Criterion to release Lino Brocka's ‘Maynila sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag’ on Independence Day 2018

The critically acclaimed "Maynila sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag" by National Artist for Film Lino Brocka is slated for a DVD and Blu-Ray release under the Criterion Collection  on June 12, 2018 — Independence Day in the Philippines.

This is the second title from Brocka to be included in the Criterion Collection, the first being "Insiang", which was released in dual-format along with Apichatpong Weerasethakul's "Mysterious Object at Noon."

However, "Maynila sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag" will be the first to be released as part of the master's collection, making Brocka the first and only Filipino director in the roster.

The restoration of both films were championed by Martin Scorcese, with "Insiang" being part of the director's "World Cinema Project." Scorcese has also provided an introduction for "Maynila."

Also included in the release are "Signed: Lino Brocka", a 1987 documentary about the director by Christian Blackwood and "'Manila' . . . A Filipino Film", a 1975 documentary about the making of the film, featuring Brocka and lead actors Hilda Koronel and Rafael Roco Jr.

"Maynila sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag" tells the tragic story of Júlio Madiaga (Roco) and Ligaya Paraiso (Koronel) as they become entangled with the third character — the city itself, fleshed out by the cinematography of Miguel "Mike" de Leon.

A restored version of the film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013. — Aya Tantiangco/LA, GMA News