Exploring the widespread corruption and chaos of the Philippines in the Duterte era, Ma’ Rosa follows Rosa and her husband Nestor, owners of a tiny convenience store who supplement their meager income by selling small amounts of “ice” (crystal meth). Eventually they get hauled away by the police, who are more interested in collecting bribes than eradicating crime. With their parents locked away, it’s left to Rosa’s children to scrounge together the money to pay off the police and free their parents.
"Ma’ Rosa is a wonder…a deeply sympathetic portrait" - Flick Filosopher
"Ma’ Rosa is tough-as-nails...a tiny powerhouse of a film, unforgettably urgent in how it presents the way of life on the streets of Manila. Jaclyn Jose and Julio Diaz give near-imperceptibly powerful performances." - The Playlist
"With unpretentious warmth and boasting a simple, coherent plot shot with handheld verismo, Ma’ Rosa is a work of understated confidence." - Variety
IMDB
Rotten Tomatoes
|