Motherland, by veteran Filipino auteur Brillante Mendoza, had its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival (Biff).

Mendoza told Deadline about his motivation to make Motherland, shooting his next film Chameleon and the challenges that the Filipino film industry is currently facing.

The making of Motherland

The film follows the story of Dao-ayen, a member of the Philippines’ Special Action Force (Saf), from the Ifugao tribe in northern Luzon. Dao-ayen was part of the 2015 Mamasapano raid that resulted in the deaths of 44 members of the Philippines’ Special Action Force (Saf).

“What really affected me about this incident was actually the story of the foot soldiers,” Mendoza said. “They are the ones who were affected by the miscommunication from their superiors and the president himself, and these soldiers suffered and gave their lives for their country. At the end of the day, there is a question of whether their sacrifices were worth it.