Sid Lucero, a 26-year old pre-Med student is an aspiring neophyte of the Alpha Kappa Omega fraternity. Over a six-month initiation period, he and six other neophytes are subjected to severe physical and psychological torture in and outside the fraternity house. The neophytes come to accept the senseless violence as a requisite of their acceptance into the brotherhood. Only five of them survive the brutal, fascistic ordeal, due to the fraternity rumble with Sigma Omicron Sigma headed by Arvisu.
De Leon treats the fraternity as a microcosm of Philippine society to spotlight issues relating to human rights and autocratic rule at the height of Marcos' martial rule. The significance of the film derives from the parallelism it draws between authoritarian society and the fraternity, and between the fraternity and Philippine society under Marcos. (L. Pareja, CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art, v. VIII: Philippine Film)
Presented at the Director's Fortnight, 1982 Cannes Film Festival.
Direction: Mike de Leon
Screenplay: Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr., Racquel Villavicencio, Mike de Leon
Cinematography: Rody Lacap
Production Design: Cesar Hernando
Music: Lorrie Ilustre
Editing: Jess Navaro
Sound: Ramon Reyes
Cast:
Mark Gil
Sandy Andolong
Charito Solis
Chanda Romero
Johnny Delgado
Luarca
Noel Trinidad
Ricky Sandico
Jimmy Javier
Rod Leido
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