Press Statement on 'Angustia'

Creative Programs, Inc. (CPI) would like to clarify that the film “Angustia” by Director Kristian Cordero, a participant in the Currents category in the recent Cinema One Originals Festival 2013, which was released on November 13 and ran until November 19, 2013 at three participating theaters, was given a rating of R-18 and not an X-rating by the Movie Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB). The MTRCB advised CPI to communicate to its viewers to exercise proper discernment and consideration of the material.

“Angustia,” which stars Alex Medina, Jazmin Llana, Vic Loquias, Mitch Smith, and Maria Isabel Lopez, depicts the story of a young priest who pursues his missionary calling to convert the native population. He finds himself falling for a woman of indigenous origins, and his quest for religious conversion then leads him to anxiety and crime.

The MTRCB thus gave the film an R-18 rating since it contained or depicted religion-related images and/or scenes characterized by sexual content and faith-related contradictions, with certain scenes and language that may offend religious sensibilities.

The Permit to Exhibit from the MTRCB states:

“A young priest pursues his missionary calling to convert the native population. His quest for religious conversion leads him to anxiety and crime.

“The Committee unanimously rates the movie R-18. The film contains or depicts religion-related images and/or scenes characterized by sexual content and faith-related contradictions. There are disturbing scenes and language that may offend religious sensibilities.

“For proper discernment and consideration of adult viewers which will likely include Christian believers, this advisory must be reproduced and printed not only in the permit, but also in all publicity materials and collaterals.

“The Committee makes the following remarks:

The priest is a consecrated person and therefore should be depicted with proper respect. The portrayal of any weaknesses of frailties in regard to this character must be subject to careful discernment, and thus, merits a mature audience.

Baptism is the sacrament by which a person becomes a child of God. Its portrayal in any compromising manner must be done very carefully.
The host is sacred and should be treated with the highest respect as being the Body of Christ — Christ himself, under the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist according to the Catholic faith. Subjecting it to any compromising or adverse depiction must necessarily be done before a very mature and discerning audience.

Some scenes in the film are unsettling for those below 18 years old or those in their formative years. (In fact, even adults, if not secure in religious and doctrinal formation, may also be shaken by sensitive scenes). We in the Board are mandated to look after the welfare of the youth. These are scenes which might misguide and provide a wrong impression of Catholicism. The concern here is serious and urgent as the film is not a catechetical work, and there is hardly any room for correct and adequate religious or doctrinal instruction, or even information to non-believers as to the true import of matters of belief.”

It is with this that the restrictions were therefore aptly imposed.

Given these concerns, CPI wishes to appropriately inform the audience of the sensitive content of “Angustia”.

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