Town in a Lake

In the isolated fishing village of Matangtubig in Batangas, two 16-year-old schoolgirls are abducted. One is raped and murdered; the other, Melody (Teri Malvar, NYAFF 2016 Rising Star), escapes and flees into the forest. When news reaches Manila, scandal-hungry journalists descend on Matangtubig and the two grieving mothers. Although local politicians claim a zero-crime rate, livestock turns up beheaded and unemployed youth perform underground sex shows. Meanwhile Melody’s guilt-ridden brother ventures into the forest alone, uncovering deeper mysteries including unnatural cloud formations, giant shadow creatures, and a woman who can conjure fireballs. While its dark secrets remain elusive, Jet Leyco’s second narrative feature creates an intricate world of frightened fishermen, vane politicians, and corrupt cops (who may or may not be human). NYAFF’s screening marks the first time the original 87-minute version will be seen outside the Philippines, rather than the 84-minute international cut that diluted its supernatural elements.