Kisapmata (1981)

Interesting facts

Kisapmata is a 1981 Filipino psychological horror drama film directed by Mike de Leon from a screenplay he co-wrote with Clodualdo del Mundo Jr. and Raquel Villavicencio. It stars Vic Silayan, Charo Santos, Jay Ilagan, and Charito Solis. The plot was inspired by the crime reportage "The House on Zapote Street" written by Nick Joaquin. The piece chronicles the events leading to the highly publicized familicide committed by Pablo Cabading, a retired policeman.

Production

The film was inspired by The House on Zapote Street: The Curious Drama Behind the Massacre Last Week in Makati, written by Nick Joaquin under the pen name Quijano de Manila. The report was first published in the Philippine Free Press on January 28, 1961, and was later included in Joaquin's collection Reportage on Crime: Thirteen Horror Happenings that Hit the Headlines, published in 1977.

On January 18, 1961, Cabading shot his daughter, Lydia Cabading-Quitangon, and his son-in-law, Leonardo, both of whom were medical doctors. After killing the newly-weds, Cabading shot himself. His wife, Asuncion, survived and would later attempt to stop the release of the film.

Joaquin's reportage is silent about any rape that may have been committed by the father but academic Joyce Arriola states that "the text suggests that possibility." De Leon was also influenced by the 1978 novel Blood Secrets by Craig Jones, which further developed the theme of incest.

The original version of the film omits Joaquin's name. According to de Leon, this was because the film's producers were seeking to avoid explicit reference to the real case. In the restored copy, the journalist is credited.

After the release of Kung Mangarap Ka't Magising, de Leon was interested in adapting a story based on real events, writing in his memoir, "Countless true stories are waiting to be filmed. So why would I settle for fiction?" According to the director, in the 1970s, he was approached by the brother of one of the convicted perpetrators of the rape of Maggie de la Riva to make a movie about the crime.

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