A few movies have already been made of the bloody Mamasapano clash, which claimed the lives of 44 Philippine National Police commandos on that fateful day of Jan. 25, 2015.  

Award-winning director Brillante Mendoza weaves his interpretation of the event in the film "Moro," which is presently streaming on Netflix. A Muslim mother named Mangindra (played by Laurice Guillen) agonizes over the lingering conflict between her two sons, Jasim (Piolo Pascual) and Abdel (Baron Geisler). They fight over a piece of land, but it turns out that only death will unite them.

"Actually, this story is based on a real life story of a mother that we met in Mindanao when we went there during the research," said Brillante who has won a number of international awards for his filmmaking. "Marami kaming nakausap. Ang lumalabas kasi sa news isang side lang - yung survivors atsaka yung SAF44. Pero wala tayong naririnig  doon sa mga taga roon kasi may mga civilian din naman doon. Marami ang mga nandon, hindi lang isang grupo. This film is the opportunity to show that there's another side to the story, and people from that part of Mindanao also suffered."

(We talked to a lot of people. The news only presents the side of the survivors and the SAF victims. But we have yet to learn about the people who lived in the area. There were also civilians. There were a lot of people there, not just one group.)

Apart from the heavy theme, synchronizing the time availability of the star-studded cast was also a challenge. Coaches were also hired to teach the cast the dialect of Maguindanao as they had to utter substantial lines of the local language in the movie. Aside from Laurice, Piolo, and Baron, the movie includes veteran actors Christopher de Leon, Joel Torre, Beauty Gonzalez, Nikki Valdez, Ina Feleo, Alvin Anson, Dido de la Paz, Rolando Inocencio, and many more.

Laurice pointed out that "Moro" depicts "the costume, the language and the distinctive aspects of Muslim culture" not often seen in Philippine cinema.

"This is about the unity of a family and the pain caused by division. Also, on a larger scale, the conflict happened between the Muslims and the Christians, and on a larger scale, the political conflict. I suppose the mother here stands for our country, If (the movie) is going to make a statement, a positive statement, it's the fact that conflicts can be settled peacefully and not through violence," the seasoned actress-director stressed.

Baron recalled that "Moro" took almost five years to make, and shooting had to be stopped because of the pandemic. "We shot this in 2019. This is my first big break in Philippine cinema. This is my first big role. In 2019, when I came out of prison and rehab, I prayed for a miracle. After a few months of fervently praying, God answered me. I received a call from Director Brillante Mendoza. He said I was going to do a movie with Piolo. We would play brothers. And I said okay Direk."

Fresh from his Best Actor win for Mallari, Piolo said he would always say yes to a good story. "Moro" was too significant a movie to miss out on working on. He remarked that the emotional torment experienced by a mother because of the gap between her two sons "hits home for me."

"Para panoorin mo yung isang pelikula ng ganito, kailangan mong mag-invest ng emotion. Kasi atin to eh. Pelikula natin to bilang Pilipino," Piolo noted.

(We must invest in our emotions to watch this kind of movie. Because this is our movie as Filipinos.)

"Moro" is reportedly well-received by the people of Mindanao. Yusoph Mando, former OIC Secretary of the National Commission for Muslim Filipinos, expressed his appreciation to everyone involved in 'Moro.'

"I commend the entire team for presenting a more balanced and truthful narrative that sheds light on the complexities and realities faced by diverse communities in our country. Your commitment to showcasing fairness, justice, and the perspectives of both Muslims and non-Muslims affected by the tragedy is truly commendable," he said.