THE MOVIE. Barako is a haunting account of a young man’s attempt to effect change in his town by gathering his friends around a kapihan called “barakuhan”. In the absence of media, it effectively becomes a venue for the townsfolk to practice their democratic rights, colliding expectedly with the elite’s political and economic interests.

The movie starts glaringly with the American occupation of Batangas (early 1900) with the valiant Gen. Malvar (Archie Adamos) and another local hero, Mateo Ilustre (Manolito Sulit) plotting its defense. It then takes us to a seemingly restive yet impoverished Batangueño community 100 years later, taking shifting points of view of the people from the grassroots, drawing them initially around one central figure, an unnamed character labeled only as the Publicist (Publisista, played by Arnold Reyes) and later on, around yet another, Mando (Carlon Matobato)—referred to in the story (by the Publicist himself) as "ang tunay na barako".

BASED ON A TRUE STORY. “Barakuhan,” a public forum over a cup of coffee organized by the Publicist with other major characters (played by the likes of Nanding Josef, a veteran actor and CCP’s artistic director, and surprisingly, poets Mike Coroza and Vim Nadera) is in actual existence in Ibaan, Batangas from 2002-2005, remembered by the locals as one that decisively confronted a relatively unknown power outage that crippled the town for six weeks in 2003—which has also become part of the movie.

MANOLITO CASTILLO SULIT. Manunulat, direktor at prodyuser. Awtor ng "Ibang Daan Pauwi"(isang libro ng mga tula, 2005), isang makata at community organizer na nakakakita ng pag-asa sa pelikula bilang midyum ng kamulatan. Sa desisyong tahakin ang larangang ito, ginagawa niya sa kasalukuyan ang "Tupang Ligaw"
(short digifilm) at sana, ang "Barako" (full-length). Naging direktor siya at scriptwriter ng "Berso at Subersyon", pampanulaang pagtatanghal sa Cultural Center of the Philippines (2006). Nag-organisa rin siya ng dramafest bilang guro sa Batangas State University (1999), pioneer ng Theater Arts Organization (TAO) na inampon ng Santo Niño Formation and Science School sa Rosario, Batangas (1999), theater arts workshop sa Ibaan, Batangas (1995), nagsilbi bilang  tagadisenyo at opereytor ng mga ilaw at tunog sa "Mukha" (dalawang isang-yugtong dula ng Departamento ng Filipino, DLSU, 1994), at nagtanghal ng kanyang mga tula sa UST bilang kasapi ng Thomasian Writers' Guild (1991-1993).

EMMAN PASCUAL. Katulong na direktor at direktor ng potograpiya. Creative Director ng Red Door Video Productions, naging katulong na direktor ng "Ang Huling Araw ng Linggo (2006)", isang Cinemalaya full-length film; direktor ng Music Video ng Paramita (2006) at Black Gulaman (2005); at editor at DOP ng maraming indie short films at AVPs. Nakadalo siya sa Animation Workshop ng University of the Philippines (2005),sa Cinematography ng Mowelfund Film Institute (2004), Video Production at Freefest ng Cultural Center of the
Philippines (2002).