Pirated copies of films shot in Philippines now in local circulation

A foreign film partially shot in the Philippines, and a movie about a Filipino love triangle, have hit local markets patronized by Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
This is good news for the Filipino community because watching films is one way to pleasantly pass away the time. The problem is that these are pirated DVDs being sold in various shops in the Kingdom, despite the Saudi government’s crackdown on piracy.
“These films are entertaining but we should not buy them if they are pirated because it’s illegal. It is prohibited by the Kingdom which has stepped up its crackdown on pirated DVDs,” said Armand C. Mariano, who works for King Khaled University Hospital (KKUH).
The foreign film partially shot in Manila and now available in Riyadh is “The Bourne Legacy”, a 2012 American action thriller starring Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton, under the direction of Tony Gilroy.
“The film is indeed entertaining. It is a fast-paced action thriller that keeps you glued to your seat. It is typical of the other Bourne series films based on Robert Ludlum’s novels,” Mariano added.
Jannette Arenque, a teacher at a local school in the Saudi capital, added that besides the action, the movie makes many Filipinos feel homesick because the last part of it was shot on location in Manila, Marikina and in Palawan province south of Manila.
“The shooting in Manila started in the narrow and crowded streets of Santa Ana, continued in the crowded Rotunda in Pasay City, at the Jones Bridge in Binondo, Manila; and then at the market in Marikina City,” she added.
She noted that the film was good publicity for the Philippines. She said the director had thought about filming elsewhere, particularly in Latin America and Southeast Asia, but had in the end decided to film in the Philippines because it suited the story.
The pirated Philippine movie available locally is “A Secret Love Affair”, a 2012 romantic drama film directed by Nuel Naval and starring Anne Curtis, Derek Ramsay and Andi Eigenmann. It was released in October 2012 in more than 200 theaters in the Philippines by Viva Films.
“It’s a movie that’s watched by adults, like husbands and wives, and appeals to OFWs because the artists are Filipinos with whom they can identify. Besides, the theme is realistic,” said Ramon G. Quindoza, an electronics engineer at a local company. He said the movie revolves around the lives of a happy couple Rafi Delgado (Curtis) and Anton (Ramsay).
Another Filipino movie shot in Manila and the United States was also available previously in the Kingdom. Entitled “Sana Maulit Muli” (Hopefully, It Could Be Repeated), starring former matinee idol, Agah Muhlach, opposite Broadway star Leah Salonga.