Ishmael Bernal

Ishmael Bernal was a Filipino filmmaker, stage and television director, actor and screenwriter. Noted for his melodramas that often tackled feminist and moral issues, he directed many landmark Filipino films such as Nunal sa Tubig (1976), City After Dark (1980), Relasyon (1982), Himala (1982), and Hinugot sa Langit (1985). Widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers in the Philippines cinema, Bernal was posthumously declared a National Artist of the Philippines in 2001.