Muro-ami (Reef Hunters) (2000)

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A fisherman's wounded spirit begins to give out as he loses his hold on his livelihood in this drama from the Philippines. Fredo (Cesar Montano) is a fisherman who has endured more than his share of hardship in life; his wife and child both perished in a boating accident, and today Fredo approaches… More A fisherman's wounded spirit begins to give out as he loses his hold on his livelihood in this drama from the Philippines. Fredo (Cesar Montano) is a fisherman who has endured more than his share of hardship in life; his wife and child both perished in a boating accident, and today Fredo approaches each trip to the sea with the angry determination of a man out for revenge. Fredo commands a crew of young people from poor families as he takes his rattletrap ship into the ocean in search of fish that live along the reefs, snaring catch with an illegal netting system. Not all of Fredo's youthful sailors are willing to put up with his abusive arrogance, however, and even his father Dado (Pen Medina) and close friend Botong (Jhong Hilario) have grown weary of Fredo's tirades. Fredo's body is beginning to betray him as well, and as he and his crew damage the sea's reef beds in search of fish, no one is certain how much longer he will be able to continue. Muro-Ami was shot primarily at sea, and is distinguished by its fine photography and vivid portrayal of the fisherman's life. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi