MANILA, Philippines ? ?It?s time for women to put an end to the abuse,? said award-winning actress Irma Adlawan, who plays a battered woman in the film ?Ang Panggagahasa Kay Fe (The Rapture of Fe).?

The film, written and directed by first-time full-length filmmaker Alvin Yapan, is an entry to this year?s Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, which runs from July 17-26 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City.

Adlawan, who has been married for 25 years, has her own opinion about how women should be treated. ?It?s hard to fathom why some women allow themselves to be physically abused,? she told Inquirer Entertainment on Friday. ?I have a hard time accepting it. Masakit sa dibdib [It pains my heart].?

Adlawan has four kids with filmmaker Dennis Marasigan: Mira Francesca, 24; Ira Patricia, 24; Mara Paulina, 20; and Mari Benjamin, 10.

Research-based

Yapan, who is currently taking up his doctorate in Philippine Studies at the University of the Philippines, said the story was a result of a research paper he wrote on the effect of globalization on the Filipino woman.

?The movie is a poetic and allegorical narrative on a woman?s will to survive in an oppressive environment,? he explained. ?Fe represents the migrant woman constantly at the mercy of global factors and yet remarkably resilient.?

Yapan continued: ?The movie tries to redefine the word ?panggagahasa? as it comes in different forms for the Filipino woman. Rape, whether emotionally, socially, psychologically or physically, strips away a woman?s dignity and freedom.?

In the movie, Adlawan plays Fe, an OFW who loses her job due to recession. She returns home to take care of her abusive husband, Dante (Nonie Buencamino). The husband?s love is put to the test when gifts for Fe keep arriving mysteriously by their doorstep. Fe?s loyalty to Dante wavers when a young lover, Arturo (TJ Trinidad), gives her hope to escape from an abusive relationship.

Adlawan in mind

Yapan said he wrote the movie with Adlawan in mind. ?She first caught my attention at a Palanca Awards ceremony, where she was a performer. From then on, I?ve been a fan,? he explained.

The director has nothing but praise for his lead star. ?She studied her character very carefully,? Yapan said of Adlawan. ?Hindi s?ya maarte [She?s not unprofessional]. She had to dig dirt, carry heavy objects and climb hills. She did them all with no complaints.?

Yapan and co-producer Alemberg Ang coordinated with The Women?s Crisis Center Manila while filming. ?The staff members did not just help us with research, they also readily jumped into the roles of associate producers and looked for financial support for the film,? said Ang.

?Panggagahasa Kay Fe? also features Mercedes Cabral, Joel Molina and Meeyo Candelaria.