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Bulaklak sa City Jail
Bulaklak sa City Jail
	Official movie poster, released in 1984.
Directed by	Mario O'Hara
Written by	Lualhati Bautista
Based on	Bulaklak sa City Jail; by Lualhati Bautista
Produced by	Archie Cobarrubias; Cherry Cobarrubias;
Starring	Nora Aunor; Gina Alajar; Celia Rodriguez; Zenaida Amador;
Cinematography	Johnny Araojo
Edited by	Efren Jarlego
Music by	Tony Aguilar
Production; company	Cherubim Films
Release date	December 25, 1984;
Running time	104 minutes
Country	Philippines
Language	Filipino

Bulaklak sa City Jail (The Flowers of the City Jail) is a 1984 Filipino neo noir crime prison drama film directed by Mario O'Hara from a story and screenplay written by Lualhati Bautista that is based on her novel of the same name. The film depicts the situation of women in the city jail.^[1]

The film stars Nora Aunor, Gina Alajar, Celia Rodriguez, Perla Bautista, Maya Valdez, Zenaida Amador, and Maritess Gutierrez as the women who were incarcerated inside the Manila City Jail due to the crimes they committed and the crimes that were framed by the others.

Synopsis

A pregnant woman is arrested for attempted murder and is sent to the Manila City Jail where she meets several women with shocking pasts.

Cast

Nora Aunor as Angela Aguilar
Gina Alajar as Juliet
Celia Rodriguez as Lena
Perla Bautista as Viring
Maya Valdez as Barbie
Zenaida Amador as Tonya
Maritess Gutierrez as Patricia
Gloria Romero as Patricia's mother
Ricky Davao as Crisanto
German Moreno as Warden Ambrocio
Bella Flores as Olga Bella
Shyr Valdez as Yolly
Tom Olivar as Paquito
Augusto Victa as Warden Esteban
Alvin Enriquez as Juliet's son
Toby Alejar as Mike
Gigette Reyes as Adela
Mandy Bustamante as Leon
Romy Nario as Totoy
Carmen Enriquez as Atty. Jacob
Cris Daluz as Atty. Diaz
Sarah Gayotin as Viring's daughter
Edwin O'Hara as Fr. Eusebio

Production staff

Director: Mario O'Hara
Producer: Archie and Cherry Cobarubbias
Writer: Lualhati Bautista (story and screenplay)
Production Designer: Tony Aguilar
Art Director: Jon Jon Portugal
Assistant Director: Ricardo B. De Guzman and Jon Jon Portugal
Sound Effects: Rodel Capule
Sound Mixer: Vic Macamay
Music: Tony Aguilar
Film Editor: Efren Jarlego
Cinematographer: Johnny Araojo
Post-Production Facilities: Magnatech Omni
Color Processing: LVN Pictures
Production-in-Charge: Pearl Valdez
Production Managers: Maritess Gutierrez and Andy Biag

Release

Cherubim Films released the film on December 25, 1984, and it is one of the following entries for the 1984 Metro Manila Film Festival. It won six awards including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Director.

Digital restoration

The restored version of the film was premiered on November 11, 2019, at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay in Parañaque City as part of the Cinema One Originals film festival. It was attended by the film's surviving cast and staff members: actors Ricky Davao and Tom Olivar, film producer Cherry Cobarubbias, and former actress and now chef Maritess Gutierrez (she also represented her mother Gloria Romero) as well as the staff and crew of the ABS-CBN Film Archives and the channel head of Cinema One, Ronald Arguelles. Actress Pinky Amador (niece of the late Zenaida Amador, who died in 2008), actress-producer Ruby Flores-Arcilla (daughter of Bella Flores, who died in 2013), and director Denise O'Hara (niece of Mario O'Hara, who died in 2012) also attended the premiere as the representatives of the cast and staff members who were deceased or unable to attend.^[2]^[3]

Reception

Critical reception

In a review by Engelbert Rafferty for Film Police Reviews, the film is considered "a classic, no questions asked". Lualhati Bautista, the film's writer, was praised for the screenplay that made it alive and fascinated the viewers as well as the dramatic performances of the cast members. Nora Aunor was also praised for her widely accepted and realized performance as Angela, whose character was described as "a woman maltreated by society".^[4]

Awards and recognition

Year	Group	Category	Nominee	Result
1984	Metro Manila Film Festival	Best Picture	Bulaklak sa City Jail	Won
		Best Director	Mario O'Hara	Won
		Best Actress	Nora Aunor	Won
		Best Supporting Actor	Tom Olivar	Won
		Best Supporting Actress	Celia Rodriguez	Won
		Best Screenplay	Lualhati Bautista	Won
		Best Story	Lualhati Bautista	Won
1985	33rd FAMAS Awards	Best Actress	Nora Aunor	Won
		Best Supporting Actress	Perla Bautista	Won
		Best Picture		Nominated
		Best Director	Mario O'Hara	Nominated
		Best Screenplay	Lualhati Bautista	Nominated
	Gawad Urian Awards (Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino)	Best Actress	Nora Aunor	Nominated
		Best Picture		Nominated
		Best Director	Mario O'Hara	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actress	Perla Bautista	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actress	Celia Rodriguez	Nominated
		Best Screenplay	Lualhati Bautista	Nominated
		Best Editing	Efren Jarlego	Nominated
		Best Production Design	Tony Aguilar	Nominated
	Film Academy of the Philippines (Luna Awards)	Best Story Adaptation	Luhalhati Bautista	Won
	Film Academy of the Philippines (Luna Awards)	Best Actress	Nora Aunor	Nominated
	Catholic Mass Media Awards	Best Actress	Nora Aunor	Won