Back-to-back winners

MANILA, Philippines - Sanglaan (The Pawnshop), finalist in the 2009 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, features not just one but two award-winning actresses: Tessie Tomas who won Best Supporting Actress in the 2009 Cinemalaya, and Ina Feleo who won Best Actress in the same film festival.

The film is an inside look into the local pawnshop trade. Tessie’s character Olivia, the shop owner, finds herself in the same situation as her customers because her small business is losing money to the bigger pawnshop chains. This problem comes at a time when she could easily give it up to live abroad. On top of these, Olivia is also at odds with her appraiser and ward, Amy.

Ina’s character, Amy the appraiser, meanwhile is so enamored with one of the pawnshop’s customers, one whom she goes out of her way to help. Amy’s romantic pursuits threaten her professional and personal relationship with Olivia.

The project is the first full-length feature of director and professional photographer Milo Sogueco whom both Tessie and Ina first met when they shot the film in a real pawnshop in Pritil, Tondo.

Those who’ve seen Sanglaan at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and at UP Diliman took notice of Tessie and Ina’s remarkable performances. One review described Tessie’s as “credible,” and Ina’s as “convincing.” According to cinefilipinas.blogspot.com, one of the tandem’s most memorable scenes hardly involved dialogue; it was when the two shared a meal that Olivia prepared and served.

More audiences now have a chance to see Tessie and Ina’s stellar portrayals during Sanglaan’s theatrical run at the Robinsons Galleria Indie Sine until Oct. 20.

Included in the cast of Sanglaan are Joem Bascon, Flor Salanga, Jess Evardone, Neil Ryan Sese and Mica Torre who also sang the movie theme song.