Aishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita is a 2004 Philippine romantic war drama film directed by Joel C. Lamangan from a story co-written with Ricky Lee, who solely made it into a screenplay. Starring Judy Ann Santos, Raymart Santiago, Jay Manalo, and Dennis Trillo, the film is a story of love, betrayal, and honour in wartime, set in the Japanese occupation of the Philippines (1941–1945) during World War II.

A co-production of Regal Films and BAS Films, the film was theatrically released on December 25, 2004, as an entry for the 30th Metro Manila Film Festival.

Plot In the town of San Nicolas, Virginia, nicknamed "Inya", is newly married to her childhood sweetheart, Edilberto, and is excited about starting a new family. Ignacio "Igna" Basa is Inya's best friend, a transgender woman who has been in love with Edilberto for years. However, their lives are interrupted by the start of the Pacific War in December 1941 and the subsequent Japanese invasion.

At the start of the Japanese occupation, Edilberto becomes a guerrilla leader in San Nicolas and takes the nom de guerre Berto. Ignacio becomes the movement's spy inside the Japanese forces. At the same time, she falls for Ichiru Hamaguchi, an Imperial Japanese Army official who returns her affections. Whenever Berto attacks a Japanese patrol, the latter burns a village and executes suspected guerrilla members under the direction of Maura, a collaborator. Maura discovers Ignacio's identity and divulges it to a Japanese officer, Hiroshi. He reports this to his superior Ichiru, who refuses to believe it until he suffers a nightmare of holding his father's blood in front of the Americans. He tries to make love to Igna, but the latter refuses. Ichiru reveals he knows Igna is transgender, and he does not care as long as he loves Igna.

After Berto’s family is massacred by the Japanese, he neglects his relationship with Inya, who suffers a series of miscarriages. He comes back to his senses when Inya is falsely accused of collaboration with the Japanese and is tortured. Berto tries to make amends with Inya but the latter refuses and sends him off to a mission in which he is killed, to Inya’s regret. Inya takes on Berto’s responsibilities as a guerrilla commander under his name.

As the guerrillas launch more raids, the Japanese brutally retaliate, holding the town mayor and others hostage. As Igna returns to camp after warning Inya of a raid, she is caught along with Ichiru by Maura and Hiroshi. Igna is beaten but later escapes with the help of Ichiru and a sympathetic colleague, Akihiro. Ichiru reveals to Igna that he knew she was helping the guerrillas all along but stayed quiet, saying that he did not want her to betray her country for him. Sheltering at the house of Igna’s stepmother Melba, Akihiro and Ichiru commit seppuku.

Igna again is arrested by Maura and Hiroshi and is tortured. Inya then raids the municipal hall and rescues Igna and the other hostages, while eliminating the Japanese garrison at the cost of several guerrillas. As Inya and Igna escape, Maura and Japanese reinforcements arrive and shoot Inya. She is shielded by Igna, who dies instead, whereupon Inya's men open fire on Maura's vehicle, killing her and the Japanese.

Decades later, an elderly Inya tells the truth about what happened during the war to local officials and her nephew, Senyang, who is revealed to be Akihiro’s granddaughter from an affair with a Filipina. As the officials discuss plans to commemorate the war dead, she leaves.

Cast Main cast Judy Ann Santos as Virginia "Binia/Vinia" and "Commander Berto" M. Marasingan-Manalang Raymart Santiago as Edilberto "Commander Berto" C. Manalang Jay Manalo as Ichiru Hamaguchi Dennis Trillo as Ignacio "Igna" Basa

Supporting cast Marco Alcaraz as Akihiro Yorokobe Angelu de Leon as Maura Jacklyn Jose as Tiya Melba Yasmien Kurdi as Senyang Anita Linda as Inya (old) T.J. Trinidad as Antonio Iya Villania as Julia Tony Mabesa as Mayor Aldecoa Domingo Landicho as Assistant to the Mayor Menggie Cobarrubias as Mayor Panotes Jim Pebanco as Edna Neil Ryan Sese as Hiroshi Mon Confiado as Alexander Gilleth Sandico as Edilberto's sister Tom Olivar as Edilberto's father Edna May Landicho as Edilberto's mother Kokoy Palma as Dinglasan Archie Adamos as Igna's father Virginia Joshen

Themes The film has been described as one of the "affirmative gay films" in Philippine cinema from the late 1990s to the early 2000s.

Production Writing According to director Joel Lamangan, the film's plot was inspired by his townmate's wartime experiences. Ricky Lee, who co-wrote the story with Lamangan, took three days to write the screenplay. He revealed to the public that the project was rejected for five to seven years by various producers until Regal Films founder-executive producer Lily Y. Monteverde approved it.

Casting The film marks the first time where Judy Ann Santos and Raymart Santiago acted together despite being from different networks and film studios at the time, with Santos being an exclusive TV talent of ABS-CBN who did film projects for Star Cinema and Regal and Santiago being an exclusive talent of GMA Network and Viva Films.

Reception Accolades + Year Award Category Recipient(s) Result 2004 30th Metro Manila Film Festival Best Picture Aishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita Best Actor Raymart Santiago Best Actress Judy Ann Santos Best Supporting Actor Dennis Trillo Best Gender-Sensitive Film Aishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita 2005 2nd Golden Screen Awards Breakthrough Performance by an Actor Dennis Trillo Best Sound Ramon Reyes Best Original Song "Hanggang Wakas"Written by Felix Rivera and composed by Von de Guzman 21st PMPC Star Awards for Movies Movie of the Year Aishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita Movie Actor of the Year Dennis Trillo New Movie Actor of the Year Movie Actress of the Year Judy Ann Santos Best Supporting Actor Jay Manalo Director of the Year Joel Lamangan Original Screenplay of the Year Aishite Imasu 1941: Mahal KitaWritten by Ricky Lee and Joel Lamangan Editor of the Year Marya Ignacio Production Designer of the Year Joey Luna Original Theme Song of the Year "Hanggang Wakas"Written by Felix Rivera and composed by Von de Guzman 28th Gawad Urian Awards Best Supporting Actor Dennis Trillo 54th FAMAS Awards FAMAS Award for Best Picture Aishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita Best Supporting Actor Dennis Trillo Best Supporting Actress Angelu de Leon Best Director Joel Lamangan Best Production Design Joey Luna Best Sound Ramon Reyes 23rd Luna Awards Best Picture Aishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita Best Director Joel Lamangan Best Actor Dennis Trillo Best Supporting Actor Jay Manalo Best Production Design Joey Luna Best Editing Marya Ignacio Best Musical Score Von de Guzman Best Sound Ramon Reyes

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