March 7 - March 26, 2026 Directed by Mike De Leon Series | BATCH ’81, WILL YOUR HEART BEAT FASTER?, ITIM, KISAPMATA, MOMENTS IN A STOLEN DREAM
ABOUT THE SERIES: The American Cinematheque is proud to commemorate the work of revered Filipino filmmaker Mike De Leon, whose cinematic legacy is the unwavering result of a virtuosic storyteller who understood how to utilize his singular vision behind the camera as a scathing tool of resistance. Best known as the cinematographer and producer of Lino Brocka’s 1975 masterwork MANILA IN THE CLAWS OF LIGHT, De Leon continued to enlighten audiences around the world on the sociopolitical milieu of twentieth century Philippines and the devastating specter of colonialism, all the while showcasing the vibrancy and resilience deeply rooted in Filipino culture. A connoisseur of all genres, De Leon’s oeuvre extends from politically searing critiques of authoritarianism, namely the drama centering around a fraternity’s vicious hazing rituals in BATCH ’81, KISAPMATA‘s familicidal psychological horror and the folk horror parable concerning the nation’s colonial past in ITIM, to satirical musical comedies like the absurdist WILL YOUR HEART BEAT FASTER? and the coming of age melodrama inspired by Claude LeLouch’s A MAN AND A WOMAN, MOMENTS IN A STOLEN DREAM.