Lino Brocka's CAIN AND ABEL (1982)

2K restoration of Lino Brocka's 1982 starring Christopher de Leon and Phillip Salvador begin pre-orders today!

Hi all!

There are fire-crackers outside – happy Lunar New Year to all who celebrate! – and we are overjoyed today to be able to share our second release: Lino Brocka’s Cain and Abel (1982) makes its worldwide Blu-ray debut this February via OCN Distribution.

Phillip Salvador as Lorens, arriving home to find his favoured brother Ellis, played by Christopher de Leon, entertaining the family.

You might know Brocka’s classics Manila in the Claws of Light (1975) and Insiang (1976) from their recent Criterion releases – or, if you’re lucky, the occasional screening of Macho Dancer in the New York area. If not, Cain and Abel offers a perfect introduction to the pulpier side of the National Artist of the Philippines. One part social critique, one part high-pitched melodrama, one part high-octane action film (think Douglas Sirk meets Sam Peckinpah in a post-colonial context), Cain and Abel offers a great showcase for Brocka’s versatility and his ability to craft entertaining cinema of truly Biblical proportions without sacrificing one inch of political acumen and social relevance.

Phillip Salvador as Lorens, as things go too far.

Screenwriter Ricky Lee has said of the film that it begun as a commercial “action” project, but became in the making a pure, unfiltered Brocka picture. As such, Cain and Abel sits confidently between so-called “high” and “low” genres. Whether you favor the contemporary arthouse Filipino films of, say, Lav Diaz (certainly Brocka's heir in terms of international prominence), or the exploitation actioners of Cirio H. Santiago (Death Force, The Muthers), we think you should check this one out.

Lino Brocka is finally, if slowly, getting his due as one of the great masters, thanks to the two restoration efforts mentioned above; the very recent 4K UHD (!) edition of Bayan Ko by our friends at Le Chat Qui Fume in France (which we encourage you to check out) and the continued efforts of ABS-CBN to restore and preserve Filipino films from their extant materials (as is the case of for this release). All that to say, we hope that our present edition will provide further context on Brocka’s oeuvre and legacy.

Carmi Martin as the metropolitan girlfriend, Zita

Included here: a thorough essay and an illuminating featurette by José B. Capino – leading Brocka scholar and author of Martial Law Melodrama: Lino Brocka’s Cinema Politics (2020); interviews with leading man Christopher "Boyet" de Leon (seen most recently in On the Job: The Missing Eight available on HBO) and Carmi Martin (more on her later this month); all wrapped up in new art by the brilliant Tony Stella (of the indelible posters for The Irishman, The Underground Railroad, and Bacurau, to name a few). A privilege to unveil:

Tony Stella’s gorgeous Limited Edition Slipcover

Thank you for considering this one, and for picking up Being Natural in the last two months. The limited edition, with it's glow-in-the-dark slipcover, is still available, and pre-orders for Cain and Abel begin today, shipping out on the 22nd of the month or so.

Until next time, wishing you all a good Year of the Tiger!

Kani Releasing