| Barber's Tales | |
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 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Jun Robles Lana |
| Written by | Jun Robles Lana |
| Story by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Carlo C. Mendoza |
| Edited by | Lawrence S. Ang |
| Music by | Ryan Cayabyab |
Production companies |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 120 minutes |
| Country | Philippines |
| Language | Filipino |
Barber's Tales (Filipino: Mga Kuwentong Barbero) is a 2013 Filipino drama film written, co-produced, and directed by Jun Robles Lana, based on a story concept he co-developed with Peter Ong Lim, Elmer Gatchalian, and Benedict Mique. Set during the end of the Marcos regime, the film stars Eugene Domingo as Marilou, a widow who is forced to take her late husband's job as a community barber. The film is the follow-up to Lana's film Bwakaw and second of a trilogy focused on the small-town life in the Philippines.[1]
The film, a competing entry, had its world premiere at the 26th Tokyo International Film Festival in Japan on October 18, 2013, where it won the Best Actress Award for Eugene Domingo's performance. It was later given a commercial release in the Philippines on August 13, 2014.[2]
Plot
Marilou lives with her husband, Jose, a barber, in a rural village during the Marcos dictatorship. After Jose dies in his sleep, Marilou plans to leave for Manila until she is dissuaded by her friends and the parish priest, Father Arturo, who laments having to travel far to have his hair cut. Marilou, who had been taught by Jose on how to cut hair, gains her resolve to continue her husband's business and replace him as the village barber, starting with Father Arturo's hair. Marilou's reputation gradually spreads, and she is called into town to cut the hair of the corrupt Mayor Bartolome, where she becomes friends with his wife, Cecilia, who is constantly abused physically by her husband.
One night, Marilou's godson Edmond and his injured companion Renan seek shelter at Marilou's house after being wounded in an encounter with soldiers, revealing themselves to be New People's Army rebels. A reluctant Marilou treats Renan and seeks out his sister, a prostitute named Rosa, upon his request. Grateful at seeing Renan again and at Marilou for helping him escape by cutting his hair, Rosa convinces her clients to have their hair cut at Marilou's barbershop. Marilou tries to convince Edmond to leave the guerrillas, but becomes sympathetic to their cause when soldiers kill Father Arturo after being falsely accused by Mayor Bartolome of being a rebel himself, which happens after the secluded Cecilia goes to him for confession.
Renan is later killed in a botched ambush that leaves Edmond wounded, prompting the latter to seek help from Rosa, who clandestinely transports him to Marilou's shop. However, Edmond is seen by Marilou's customers the next day while escaping from a military raid, which leads to Marilou being accused of rebel membership and ostracized by the community. Days later, Cecilia asks Marilou to accompany her to a cliff above a river, where she confides her frustration at being unable to bear children and her impending separation from Bartolome, who has been unfaithful to her. After wishing that she had met a brave person like Marilou earlier in her life, she kisses her and jumps to her death from the cliff, to Marilou's shock.
As the only witness to her death, Mayor Bartolome pressures Marilou to stay silent about the circumstances of Cecilia's death, which he passes off to the public as being caused by a rebel ambush. He asks Marilou to cut her hair for Cecilia's funeral ceremony, only for Marilou, fed up with his insensitivity towards his wife, to fatally slash him with a razor. Fleeing to her shop, Marilou cuts her hair short before going into hiding. Her friends help her escape town by cutting their hair short to confuse soldiers looking for her during a religious procession.
In an epilogue, Marilou's friend Susan narrates that Marilou was never seen again after Mayor Bartolome's killing, with differing theories over her subsequent fate. Marilou is later shown joining the New People's Army, taking the nom de guerre Luz in honor of Cecilia's would-be child.
Cast
- Eugene Domingo as Marilou
- Daniel Fernando as Jose
- Eddie Garcia as Father Arturo
- Sue Prado as Rosa
- Shamaine Buencamino as Tess
- Nicco Manalo as Edmond
- Gladys Reyes as Susan
- Nonie Buencamino as Mayor Bartolome
- Iza Calzado as Cecilia Bartolome
- Nora Aunor as guerilla leader (cameo appearance)
- Soliman Cruz as guerilla member (cameo appearance)
Production
Barber's Tales originated from an original screenplay written by filmmaker Jun Robles Lana in 1997, which received recognition at the Palanca Awards. The material draws from Lana's childhood experiences in the Bicol region and from the history of his clan, whose members across generations included priests, soldiers, and insurgents.[3]
Filming
The filming took three weeks to shoot in the remote town of General Nakar, Quezon.[3]
Reception
Critical reception
Clarence Tsui, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, gave praise to the film's numerous aspects, including Eugene Domingo's acting performance as Marilou, where she was commended for "very controlled and somewhat internal" delivery and filmmaker Jun Lana's direction and screenwriting. However, he had concerns about its production design, where he commented that the sets were similar to a usual TV drama set.[4]
Dennis Harvey, writing for Variety, gave a mixed-to-positive review, with praise towards Domingo's acting, Lana's melodramatic direction, and a screenplay set during a political turmoil. While the film is "solid enough", it was described as a "less inspired" follow-up to Lana's previous work Bwakaw.[5]
Accolades
| Award | Date | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26th Tokyo International Film Festival | October 25, 2013 | Tokyo Sakura Grand Prix (Best Picture) | Barber's Tales by Jun Robles Lana | Nominated | [6] |
| Best Actress | Eugene Domingo | Won | |||
| 8th Asian Film Awards | March 27, 2014 | Best Actress | Nominated | [7] | |
| 17th Udine Far East Film Festival | May 2014 | Audience Award | Barber's Tales by Jun Robles Lana | 3rd | [1] |
References
- 1 2 Villano, Alexa (May 4, 2014). "Eugene Domingo's 'Barber's Tales' is audience favorite in Italian festival". Rappler. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
- ↑ Macahindog, Jecelyn V. (June 27, 2014). "Eugene Domingo tells 'Tale' that made her take a 'semi-sabbatical'". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on July 1, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
- 1 2 San Diego Jr., Bayani (August 19, 2014). "'Barber's Tale': A tribute to strong women". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Inquirer Group of Companies. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
- ↑ Tsui, Clarence (October 18, 2013). "Barber's Tales (Mga Kuwentong Barbero): Tokyo Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
- ↑ Harvey, Dennis (October 20, 2013). "Film Review: 'Barber's Tales'". Variety. Archived from the original on May 29, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
- ↑ San Diego Jr., Bayani (October 27, 2013). "Eugene Domingo wins best actress in Tokyo fest". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Inquirer Group of Companies. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
- ↑ Ordona, Gina N. (March 31, 2014). "Eugene Domingo: No expectations, no problem". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Inquirer Group of Companies. Retrieved January 6, 2026.