Muro Ami

References

1. ^ Abs-Cbn Interactive, Ricky Lee to be honored in Daet arts festival