Brillante’s ‘Sapi’ opens at SM Cinemas

ACCLAIMED filmmaker Brillante Mendoza brings yet another masterpiece to the big screen with his latest movie, “Sapi,” which opened at SM Cinemas at SM Lanang Premier and SM City Davao yesterday.

Produced by Solar Entertainment and Center Stage Productions, the film follows the terrifying journey of contemporary news media as they come face-to-face with the phenomenon of possession. It stars Dennis Trillo, Meryll Soriano and Baron Geisler.

Director Mendoza, who has received critical praise for his award-winning film, “Thy Womb,” sets on a satire-horror route in “Sapi” with a hilarious and terrifying depiction of what members of the news media will do to capture a story.

In the film, Sarimanok Broadcasting Network (SBN), whose news production is headed by two employees, Meryll Flores (Soriano) and Dennis Marquez (Trillo), finds that documenting an actual spiritual possession would be their only hope to stay alive in the competition.

SBN news team searched everywhere for an incident of possession, but could not find any. Meanwhile, its rival network PBC gets hold of an isolated case through a footage taken by its cameraman, Baron Valdez (Geisler). Desperate, Meryll enters into a deal to acquire the said footage but soon finds herself confronted with an exorcist reality that emulates the corrupt political system within the TV network she works for.

“Sapi” was shown at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September 2013 and was described as “a chilling study on how superstition, mass media, and mass hysteria can converge.”

The film is being screened at Cinema 1 of SM Lanang Premier and at Cinema 3 of SM City Davao.

Watch “Sapi” at SM Cinemas to discover what you are afraid of! For queries and screening schedules, please contact 285-2356 or 297-6998.