M. (Mother’s Maiden Name)

Madam Bella is a real pain. As owner of the Monteclaro Law Firm in Manila, she’s insufferably rude to the secretaries, maids, and drivers who attend her, and she treats her grown son Joven with disdain. Joven obeys Bella’s orders while remaining habitually detached, though he’s starting to get restless. Suddenly Bella receives a diagnosis of Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Assuming she can pay her way out of the situation, she insists that Joven accompany her to international treatment sessions. As Bella gets sicker, she and Joven begin talking about what’s important in life. When the family maid disappears, hoping to get her back to work they track her down—and find her caring for her desperately ill daughter in appalling conditions in a rural shack. M. (MOTHER’S MAIDEN NAME) is an indictment of the jarring discrepancy between healthcare practices for the rich and poor. It features a fine melodramatic performance by Filipina singer-celebrity Zsa Zsa Padilla. (In Tagalog with subtitles) – B.B.