Serbis is a very gritty and controversial film by director Brillante Mendoza. The film offers an intriguing look at the Pineda family, which operates a run-down gay adult movie theater in the Philippines. The same theater doubles as the family’s residence. (It’s never a good sign when you live and work at the same place. Also children shouldn’t be playing around a theater like this.)

The hand-held shots, angles, and background noise give you a voyeuristic view as the film transports you into the impoverished world of the Pineda family. Within the poverty, a multitude of unexpected issues involving relationships, money and sex (both straight and gay) occur in the family. While it is focused on these problems, the family is unaware of other activities going on inside the theater between the “serbis” boys (males prostitutes) and the gay patrons. The mother, Nayda (played by Jaclyn Jose), tries to keep everything in order for her family. Her main focus is on taking care of her family. When you’re a parent nothing else matters but taking care of the family. She plays the role beautifully. We really felt for her throughout the film.

As for the controversy, at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, a couple critics walked out on the film for having an exploitive shot of a nude Filipino girl (Mercedes Cabral) coming out of the shower in the opening scene. (FYI – Mercedes Cabral recently appeared in the December 2008 Playboy Philippines edition). The other major scene was the “boil on the ass being popped with a bottle” scene. (Yes, this was quite nasty.) This film is not for everyone. If you would like to watch Serbis, check out the release schedule here.

While watching “Serbis”, it reminded us of Goodbye, Dragon Inn only more graphic and sexually explicit.

Serbis Trailer

Serbis synopsis

The Pineda family operates a run-down movie house in a city in the province, which shows dated sexy double-feature films. The family has taken up actual residence in the old building as well. The matriarch Nanay Flor, her daughter Nayda, son-in-law Lando and adopted daughter Jewel take turns manning the ticket booth and the canteen. Her nephews Alan and Ronald are the billboard painter and projectionist respectively.

Nanay Flor had filed a bigamy case against her estranged husband and is attending the court hearing today when, after a number of years, the decision will be finally handed down. It is within this context that the story unfolds. As the rest of the members go about their daily activities, we get a glimpse of how they suffer and deal with each other’s sins and vices — relational, economic or sexual.

Alan, who is financially unprepared for marital responsibility, feels oppressed by his pregnant girlfriend’s demand of marriage. Nayda, who entered marriage out of tradition, is torn between marital fidelity and her ambiguous attraction towards her cousin Ronald. Nanay Flor, who loses the case, feels betrayed not only by the court judge but also by her son who testified in favor of his favor.

Preoccupied with their personal demons, the family in unmindful that inside the movie theater, another kind of business is going on between the “serbis” boys (male prostitutes) and the gay patrons.