; ▁T oto , ▁then , ▁comes ▁to ▁see ▁Ir ma ▁as ▁a ▁sur rog ate ▁mother . ▁ ▁Cast ▁E ula ▁Val de z ▁as ▁Ir ma ▁Tim othy ▁Cast illo ▁as ▁T oto ▁ ▁Production ▁Ne oman ila ▁was ▁the ▁third ▁feature ▁film ▁of ▁writer - direct or ▁Mik h ail ▁Red , ▁the ▁first ▁two ▁being ▁Re k order ▁( 2 0 1 3 ) ▁and ▁Bird shot ▁( 2 0 1 6 ). ▁According ▁to ▁Red , ▁he ▁had ▁the ▁idea ▁for ▁Ne oman ila ▁after ▁watching ▁an ▁interview ▁conducted ▁by ▁the ▁BBC , ▁which ▁had ▁gone ▁vir al , ▁of ▁a ▁married ▁couple ▁who ▁both ▁worked ▁as ▁hit men ▁at ▁night . ▁He ▁added ▁that ▁his ▁research ▁mainly ▁involved ▁visit ing ▁Man ila ▁Police ▁District ▁prec inct s ▁and ▁recording ▁violent ▁events ▁late ▁at ▁night : ▁" We ▁would ▁hang ▁around ▁near ▁the ▁police ▁station — N ight c raw ler ▁level . ▁We ▁would ▁go ▁to ▁the ▁actual ▁crime ▁scenes , ▁and ▁I ▁recorded ▁a ▁lot ▁on ▁my ▁phone ." ▁▁ ▁Princi pal ▁phot ography ▁on ▁the ▁film ▁began ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁and ▁last ed ▁ 1 1 ▁days , ▁which ▁is ▁a ▁relatively ▁short ▁schedule ▁compared ▁to ▁the ▁two - year ▁period ▁Red ▁spent ▁comple ting ▁Bird shot . ▁Although ▁Red ▁bel ieves ▁that ▁shooting ▁for ▁two ▁years ▁is ▁optimal ▁for ▁a ▁production ▁schedule , ▁he ▁elected ▁re le asing ▁Ne oman ila ▁immediately ▁that ▁year ▁because ▁he ▁felt ▁that ▁extra jud icial