Ilusyon (2005)

Set in Philippine post-American colonialist era, where the American influence was still apparent, Ilusyon tells the story of Miguel, a young man from the countryside, who decides to visit his father, Pablo, a Modernist painter in Manila. Upon his arrival, he discovers that his father has decided to leave for the province but he opted to stay in Manila for a vacation. One day, he meets Stella, a nude model originally scheduled to pose for Miguel’s father. Struck by her beauty, Miguel does the unthinkable – he pretends to be his father the painter. Developing a relationship based on a lie, things turn for the worse as Stella begets a strange skin disease that turns off Miguel. Surrounded by strange characters – a talking cow, a talkative mailman and a nosy landlady – Miguel is driven into a frenzy realization about beauty, lust, love and being true to oneself. An ambiguous ending underlines the surreal tone of the film.

Directors: Ellen Ramos, Paolo Villaluna
Writers: Jon Red, Paolo Villaluna
Stars: Yul Servo, JC Parker, Jennifer Lee, Ronnie Lazaro, Bella Flores, Bituin Escalante, Archi Adamos, Bodjie Pascua, Raul Morit, Gary Rada, Boots Anson-Roa, Anita Linda, Tetchie Agbayani, Jao Mapa, Danny Red, Cielo Santomin, J.B. Almonte, Horacio Madamba