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With big budget studios and star-studded flicks dominating this year's 2017 Metro Manila Festival lineup, it's easy to overlook this little movie based on Nick Joaquin’s seminal play "A Portrait of the Artist as a Filipino."

Set in old prewar Manila, "Ang Larawan" tells the story of two sisters struggling to make ends meet after their painter father falls ill and fails to produce art—it's theme of overcoming ravaging poverty remains unfortunately relatable even today.

Rachel Alejandro plays one of the troubled sisters with co-star Joanna Ampil under the direction of Loy Arcenas, who opened up on ANC's "Headstart" on Friday about how he wanted the movie to serve as a love letter to Filipinos.

"I think it will touch Filipino hearts more than anything else because I think it speaks of ourselves [and] it speaks of our wishes," said Arcenas of his work.

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A labor of love, the musical drama took two years to complete hindered by budget constraints, reshoots, and other technical challenges. And while filming felt like a "family affair" and that it only ate up less than three weeks of everyone's schedules, polishing the final product took an "unimaginable amount of time."

The result, however, was nothing short of amazing, with foreign critics praising it as an "excellent visual feast." Alejandro and Ampil also got a special mention in the reviews, their voices described as "soaring" and "eloquent."

The movie premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival last month, and, according to Arcenas, its music and words "managed [to cross] boarders and cultural differences."

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He explained that in making the big-screen adaptation, his team wanted to stay as loyal as possible to Joaquin's masterpiece.

But he did admit that a third of the original material had to be edited out as it was three hours long and completely sung-through. His movie version, to compare, is two hours long, half-spoken and half-sung.

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Ahead of its local premiere, Ampil and Alejandro's rendition of the movie's theme song, "Kay Sarap Ng Buhay Nung Araw," was released online—an attempt to give fans a chance to familiarize themselves with the soundtrack.

The full album will be released by Star Music next week.

"Ang Larawan," which also stars Nonie Buencamino and Paulo Avelino, among others, is one of the eight official entries to the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival. It will debut on Christmas day.