original Filipino title ROME & JULIET

director: Connie S. A. Macatuno
starring: Andrea Del Rosario · Mylene Dizon · Rafael Rosell · Miko Palanca · Liza Dino

    

Here is a romantic journey of two women caught in a web of forbidden love. Juliet Flores, a conservative pre-school teacher, is a bride-to-be who hires businesswoman Rome Miranda to be her wedding planner. As they go through the preparations, Rome and Juliet develop a profound lesbian relationship. However, the anticipated conflict arises when groom Marc - a young politician - shockingly discovers the ongoing affair. He calls off the wedding and a huge scandal erupts leaving the two young women in a state of emotional turmoil.

This was the debut motion picture for television director Connie Macatuno. Despite the controversial theme, it swept the Filipino awards in 2007, winning Best Picture and Best Actress [for Mylene Dizon]. The movie is a rarity in the Filipino culture where lesbianism is still culturally unaccepted, dramatically illustrating the many difficulties of trying to live in a society that doesn't understand. By comparison, other Asian countries are much more attuned to the lesbian culture as their movies demonstrate: TRANSFORMATION CITY (Japan), LOVE IN SAMPAN (Hong Kong), BUTTERFLY (China), MAKE UP (Taiwan), GIRLS' BLOOD (Japan), THE END IS MY BEGINNING (Korea) and TWILIGHT (Thailand) et al.