Marilou Diaz Abaya 

Marilou Diaz-Abaya was known for her ability to tell stories from the perspective of a woman. In her film trilogy in collaboration with renowned screen play writer, Ricky Lee, they created these storylines which tackled women empowerment while also tackling significant revelations about the patriarchal system that the country has grown accustomed to. Starting with Brutal (1980), where the main character experiences post-traumatic shock and retreats from all communication after murdering her husband and his companions.  Following this is Moral (1982), where a friend group of four women have their lives intertwined as they navigate the world that they live in while trying to stay "moral". Finally, Karnal (1983), where a newly-wed couple has to face a certain number of financial difficulties. All of her films combined, clearly depict Marilou's goal as a film maker, which is to provide these relevant and timely commentaries on Philippine society and to have women at the heart of each story.