In My Mother’s Skin by Kenneth Dagatan
Jasmine Curtis-Smith and Felicity Kyle Napuli in In My Mother’s Skin by Kenneth Dagatan. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | Photo by Epicmedia.

Ahead of the world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, Prime Video has acquired In My Mother’s Skin, the horror fairy tale written and directed by Kenneth Dagatan (Ma).

In My Mother’s Skin, which will make its premiere in the fesitval’s Midnight Section, tells the story of how a young girl’s duty to protect her dying mother is complicated by her misplaced trust in a beguiling, flesh-eating fairy.

The film stars Beauty Gonzalez, Felicity Kyle Napuli, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, James Mavie Estrella, and Angeli Bayani. In My Mother’s Skin is the only non-English language film in Sundance’s Midnight Section this year, and will launch on Prime Video in multiple countries by the end of 2023.

In My Mother’s Skin by Kenneth Dagatan
Beauty Gonzales appears in In My Mother’s Skin by Kenneth Dagatan. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | Photo by Epicmedia.

Set in the Philippines at the end of World War II, In My Mother’s Skin follows the story of Tala, a 14-year-old daughter of a textile merchant who lives in a war-worn colonial house with her sickly mother Ligaya and younger brother Bayani . When Tala’s father mysteriously leaves once more to barter for his family’s freedom with the Japanese, his family finds themselves alone in their isolated forest mansion, awaiting his return. With Ligaya’s condition rapidly deteriorating, Tala seeks out a mysterious fairy who has promised to protect her. Happy to oblige, the fairy gives Tala a magical insect to cure her dying mother. This initially provides Ligaya with relief, but later leads to disastrous consequences that force Tala to make a distressing decision.

Director Kenneth Dagatan, who will be present at the film’s world premiere at Sundance, comments, “I’m excited that In My Mother’s Skin has been recognized at such an important festival like Sundance, and will now also have the chance to be watched by a global audience on Prime Video. This is truly a moment for Filipino filmmakers to be seen by the international audience, and I hope this opens doors for more Filipino content to be watched by the rest of the world.”

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