암흑 (1976)

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Itim, released overseas as The Rites of May, is a 1976 Philippine gothic supernatural horror film directed by Mike de Leon in his feature film directorial debut, from a screenplay written by Clodualdo del Mundo Jr. and Gil Quito. It stars Tommy Abuel, Mario Montenegro, and Charo Santos in her acting debut, and follows a young photographer who encounters a mysterious woman whilst visiting his father in San Ildefonso during Lent.

Production

Originally a cinematographer, Mike de Leon was known for his award-winning work on the 1975 film Manila in the Claws of Light, which was directed by Lino Brocka. Although de Leon did not initially set out to become a director, following Manila, in 1975, he made a short film Monologo (Monologue), his second directorial effort after the 1972 short Sa Bisperas.

The script of Itim was written by Clodualdo del Mundo Jr., who wrote the script of Manila, and del Mundo's brother-in-law, Gil Quito. Quito conceived of setting the film during Holy Week and incorporating spiritualism. He recalled that the script was written with relative ease, except for the ending. Spiritist Becky Gutierrez was on set as a consultant for the psychic-related elements of the film.

Initially, de Leon, as he explains in a 2022 interview, was interested in casting big-name actors, as was the common practice at the time in Indonesian film. The original idea was an erotic thriller with Alma Moreno and Bembol Roco, the latter of whom starred in Brocka's Manila.

After winning the Baron Travel Girl beauty pageant, Santos, then a college student, was noticed by Brocka. The latter referred Santos to de Leon and a screen test was arranged. Santos was subsequently offered her first acting role. As Santos refused to do any erotic scenes, or even to kiss on screen, de Leon scrapped the original concept of an erotic thriller and instead delved into Catholic guilt through the lens of the horror genre.

The film also served as the acting debut of Susan Valdez, albeit in a non-speaking role; prior to the film, Valdez was known as a commercial model. The main role of the photographer was given to Tommy Abuel, who de Leon had worked with on Manila. Meanwhile, the more seasoned Mario Montenegro and Mona Lisa were cast due to de Leon's familiarity with them as actors of LVN Pictures, which was formerly run by de Leon's grandmother Narcisa de León.

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