You've got to make the morning last, as that Simon and Garfunkel song said. Feeling groovy talaga. (*or 59th st. Bridge Song talaga ang title ng song na itey, trivia lang).
Decided to stay put today and breathe. So many stimulants all around and sometimes, that's what makes Manila more exciting, as two of my island-originated (okay Dumaguete) friends told me last week. But like I told them, that's what also makes me want to escape Manila from time to time, even though I know I thrive in this kind of cosmopolitan/urban set-ups, especially when it involves media and arts stuff, my main domains of existence.
Manila by night. Or Manila Bay lang.
(at the Harbor Square CCP / July 2011)
So many things happening in my universe. It's July so that means it's Cinemalaya month here, the yearly independent digital film festival organized by the cultural institutions of the government, namely FDCP and CCP, its main venue, way over there in far Manila along Manila Bay (hence we nickname it cinemalayo -- cine too damn far! At least for us QC peeps, and me Marikina pa!) Some friends -- my film barkada -- have films included in the festival as special screening entries, not necessarily in the main competition, and we made sure to catch them. One is Local Girls by Ned Trespeces and Onnah Valera, the same team that gave us My Fake American Accent, their Cinemalaya entry a few years back. Another that we made sure not to miss is the very camp/kitsch 2-years in the making gay zombie comedy film Zombadings: Patayin Sa Shokot Si Remington written and produced by Raymond Lee.
At the baywalk area, with (L-R) erstwhile dynamic duo Ned and Onnah
and our former student now our reliable co-worker Nessa,
the editor of their film. (photo by xe /
July 2011 Harbor Square CCP)
And then of course, there's the academic mode of the festival handled yearly by our senior film faculty, my idol Sir Nic Tiongson, meaning the Cinemalaya Film Congress, the 2-day forum-filled conference featuring discussions on aspects of cinema etc. I've been constantly involved in this since it's flattering that I earned Sir Nic's trust in handling work stuff here, so he always gets me as a rapporteur to document panel proceedings but since last year, I've elevated into being an actual moderator of several panels, which is cooler because I don't get to take home work assignment teehee.
Taking a late lunch break and early drinking sesh with the bekis (as I ogled an actress at the next table aheh.heh.heh).
(L-R) Our co-faculty and co-queer friend Joni
with his partner Bryan, and a ham Xe.
They served as rapporteurs this year.
These gigs are good when you have good people to work with, actually. It's also a bonus if they're your friends and if they treat you as friends. So that's good.
Other involvements continue, like my favorite LGBTQ writing for POC. My latest article is here ("The young and the restless who grew up queer") and that's a 2-part article. I might also start a cross-posting thingie somewhere but I have yet to think about that venture.
I'm also enjoying Twitter lately, to my surprise. I found that it could be a very good repository of useful links I could use later on for reference and stuff. Sometimes I also try to talk to individuals there, like a "think out loud" type of status posting, without irritating people like on Facebook. I don't know, it's just a social experiment. What are these platforms for but to test our capacity for language, discourse and conversations with them, di ba? Anyway, if you want to follow me, find @leaflens there. No one else with that name but me.
Academic life is picking up now that we're into the second month of the semester, nearing midterms time. But I'm liking the way I scheduled my life there at the uni now, since I could also have more time to do other things, mainly write. Haven't really been doing a sit-yo'-fuckin'-ass-and-just-write-dammit! type of writing lately but I am getting there. I guess I just need to "quiet a few crying lambs" (to borrow that line from Jodie Foster my love's film) somewhere in my metaphysical state chenelyn and all that jazz, first and foremost. It's blocking a few things but I'm unclogging, I'm unclogging.
H: Are the lambs still crying, Clarisse?Me: hay naku Hannibal, anu fi?
Lecter-an mo nga mga imbey na 'yan
nang mashokot! Chos.
(at the UP Open University celeb chenes,
UP Los Banos / 2009 photo by Kwami)
In between all of these things are picked up interactions, revived ones actually, with old friends and colleagues, most of whom are either queer or queered, so that's cool, too. Sometimes, it's also a welcome change to come out of social hibernation and find such gatherings again (especially now that we're finding common frenemies heheh but I digess). So that's really cool.
Of course I still wish that a few people who left the vicinity of my orbit could or would come crashing back to my existence (or I crash theirs), but we all know that that's quite hard to attain lately, so we make do with what we could in terms of keeping in touch. But I'm still longing for that day when we could exchange physical hugs again, have meaningful conversations face to face. Well, who knows, sooner than later. In life, as always, new chapters have yet to be written, and new sequels have yet to be filmed. So I believe that reunion tours are still possible for making beautiful music together. Don't you think?
With this life, as I've seen, anything is really possible and thus you should be ready to find surprises and stuff like that. And it's really a reinforcement that life is short, so we better live it. Even if it means going out of your comfort zones. That's actually my project lately (oi Taurus, good luck to me!!!). And I've also been seeing it all around me: people do move on (from jobs), people actually cope with moving (even if they miss their old environs), people would bend over backwards to get what they want (well, sometimes in a bad way, but what the hey), and people actually strive to make better contributions in their spheres of existence even if others outside of the circles don't understand it. Lately, I've been in this "What for?" mode, you know, like you find yourself asking why are people doing such things for, what are they trying to achieve, what is the point of their efforts, and all those things. I don't know, existential angst biting lately, like hard, especially when I ride U.P. jeeps and see enthusiastic students rushing to class, then at the back of my mind I wonder if the government could keep them when they graduate since there might not be jobs available for them in the future, and all that socioeconomic intersectioning shit (I've been falling into this "trap of thinking" also, lately). Di ba? WHAT FOR?
But when I analyze it further, maybe it just boils down to finding the middle ground between passion and contentment. In between that range, I guess there's happiness, fulfillment, excitement, drive, all things nice. I think my problem lately is that I am only operating on a half-and-half mode, like half-passion and half-contentment, so I don't arrive at something more concrete in the middle. Hah, look at me share with you guys this very private realization, but I realized that some of you out there might also be feeling the same way (especially if you're way way waaaay beyond burnout mode already, comme moi), so maybe you could pick up a few thoughts here and there from this space, much like how I have been trying to pick up a few thoughts somewhere else to digest for my own sanity. And it's good that I've been getting that back -- sanity I mean, a more "sober" way of looking at things, of processing stimulants. Also hard to find kindred souls to process things with, but I'm glad my ever-reliable set of kindred spirits are still there, whether near or far. I love you guys. Really.
I think what I need right now in my life is another big bang.
Like really. As in, huge. As in, now nah!
(at the American Museum of Natural History, New York /
March 2010 photo by x)
So what's next? I don't know. I don't really know. While that might sound so scary, that could also sound exciting, or even thought-provoking. Let's see where these paths would take me this year, up to the next. We also make things happen, and let's see if we could find more wormholes to traverse into, in order to discover more universes out there that might have a better time-space continuum.
Allez.
chichiryahin ko na ang cinemalaya full-length films.
in order of viewed films.
MY FAKE AMERICAN ACCENT
d. ned trespeces
s., p., ned trespeces, onnah valera
dop. jke see
pitch: about the lives of young and old call center agents, the newest kind of yuppies on the philippine scene
catch: camera handling needs polishing
i like this film, and not because mga kabarkada ko ang gumawa hehehe. kaya maiintindihan din nila (i hope :) ) ang constructive criticism na sasabihin ko dito.
i like ned's sensitivity as a filmmaker. his sensitivity as a scriptwriter shows kasi. his material is not that mainstream. it actually treads on that border between mainstream and independent, in terms of storytelling, story handling, (choices of) characterization, and narrative development. this is evident in his star cinema-produced script JOLOGS where multiple characters are given short times to interact with each other and to have each of their lives unfold a bit, creating a narrative chain that sustains the viewers' interests from beginning to end. he utilized the same technique in TRABAHO, his first digital full-length, about the travails of jobhunting.
with this new film, he still utilizes the same sensibilities by unfolding the lives of call center agents. and i like the humor and wit; so contemporary kaya ride ka agad. i think that's the charm of his material, and his films. and for me, that works. wala kang masyadong mabigat na three-act structure na aabangan (very indie) pero may makukuha ka pa ring narrative satisfaction in the end or within the course of the film (very mainstream) so best of both worlds talaga.
my glitch about this film is that bitin siya. i guess kung may mga ganitong naratibo, talagang mabibitin ka kapag konting panahon lang ang naiuukol sa mga karakter. pero kung kumpara sa TRABAHO, parang mas buo iyon in terms of narrative expectations. o siguro talagang naaliw lang ako sa MY FAKE kaya i want to see more.
glitch din ng kaunti ang handling sa character ni mailes kanapi, that team leader-manager (whatever it's called) na bida. i'm not sure how mailes saw her role, pero parang caricature-ish ang treatment niya sa karakter niya (na very teatro ang dating for me) kaya parang na-off ako minsan. parang exag na hindi, parang OA na hindi. lam mo yun? basta, parang ganun ang pull-tug sa character attack. feeling ko nahihiya ang director to direct her baga. minsan talaga, may ganun.
yun ding camerawork minsan. may konting depokadong eksena na yung bg ang focused at ang fg ay hindi. sorry jke! pero i think this is really the folly of the digital technology e. kasi sa shoot ko sa gma, minsan ganyan din ang nangyayari sa cameraman. i wonder why. last na. once, nakita din ang reflection ng camcrew sa eksena. iwas lang sana! :) peace, people.
well, yun lang naman. this is still highly recommended. i like that it doesn't give a heavyhanded lecture on the pros and cons of call center life. casual lang, and that works well.
BABY ANGELO
d. joel ruiz and abi aquino
c. ces quesada, mark gil and a host of others
pitch: about the landlady's search for the person who threw a fetus in the garbage near her apartment compound
catch: nasan ang naratibo?
what happened to the drained look of this film? it doesn't really help the story at all.
as usual, storylines like this are not new. put different types of characters in one setting and let them interact. put a whodunit path para may konting tatakbuhan ang kuwento. and then end it. but how? ayan ang naging prublema ng film. it knew what to start with, when to start, but sustaining what it started was hard for the filmmakers. in the end, we just get an ending na...wala, kelangan lang tapusin. hindi siya bitin, kasi wala kang makagatang malaman na kuwento in the first place. it doesn't work, sorry.
it doesn't help din na the characters are expected na sa kanilang roles. masyadong cookie cutter na siya. yung iba naman, di mo alam ano purpose. yung iba, weird na out of character siya. i'm particularly iffy about those two garbagemen who were feeling icky and all that when they picked up the trash and saw a fetus inside. hindi na sila ganun kasensitibo sa mga napupulot at nakukuha nila sa trash! have you actually seen actual garbagemen pick up trash and all? ang weird lang nito sobra. hay.
sayang pera.
CONCERTO
d. paul morales
c. meryll soriano, shamaine buencamino, nonoy froilan, jay aquitania
pitch: about a wwII story of a family who hid in davao but has music as their refuge ek
catch: hindi kumeri ang pitch na to, kahit well-funded siya!
memoirs of a war nga ang pelikulang ito, tungkol sa isang pamilyang kung saan-saan napadpad kakatakas sa japs during the war, where their father endured hardships and all. sadly, hindi ito lahat nakikita. bagkus, nalalaman ito through expository dialogue na kinukuwento na lang ng mga karakters. eg "kawawa naman si tatay, dalawang taon siyang kinulong ng mga kempentai(sp?) at pinahirapan.." chenes. haysus. nagpelikula ka pa. sana bumili na lang ako ng kopya ng book na pinagbasehan nito, matutuwa pa ko.
tapos weird lang na musika eklat ang nagtatahi sa pamilya eklat para mabuhay chorva, e before the war, wla naman tayong nakitang ganoon kabigat o memorable na episodes kung saan music prominently figured in their lives (cross-reference: watch polanski's THE PIANIST!), save from one scene or two na tumutugtog sa bahay ng piano si ate at sister at nakikinig ang boylet siblings. kaya sobrang walang impact yung na-ship na yung piano sa bukid na pinagtataguan ng family tapos they played pa a concerto sa bukid for the japanese soldiers na naging friendships na nila. hay! ang hirap! ang hirap tanggapin ng narrative unfolding nito. i'll just read the book siguro... sayang ang akting. akting! weird din na parang may mga sexual tension ang characters, especially the siblings! ewan ko. may ganung feel. basta. o baka gutom na ko while watching this. hohum.
JAY
d. francis pasion
c. baron geisler
pitch: a gay reality tv news reporter follows the wake of a murdered gay man, twisting some truths and enhancing some facts all for the glory of tv ratings
catch: TUHOG REDUX, anyone?
the film is very talkative and aptly so, for the medium that it presents in the film (the world of television broadcast chuva, especially of the current affairs/public affairs type). however, i just find it too talkative sometimes that i need a breather/break from too much words. i wanted visuals.
visuals. yes, they're here, and the camerawork is okay naman. very tv lang nga din ang approach at attack. sige, apt na rin sa kuwento.
actingwise, okay siya. nakakatuwa si baron lalo na yung nakikipaglandian siya kay coco martin, yung "basaan tayo. sasabunin kita" ek. hahahaha! typical! funny. he deserved the award.
the story is okay. contemporary, i guess, that's why the foreign judges found it quaint. but for someone who has seen jeff jeturian's TUHOG, it might be bothersome. kasi parehong-pareho ng handling. does it matter that tuhog's scriptwriter was jay's script consultant? i'm not sure if that was a good move on sir bing lao's part. and the director thanking jeff during the screening was...weird.
it's a kind of film you only see once, and that's it. novelty ang dating. sayang. siguro the narrative handling could have made a difference in turning it into a timeless piece. pero parang...mahirap ata yun. talagang pang-here and now lang siyang pelikula. yes, sometimes merong ganun. at eto na nga yun.
HULING PASADA
d. paul sta. ana
c. agot isidro
pitch: a writer deals with the separation from her husband by writing her feelings and hardships into a fiction novel which we also see unfold along with her own narrative
catch: dumaan lang siya, yun na
it's nice na ang isang pelikula ay nag-focus sa isang writer--at fiction writer pa!-- bilang bida. tapos pinakita din ang kanyang sinusulat na kuwento sa atin. novel within a film. tapos nakita natin na ang mga karakter na nag-portray ng fictional characters niya ay ang "real-life" characters na nakakasalamuha niya sa buhay niya (hello shades of dorothy in THE WIZARD OF OZ). pero parang hanggang doon na lang ang charm ng pelikula.
ito yung film na dadaan lang sa iyo, walang masyadong major impact or emotional dent. hindi ko mawari kung bakit. ripe naman ang naratibo for plausible richer scenes, given the kinds of conflicts it presented. kaya lang parang dumaan lang talaga siya, just like the pasada ng taxi na siyang bida sa nobela sa pelikula. dumaan lang.
in fairness, magaling ang akting ng mga aktor. they were handled well. the camerawork i'm not too happy about. may off sa framing, lalo na yung nagsasalita ang characters tapos nasa edge tapos parang saliwa pag pinagdikit ang dalawang shots shot this way. basta. there's something wrong about the visual language; medyo hindi pa siya hasa. passable, pero needs polishing sobra.
NAMETS
d. jay abello
c. christian vasquez, angel jacob
pitch: bacolod bred ex-lovers work together to find the right cuisine of their upcoming restaurant, and in a way find that that is the way to each other's hearts. ek.
catch: saliwa ang camera handling te
cute itong film! one-time watch lang siya pero may novelty kahit papaano. that o baka biased lang ako dahil i love negrense (tama ba term?) cuisine. i heart bacolod and the food and the quaint surroundings and the diction of the ilonggos. tama, biased lang ako. hehe. i wanna be an honorary ilonggo kasi hahaha!
cute yung film. the story is simple: love story pero hindi siya a la star cinema-kilig factor, pero you still find yourself na kinikilig. it helps na siguro maganda ang onscreen chemistry ng actors. at ewan ko lang kung bakit pero when i saw angel jacob outside the cinema, hotness siya! kahit sa screen, hindi naman gaano. hahaha. now this is biased! hahaha. ewan.
in fairness, maganda ang film kahit na obviously rahrah pro-negros chorva ang materyal, pero ang maganda, hindi halata ang pagka-rahrah niya madalas, at hindi salamat-po-dept-of-tourism ang approach. although weird lang minsan yung character ni christian na chef chuva siya pero di niya ma-sense ang basic ingredients ng negrense cooking chuva. flaw itong malaki. sana ibang motivation na lang ang binigay sa kanya kung bakit hindi niya bet ang local cuisine nila in the first place. sayang.
off din ang camerawork dito. may eksenang nagsasagutan na ang lovers pero nakatalikod pa rin si gelay. among other shots. sayang. needs polishing.
all in all, its simplicity worked. hindi siya spectacular, hindi siya pang-award, mainstream ng konti ang sensitivity pero pumapatok naman. watch!
100
d. chris martinez
c. mylene dizon, eugene domingo, tessie tomas
pitch: a woman diagnosed with cancer lists the 100 things she should do before she dies, and does them
catch: BUCKET LIST, anyone?
sure, sure, what plot is original these days, eh. pero the handling of this story was good. so very good. madaming napanalunan ito, directing and script ata included. well-deserved. simple lang, polished in an upper middle class way (think early viva films of the 80s), and acted well. maganda yung nuances ng characters dahil lahat sila buong-buo, have a life of their own, and can stand alone when tested. okay siya. natulungan siya ng magandang script, yung good editing pulse at acting and direction. sample: yung scene na first time nadiskubre ng nanay ng may kanser yung sakit. nasa ospital at nakaratay si mylene, sabay pasok hagulhol si tessie at hyperventilate, cut to next shot nasa wheelchair na si mylene at si tessie na ang nakaratay sa hospital bed. hahahaha! simple yet well-executed in all counts. winner! nakakatuwa siya. at gusto ko ang script kasi witty rin siya, contemporary witty, contemporary witty na lasting, hindi lang pang-here and now ang quality. now that's classic!
gusto ko rin na hindi heavyhanded ang mga eksenang dapat e sad, lalo na yung patukoy sa kanser niya. maganda yung pagka-casual ng treatment pero may weight pa rin, lam mo yun? basta, okay siya. nice. watch!
BOSES
d. ellen ongkeko-marfil
c. coke bolipata, ricky davao, cherry pie picache
pitch: a bitter violinist and a physically abused boy find bonding as healing via the music of their violins. ek.
catch: not so new narrative
the story's not new. sampu sampera din ang ganitong seeking refuge of abused souls via art ek, especially music. marami nang films na ganito. what's refreshing siguro dito is the superb talent of the child prodigy na naglalaro talaga ng violin. doesn't require too much acting prowess din kasi pipi ang role niya. although minsan parang so unicef-heavy ang film na parang nakakairita na. pero maganda na may ganitong awareness sa pelikula. at maganda rin na ang approach ay walang tuldok sa abuser father na posibleng ma-reunite with the abused son later on. pero di na natin kelangang makita ito, kaya di na nila pinakita. open-ended. ang pinakita lang, ang superb violin playing prowess ng kid, and that's that. simple. mentor-student narrative. no big expectations, and sometimes, that works. enjoy the film lang. yun na. it's worth watching, if only to see coke bolipata act and his child prodigy play. nice siya.
RANCHERO
d. michael cardoz
c. archie adamos, garry lim
pitch: the story of the last day of a prisoner who serves as the prison cook
catch: parang nanatili siyang pitch
michael's my former student sa upfi and i really like the way he handled his thesis short film. but playing the mainstream way might not be his biggest quality, as yet. i'm not sure what happened to this film (okay, i partly know hehe but i'm not telling!) kasi parang ang feeling e tinamad na siyang ituloy ang development ng kuwento (consequence ba ito?). maganda sana ang ina-achieve nitong "real-time mode" in unfolding of the narrative, pero dapat it was also well-choreographed in the way shots were made. we get the sense na pinapa-feel sa audience ang banality of life in prison, yung pagka-bagot, boredom ek. pero there's a way of doing this, not just through making longtake babads with scenes without an emotional focus. sayang.
saka my biggest beef here is, hindi marunong maghiwa at magtalop ng foodstuff ang mga ranchero! dapat may konti silang culinary training before the shoot. kasi kung ang reason e preso sila at lalaki at wala talagang alam kaya nag-imbento sila ng sariling style, hindi ito akma. halatang hindi marunong maghiwa ng sibuyas man lang ang mga ito. at ang kapal nilang magbalat ng gulay! dapat alam na nila by now how to make tipid sa paghiwa para mas maraming laman di ba? hay. sorry maikel, avid fan ng lifestyle/food network ang lola mo kaya i can't let this go. but the others, i think i can.
sayang lang ang ending. again, naratibong bitin ito. sayang, malaki pa naman ang potential ng material. sana hindi nabitawan ang development...
BRUTUS
d. tara illenberger
c. yul servo
pitch: mangyan children who work as helpers of illegal loggers in mindoro meet lots of "social issue" obstacles in their task
catch: nalunod sa NGO-ship ang kuwento
maganda sana sobra ang premise ng pelikula. it has an obvious statement on the environment, particularly illegal logging (although off lang yung music video-ish sa gitna na may modang 'mahalin ang kalikasan chorva' to the tune of a joey ayala song). but along the way, the story was marred by a wayward unfolding that left the story without a clear-cut focus.
it's a simple story sana about two kids who want to make extra money the illegal way, by being "brutus" -- people who bring the cut wood to the lowlads via hidden means. along the way, dami nilang nadaanan at bawat dinaanan e dagdag sa kuwentong nakapagpalayo ng konti o malaki sa main plot nila. i guess that's the point: too many subplots na sinubukang i-resolve isa-isa at minsan nakakalimutan balikan ang main plot ng dalawang bata.
it doesn't help din na ang mga dialogues dito mostly sound like advocacy pieces, lalo na when that waxing poetic of a character ni ronnie lazaro as the army soldier with a golden heart speaks his mind. tapos si yul servo andun din to speak for the NPAs and why their fight makes sense pa rin chuva. kaya lang for a neps, hindi siya magaling gumalaw sa bundok! ang labo. parang ma-o-off balance siya sa pag-step sa kahoy, sa bato, etc. wala siyang liksi ati. parang hindi niya alam kung san tatapak -- and not because hindi siya familiar sa place kaya nagpatulong siya sa kids for directions. not to mention, as mentioned by another indie filmmaker somewhere, na ang bright color ng shirt niya, at bagong bago ang jeans! hihihi. nitpicking i know pero may point: that adds realism kasi to the story, kaya sana the production designer focused on having a believable and deliverable mise en scene. sayang.
high point ng film ay ang editing. i guess that is still tara's strength, given the years of service niya editing mainstream full-lengths. that one worked, especially during the scenes na natangay ng rumaragasang ilog ang balsa at mga bata. panalo ito te! the other aspects, sorry pero they still need lots of work. the camerawork is good, though. good colors and shots.
okay yun na. trabaho lang folks, walang pikunan!
see you next year!
respite from work and escape from crazy women/crazy men at work (and there are a lot lately, i tell you) -- cine chichirya.
shorts muna. cinemalaya shorts, that is.
mabilis lang to. sobra. meryenda level.
CINEMALAYA SHORT FILMS 2008
ANDONG
d. Rommel "Milo" Tolentino
pitch: a scavenger boy, obsessed with buying a raffle ticket that could win him a tv set, does all things possible to achieve this simple yet touching goal
catch: editing needs a bit of polishing
i loved this one! never mind that non-professional actors were acting (somewhat) in this film. it appeared a bit natural nga e, parang docu style, lalo na yung nanay na nakukulitan sa anak niyang pabili ng pabili ng tv, at ng tiket para manalo ng tv sa raffle. classic! neorealism at its finest ito. siyempre natulungan ng magandang pulso for editing para lumabas ang story, at na-achieve naman. sobrang aliw ang treatment na magaan lang, walang paghuhusga, kahit na mahirap sila o ang sitwasyon, pinapakita lang as it is, unfolding lives, na walang filmmaker-from-the-upperclass-looking-down-on-filmed-subject-from-the-lowerclass mode, unlike previous cinemalaya shorts na nakita ko na sobra lang matapobre ang lenteng ginamit sa kamera. hay nakuh. pero si andong, deserve niya ang panalo niya. congrats sa inyo, nerissa!
ANG IBANG MGA PAMILYA (OTHER FAMILIES)
d. Joel P. Ruiz
pitch: sabi ng program "is about a woman who overcomes the grief of losing her adopted son"
catch: parang hindi nakita ang pitch na iyon
in UPFI, we have a subject called Film 175 Film and Literature where cross-disciplinary arts like cinema and literary works, particularly short stories and novels, are dissected and compared. siguro kelangang dumaan sa klaseng ito ang mga filmmakers kasi hinugot nila ang kuwento sa short story ni master literary storyteller jose "butch" dalisay, na if i am not mistaken, the title is "Some Families, Very Large."
hands down, sir butch is a master of the craft of the filipino short story in english, and his writings usually picture and sketch very vivid scenes and emotions that weave into thought-provoking stories. the weaving and such really works well with words on paper. sadly... this kind of weaving still has to be translated into visuals and sound. laglag lang ati. sobrang laylay ang pelikulang ito, dahil hindi niya na-achieve and sentiment na binabato ng short story. it didn't even have a life of its own, as what happens most times with film adaptations of literary works. but there's an art to it, adaptation and translation. mukhang kulang pa. hindi tumawid.
ANGAN-ANGAN (DREAMS)
d. Sheron R. Dayoc
pitch: sabi sa program "centers on a mute nine-year-old girl named Satra, whose determination to secure a good education reverberates clearly amid the strictness of her Yakan culture. The Yakan are one of the 13 Moro groups in the Philippines.
They mainly reside in Basilan, Mindanao."
catch: filmed with an audience in mind? hm.
ambivalent ako sa film na ito. it kinda appeared good to me in the beginning, kasi appreciate ko sobra ang films na nagpapakita ng iba't ibang kultura ng pagiging pilipino, hindi lang yung "modern" (read: american-influenced) culture natin ek. okay sana. pero nalabuan lang ako sa kuwento. maganda sana yung issues na ipinapasok dito, namely the right of the child to an education, and the gender roles handed down to us by tradition ek. kaya lang parang hilaw pa rin sa luto, kaya yung deliver parang di masyadong satisfying. it was also obvious that the filmmakers were in love so much with their "artsy" shots, and that usually kills the story. a film should have a balance of how a story will unfold utilizing the visuals. medyo kulang pa ito ng ganun. nag-take off siya, pero hindi lang lumipad ng husto.
hani, trabaho lang ha, walang personalan hehe :) congrats nonetheless sa inyo diyan sa zambales! make more films like these! hey, where's my tubbao? hehe :P
DIAMANTE SA LANGIT (DIAMOND IN THE SKY)
d. Vic Acedillo, Jr
pitch: sabi sa program "is about two brothers' journey to compete in a kite flying contest. But getting there takes some time. In the end, they face something unexpected and discover something more precious than winning."
catch: gano'n???? yun yun???
sa totoo lang, lost ako sa pelikulang ito. isang tumataginting na "hanubayunnnnnn" ang reaksyon ko when i watched this. may konsepto, walang kuwento. delikado. argh. for that, yun na ang review! bakit pasok to???
*tumbling*
ONLY GOD KNOWS
d. Mark V. Reyes
pitch: sabi sa program "focuses on the disturbing and gut wrenching tale about the realities of life in the sprawling metropolis of Manila."
catch: miscast ang cast sa urban poor setting
di marunong gumawa ng synopsis ang gumawa nito. it's more than that. it's about this nanay who has to face her demons and moral decisions of giving her son for adoption, out of extreme poverty, only to have that son sold to white slavery. and to a pedophile at that. harshness!
hambigaaaaat! di ba? pero effective siya. not new, typical story, sampu sampera na ang mga giving-up-or-selling-your-child-for-money chorva storylines sa philippine cinema (or asian cinema/third world cinema for that matter), pero this one, nadala ng good acting, thoughtful directing, at good-paced editing. never mind the shots. minsan may hindi kering anggulo pero sige lang. nadala ng aktres.
si angel aquino nga pala ang aktres. bothered lang ako kasi for an urban poor nanay, ang ganda ng highlights work sa hair niya, na halatang pina-parlor (sobrang shiny lang, ate). and of course her complexion, although minsan puwedeng lumusot ito na makinis ang mga nakatira sa slums ek (dahil may ganun namang mga tao talaga). o sige, half-keri. pero yung anak niya kasi, halatang slight malusog at alagang-alaga, kaya hindi believable na naghihirap sila at kelangan siyang ibenta. ayun lang naman ang beef ko. other than that, okay ang film na ito. the build-up of the anticipation, na alam mo nang gagawin niya, tapos yung pag-aagaw ng emosyon nung nanay na kineri ng akting ni angel, bet! winner ito. bigat lang, pero winner.
HULING BIKTIMA (THE LAST VICTIM)
d. Vitaliano A. Rave
pitch: sabi sa program "is a film noir style about a detective's last minutes."
catch: so ano'ng bago?
siguro ang bago e ang filmmakers ay enamored sa medium ng graphic novel, because it was obvious that they were making it appear like the visuals were straight out of graphic novels, lalo na't may pa-thank you sa isang graphic novel author sa credits na inspirasyon nila i'm sure (frank miller 'ata). kaya lang, kapag tinanggal mo ang graphic novel look and all, ano'ng matitira? walang kuwento ito, talagang gusto lang niyang magpakitang gilas na may alam sila sa cool, slick videography and editing. sadly, hindi kineri ng set, costumes (lalo na si detective na mukhang manong na naka-amerikana -- sa dark alleyways of dirty manila? wengk.) at ng boses ng detective (na hindi siya sounding detective! kulang sa bass). hm. sana lang maging mas orihinal pa ang filmmakers, meaning make this material closer to pinoy culture, para hindi siya mukhang american ripoff (which is what it is, actually). sayang ang slick equipment if it won't be put into good use.
MY PET
d. Anna G. Bigornia
pitch: sabi sa program "is a 7-minute animation about an 8-year-old girl and her relationship with her first pet, a chick, the subject of a class experiment."
catch: sana may light ang faces ng characters
other than that, keri ko ito. maganda na hindi talkie, and for an animation work, oks lagi iyon. maganda ang music, ang tema, cute ang animation work, pero bakit madilim ang fez? hm. masyado lang mahaba, feeling ko, for the kind of story it was trying to tell. sana mas pinaiklian pa para poignant, short and sweet. pero bet ko ang animation style. parang slight eastern european ang feel, pero pinoy ang textures. winner!
PANGGARIS
d. Dexter B. Cayanes
pitch: sabi sa program "is about a prostitute whose life changed when her mute sibling learned to talk, uttering only the word "panggaris."
catch: kulang sa kwento
sa totoo lang, di ko na talaga halos maalala itong short na to. i guess ganon siya tumatak (o hindi) sa akin. i just remember being unhappy in watching it. sorry alam ko hindi fair itong ganitong review pero i guess my reaction also speaks for the quality it has (or the absence of it).
TRAILS OF WATER
d. Sheron R. Dayoc
pitch: sabi sa program "is an experimental film about a young boy's emotion as seen through his make-believe story."
catch: kulang sa kuwento
di ko alam kung dahil sa huli-huli na ito at di ko masyadong keri ang kuwento, pero hindi ko na siya sobrang matandaan ang detalye. i guess ganoon din siya tumatak (o hindi) sa akin. noble and good intentions cited, at okay iyon. pero the art and craft of storytelling through film, kulang pa rin. could be improved. may promise naman e.
TUTOS (COST)
d. L.A. Yamsuan
pitch: sabi sa program "tells about the dynamics and complexities of a single father-daughter relationship in a postmodern patriarchal Filipino society."
catch: nachorva ko na ito bilang isa siya sa thesis ng nakaraang taon, at isa pa sa best thesis
the story is actually good. biases aside siyempre. i like the sensitivity of the camera handling and the editing, may pacing, at very mature ito. i also like the super subtle (call me overreading) na ang kuwento ay tungkol sa isang babae na puwedeng may leaning towards liking another babae. super subtle message, partly hidden, pero quite a bit obvious sa portrayal and acting. sinadya man o hindi, okay lang. ayun. basta. okay to. congrats, LA!
*
o sya, my break is over. discuss.
puwede na ba ko matulog ng mahimbing at mahaba-haba? hay, puwede na ulit...
kakatapos lang kaninang tanghali ng cinemalaya film congress kung saan kami nauto este nautusan este naimbitahang maging rapporteur this year. since yesterday kami andun. i orchestrated it na upfi junior faculty na ang bahala dito, meaning me, avie, cenon and patrick who has already done this last year. after all, upfi is one of the key institutions that make cinemalaya happen every year. why not magbibo kami this year. hm. experiencing cinemalaya naman this year from this side, the other side. the first one kasi, wala, biktima kami ng...hahaha inuman na lang tayo, kuwento ko senyo.
akala mo kung ano'ng sosyal na term, "rapporteur" na napaka-united nations lang ng dating, hane? sosyal na term lang siya for "aliping tagasulat ng minutes ng 2-hour panel" hehehe. i would like to thank isis international manila for forcing us to learn how to take down minutes of not so minute meetings at nadagdagan ako ng extra clerical expertise na puede palang maging tiket sa ibang larangan ng kasikatan mwehehehehe. chos. sorry sensya na puyat e...
natawa lang ako dahil ang dakilang ko-propesor roland tolentino e pinagmasdan pala ang aking typing skills. ang bilis ko daw mag-type pala! sabi ko, "e magic fingerz ito eh..." sabay tawa kami in a secretly queer way hihihihihi. chika! naloka ako sa komentong ito.
saw lots of faces i want to see and some i didn't want to see. remind me again why i need to attend these things? oh yeah, circulate. at least there were friends here i really wanted to see. ayoko lang ng mga blast from the past, lalo na ng heterosexual past. bastah.
also heard lots of things new and not so new in the congress panel discussions. remind me again why i never attended these sessions in the past? ah, it's because i've heard it all before, and some i've heard yung behind the scene stories which are more accurate. some were obviously trying to correct misinfo and some were refuting others din. FRENEMIES! hahahahaha kakaiba. hay. nakakatuwa. nasa showbiz pa rin nga pala ako. i keep forgetting. 15 years, pare, 15 years na ko dito. new clothes, same people. old mafia? hay, ask the filmmakers...
point: indie is the new mainstream. discuss.
anyway, we stuck around until sir nic tiongson's book launch of the nice resource book THE CINEMA OF MANUEL CONDE this afternoon. panalo ang guest list! saw old bosses at premiere productions, miss dee who was mr shooli's classmate nga pala in grade school, and also ms boots na mukha pa ring virgin mary like what we used to call her. ang dami ring old artistas na nalipasan na ng panahon na nahirapan kami ni kuya patrick na i-identify hehehe. shet patay ako kay dakilang sir hammy sotto, wherever he is... mga beterano ng pelikulang pilipino, mga dakila. sayang at di na sila kilala ngayon...
hay. tapos salamat kay ate berinice ng cmc admin, ride kami sa van pabalik peyups like yesterday. despite the espanya maynila baha nung papunta kaninang umaga! ay grabe lang ati.
pictures at the pitik section (at multiply).
tulog na ko. sa wakas! balik na lang kami sa weekend for the marathon movie watching. slumming at ccp to catch the films. quality filipino films. indie man daw at magaling (ang gumawa), filipino pa rin! hehehe. ewan.
kahit anu pa man ang nasabi na sa kanya, namamatay man siya o naghihingalo o pangit o mababa sa kalibre ng banyagang hollywood, mahal ko pa rin ang industriya ng at pelikulang pilipino. sa totoo lang. ngayon, nasaan ang libreng festival pass when you need it? hm.
plug ko lang: nood kayo ng film ng friendsheeps: MY FAKE AMERICAN ACCENT by fafa ned 3fish (trespeces) and onnah valera tungkol sa buhay call center. yey! see you two sa friday! :)
nood din kayo ng first full-length film ng ex-student kong si maikel cardoz, RANCHERO. maganda ang premise, about cooks in prison. watch! will do on the weekend.
relax go see a movie. now nah!
sing with me now... for dancing, romancing hooooo...
hehe. chaks. wala lang, just read an email kasi from the masscom dean saying there's a retro dance fundraiser at the makati polo club ba yun? wherever. something posh like that. well, gudlak sa kanila. if the tickets cost half a week's wages, you know where you'll find most of us... home, and away from that event. sa baba ng sweldo ng mga tao, ine-expect pa ba nilang dadalo kami sa shindig na yan? we'd rather go out and drink with bosom buddies, sa totoo lang. or like us sa film insti, we'll go watch movies at the malls na lang. mas masaya pa. yun ay kung di umuulan. kung ganun, there's always the reliable dvd fare at home.
pero ako, writing mode muna now. this, after spending some time sa pagpapakadalubhasa sa aking tesis. hay. break din itong mga rediscovered arcade/puzzle games ko. like my gf introduced me to this new game called tumblebugs, na parang zuma. if you know what i'm talking about, maghanda ka na. mas nakakaadik ang tumblebugs. mas 3d siya kesa kay zuma, pero pareho silang fun. mas maganda nga lang ang sound and music design ng zuma. syempre nothing beats the latino sounds e. hehe. ayuz. tapos ngayon, kaka-chorva ko lang ng diner dash 2. naadik ako sa 1 before, kasi gusto ko yung ganitong games, yung hindi typical tapos may ginagawa talaga tapos may storya, much like that crazy betty's beer bar. hay naku sa isis pa lang ako, adik na kaming mics dept (media infocomm dept) sa mga games na itich. so forever download at laro pag wala si bossing hahahahah. man i miss those days, da original mics gang talaga (me, lenski, indi, irene), including the other peeps na naroon din paminsan-minsan (earnest, mari, malen and necta). ang saya ng mga sistehood days na iyon ano...pero like any other good thing, it must come to an end.
and so here we are.
o sya, pagpatuoy ko na ang chichiryahan. nasa mood ako e. ayan o dikta ng langit na natutungyahan ko ngayon dito sa ikalawang palapag ng aking tirahan. mag-review daw ako hehe. okei! go!
sige ito na ulit...san na ba tayo? ah...
LIGAW LIHAM
D. Emilio "Jay" Abello
Pitch: one time in the '60s or '70s in a semi-rural negros town, the post office suddenly stops operating, disrupting lives and loves
Catch: hm...tapyas pa konti, better for a short film
the premise is such a novel one, at based daw ito sa true event na indeed, in the life before email and the internet, snail mail was the main mode of connection of people and their lives. kaya importante ito, at event ang makatanggap ng sulat sa koreo. sad ako sa mga tao ngayon dahil hindi na nila nafi-feel ang excitement na ito, na siguro e napalitan na ng excitement ng email...pero hindi rin. mas kikiligin ka kung makakatanggap ka ng sulat na nahahawakan at puwedeng basahin paulit-ulit sa kung saan manmo siya dala. at ipapakita pa sa ibang tao. tapos yung excitement na magpapadala ka ng sulat and all. kaya romantic mode ang correspondence e. just look at all those old films featuring letter-writing in special paper or parchment, complete with seals-seals na personal na may wax at personalized pangtatak na bakal, before the rubber stamp mode na sobra namang chaka ever. hay... nice di ba? lalo na sa akin, na lumaksi somewhat sa loob ng post office ng maynila at later on ng araneta center, dahil sa ang nanay ko ay loyalty awardee na empleyado ng phil. post office mula noong buntis pa siya sa kapatid kong bata hanggang sa magretiro siya. nakakatuwang magpatakbu-takbo sa mga mailbags, nakikiusyoso sa mga parcel people, at nakikitingin sa mga ale na tulad ng nanay ko ay nagbebenta ng stamps, na later ay naging high tech kasi registered mail na chenes and all that jazz...
ay, teka dami ko na nasabi. review nga pala ito. wala e, pangit ng film. dapat short film lang ito, napahaba. bad everything -- acting, blocking, directing, editing and script. and producing? well, bigay na lang natin kay aktor-prodyuser karyll ang a for ayfort. pero mas maganda pa rin ang nanay zsazsa padilla niya kesa sa kanya. but that's another blog entry.
bawi. maganda lighting at lugar. yun lang. sayang. inaantok yata si direk peque gallaga nang nag-creative consulting ang mga to sa kanya. huwah.
SINUNGALING NA BUWAN
d. ed lejano
Pitch: intersecting stories (yet again!) of different characters -- a tv weather girl na mistress ng isang businessman, a businessman na nagpalit ng mistress at hinahabol ng asawa, ang babaeng PA sa tv station ng weather girl na pinagpalit ang jowang aktor sa businessman at naging kabit, ang aktor na ko-actor ng isang aktor na pinagpalit ang gay lover sa woman play producer, ang gay lover na sawi at laging nakikinig ng '80s tagalog pop love songs.
Catch: ang gulo.
may scene breaks, mga sentences sa isang blue sky na may umaandar na ulap, na kung iisipin ay parang title cards sa isang silent film. kaya lang, mas preachy pa ang title cards na ito kesa sa visuals. pero minsan, ang visuals din ay... parang nahirapan silang itahi ang script. actually, the script feels like it is a first draft thing. i actually love the premise of some of the characters, lalo na yung nabubuang na na gay guy at weather girl (na naging friends under contrived circumstances) nung hiwalayan sila ng respective jowas nila. ito ang top two stories dito e, tapos puwede ring idagdag yung ek ng PA at nung theater actor. pero other than that, everything else should be trimmed. but like previous long and winding entries, this one just refused to fall out of love with the material and the visuals. sayang. mas na-focus sana siya.
the premise was also nice, kaya lang nga pilit at spoonfeeding din ang labas. na of course, it's about how the image of the moon as romantic fools us into thinking that love lasts forever, or at least longer than we expect it to. but no, liar nga ang moon, and so are our lovers... sayang. ang ganda sana ng premise, nawalan lang ng focus.
pero better naman ito sa SEROKS pare. yung cinema one entry niya dati. ed's my co-teacher sa film institute, and whenever he'll have film screenings, he'll tell us "be gentle!" o eto na ed, gentle na to ha. hehehe. seriously, man, sayang talaga. this could be improved. malaki potential e. hm.
GULONG
D. sockie fernandez
Pitch: a summer in the lives of two grade 5 boys somewhere in the philippines, sometime in the philippines...
Catch: gary v = god mode
and so it shall be. kapag na-cast si gary v sa isang film, hindi na nalalayo ang good values and right conduct and sound morals diyan...at ayan na nga silang lahat, tuhog-tuhog na nakadikit sa buhay ng mga naglalayag na magpinsang grade 5 dito. minsan nasasakal sila nito. minsan ginagamit nila pang-jumprope. minsan ginagawang panungkit. pero mas madalas, ginagawang baging palabas sa kumunoy ng kasalanan.
o ha!
bakit ko ba inuulit-ulit ang grade 5? kasi from the way it was written by the kind old lady who spoke at the screening, it sounded like the kids were already in 3rd year high school. and that makes four years of difference, big gap difference to boot, ha. iba ang lengguwahe ng grade school sa high school, kahit naturingan pang mga child genius o prodigy sila (na sa film na ito, hindi naman. mabait lang talaga sila ng sobra). yan minsan ang trapping sa pagsusulat tungkol sa mga bata. nau-underestimate natin sila madalas. o kaya mali lang talaga ang characterization. like that pinsan na sub-lead, he keeps on dreaming about these "chikas sa fishpond na bakat na bakat ang basang damit pag-ahon!" iw as like eeeeeeeewwwwwwwww! batang manyak ba ito!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hindi siya kyut!!!!!!! mali mali mali ang characterization. homaygad. tuwing gagawin niya ito -- at pinapanaginipan pa niya! -- e parang gusto kong himatayin. jusme, e napaka-HIRAYAMANAWARI pa naman ng approach nila sa materyal (as in, teach good values to children everywhere mode) tapos may manyak mode siya!!!! wah!!!
ang saving grace lang ng film ay yung fact na it was shot like a tv commercial -- pulido sa shots, sa framing, sa pacing, sa timpla ng kulay, sa pagka-masinop sa production design -- men puwede nang ilatag sa kliyente ito! that's because the director has been a long-time adperson. that paid off well. now only if she could do something about the story... hay...
saka lutang ang kuwento to begin with. obvious na detached sa living realities ng pilipino ang mga nagsulat. like there was this one obstacle (na soooo obvious naman para mapahaba ang act2 hay) na nilagay dun para mabasawan ang perang iniipon ng kids to buy a neighbor's bicycle. may meralco dude na naniningil dahil ididiskonekta na sila at may overdue bill na unpaid. bilis bilis bilis tanong mo kung magkano yung overdue ng kuryente bilis bilis bilis. tantananaaaaan -- tumataginting na 97 pesos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! poonyetah! baka water bill yan at hindi meralco, sasabihin niyo. but no. may cameo ng isang meralco guy complete with white and orange uniform ati. at nalurkey akeshhhhhhhh sa baba ng kuryente nilaaaaa! saang lugar ba yan sa pinas at dyan na ko titira ever, sa mura ng kuryenteeeee! a lesson in public utilities: ang usual water bill ay hindi bababa sa 25 pesos (kung hindi ka naglalaba at hindi ka madalas maligo) at aabot lang sa 500 pesos usually kada buwan if your household houses a family of more than 5 members with school-age children at naglalaba ang nanay ng mga damit sa bahay at nagluluto at hindi nagte-take-out at si papa o fafa ay mahilig mag-carwash sa garahe. intiendes? at ang kuryente, kung hindi ka mahilig magbukas n ilaw at manood ng tv at bintilador lang ang appliance mong sosyal e hindi bababa yan ng 300 sa dami ng punyetang tax at anupamang chenes ang nakalista sa electric bill natin ngayon. intiendes?
hay. **puso koh**
kalurkey. nabaliw ako dun.
hay. ms sockie, gawa ka na lang ulit ng short film. mas maganda atak mo sa shortie e. or find new material na mas grounded.
kalurkey ever.
TRIBU
d. jim libiran
Pitch: life of real-life gangsters in tondo portraying their lives, loves and death threats to the tune of improv slam-like freestyle old school rapping. yea boi!
catch: ano bang cam ang ginamit? sana mas maganda ang resolution. hey, even CITY OF GOD appeared real in its glossiness of rio de janeiro slums...
other that that, i like it! as in! biased lang ba ko dahil loves ko ang rap? hindi hiphop ha, kundi good ol' fashioned old school rap, at slam freestyle pa. i loves dem tondo gangstas. hanef. alam naman nating may gangsta lyf na sa tondo at sa slum areas ng pinas noon pa, pero this one is relatively new because of the rap angle...unless you've seen my student she andes' interesting short docu film called ESTROPA naginawa niya mga more than 3 sems ago na, na pinalabas sa abc-5 show na DOKYU kung saan producer si jim libiran... things that make me go hm... kasi it's the same thrust.
pero dahil sa hindi ko alam ang tunay na history ng ek nila (unless they care to explain it), dededmahin ko na lang ang chenes na yun. okay lang itong film kasi wala siyang masyadong mataas na expectation na sine-set-up o binibigay o pinapangako sa viewers. simple lang siya. tondo plus gangs plus bad neighborhood equals drama, sex, fun, violence and death. all preconceived notions and predetermined fates. all we have to do is see how it unfolds this time. and it did unfold the way we were expecting it to -- without pretensions, without hesitations, and with an uncanny sense of an insider guiding us all throughout its unfolding. kaya bet ko siya. hindi siya highbrow, hindi siya lowbrow. basta ayan lang siya sa gitna bro, hindi rin in your face pero hindi rin takot na nakadistansiya. kumbaga sa timpla, tamang tama lang. mainstream ba siya? hindi. hindi glossy e, kahit predictable ang plot. indie ba siya? oo, kasi neorealist ang casting, meaning non-actors, at saka maganda ang sandwich na ginawa niya sa narration ng bata sa umpisa at huli. nag-iiwan ng mark. yan ang sinasabing make or break ang ending. make siya, men. make na make. ayuz.
this is a film na pang-international. it's a peek into the dirty side of manila and its people, a premise long often loved by westerners who want to take a look at the exotic locales and people of places that have been previously colonized by their forefathers. achieve! padala na to sa cannes. postcolonial reality at its simplest. but as for local viewing, unique lang yung rapping chenes. at hindi mo na ulit panonoorin. yung ganun ba. pero okay lang. at least naaliw ka ng isang oras mahigit, tapos kain ka na ng isaw sa labas...
word up.
---------------
o ayan na. sa susunod na ang shorts. and back to regular programming na tayo after that. ayuz.
laro muna ulit heehee...
sarap ng walang pasok! yebah!
paano ba? ah, in order of appearance na lang sa cine adarna showings...
PISAY
d. auraeus solito
pitch: a four-year sweep of high school life in the famed phil. science high school takes a look at a group of students' developments as students and as citizens of marcos-era manila
catch: loves mo to kung pisay grad ka. if not...
the same guy who directed ufo pictures' (to their dismay) cinemalaya 2005's ANG PAGDADALAGA NI MAXIMO OLIVEROS is back with another teen-featured feature. siya ba ang sulat? oo yata e. laos naman itong cinemalaya website hindi updated. heniwey...
four stages, meaning from freshman year to senior year, may nafo-focus na karakter. pero they circulate within the same vicinity of their social sphere. okay naman siya except that di ko talaga keri ang camerawork sa pelikulang ito, lalo na yung mga arc movements dun sa isang shot na nag-uusap ang teacher at student hay...
saka halatang teatro ang tumitira. from the way it was staged to the blocking of the actors and camera movement down to the acting minsan, lalo na nung bio teacher dude character na secretly teatro ang love. that guy's always a ham. artista siya ng students ko sa thesis nila and i said the same thing. bigyan nga ng isang kilong hamon yang guy na yan... buti na lang at ang ka-sparring niya ay ang lovely theater lady na na-miss naming lahat, si wena basco. grabe para siyang di nag-age. last ko siyang napanood sa isang romeo and juliet retake na may japanese characters chenes. man, ang tagal na nun a. hay... the good ol' days...
pero back to this one. tama, kung di ka taga-pisay, di mo mae-enjoy ito kasi it was obvious aureus did this for fellow pisay peeps. hindi niya nai-translate into universal issues ang nangyayari doon sa loob ng school, not enough to make the other audience want to care. not to mention ang mainstream pa ng approach niya sa materyal. parang star cinema presents ang dating. super...
so did it work for me or not. not really. for the reasons i cited above. may potential siya actually. masyado lang kasing theatrical ang treatment na madalas parang ang feeling i'm watching a filmed stage performance instead of a film staging filmic performances. basta. saka mahirap panoorin ang mga pelikulang mina-mantra-han sa shoot ng "dapat manalo ito ng award" hahahaha labo.
TUKSO
d. dennis marasigan
pitch: the investigation of the death of a provincial lass examines the circumstances beforehand through multiple characters' perspectives
catch: RASHOMON it ain't! please lang! magagalit si kurosawa niyan e, name drop kayo ng name drop ng rashomon...
yet another theater person directs a film. this is his second, i think, with cinema one's SA NORTH DIVERSION ROAD as his first. that one i really love, because i love the material. i was thinking nga how that was staged, considering the set-up, although i get hints.
i guess mr. marasigan works brilliantly well if given a brilliant material. kaya lang...huwaah. ano nangyari dito? i think on paper, it was brilliant, pero execution-wise, hindi nag-fly. kasi kung talagang rashomonic ang type niyang mangyari, there's such a thing, a basic basic thing to consider, and that is film language. as in pov, or limited pov kung literature itong pinag-uusapan natin, which, incidentally, RASHOMON was (a novel turned into a film, about an investigation din as seen through three distinct povs).
ito kasi, hindi distinct ang pagkakagawa. nag-iba-iba lang ng anggulo ang camera etc. oo nga't intersecting siya sa ilang eksena pero ang labas nito e parang kieslowski's RED WHITE BLUE lang e. yung pang pinanood mo yung tatlong pelikula e sasabihin mo "uy yan yung anggulo ng storya ni ganyan" over and over again kasi nga parang nag-i-intersect lang. parang ganito ito. napaka-impersonal ng approach na yun at pinapakita lang ang connection ng isang eksena sa isa pa sa kabilang pelikula, unlike rashomon na attached ka kasi nga you are trying to solve a mystery. sadly, walang ganito sa tukso...
which brings me to my biggest beef of all this fest. bakit ito nanalo ng best screenplay?????????????????????????????????????????????????
labo. kahit yung ibang co-faculty kong friends na nanood e ganun din ang komento. hanlabo talaga men.
maganda sana yung pelikula. it was saved by brilliant moments nga lang of actors who were acting for film, not theater. kasi like ricky davao and that mayor woman, napaka-teatro, much like the rest of the peeps except for the talented irma adlawan and ping sobrang-mana-sa-tatay medina. sila lang yata ang nagfi-film acting dito e. hm. kasi innate silang magaling? hindi rin...e bat si ricky davao, ang artista ng cinemalaya 2007 (dami niyang nilabasan), shines in some films but pans out in some? hm, siguro nga depende sa direktor...
oh well. on to the next film. sana makatagpo si mr. marasigan ng better material to film. at saka sana magsanay pa siya ng paghasa sa pagkilatis ng film language. ayan na o, may artista na siyang magaling sa film e, si ms irma... winner na yan pag nagkataon.
STILL LIFE
d. katrina flores
pitch: suicidal visual artist gets a new lease in life with the help of a familiar female visitor chenes
catch: winner si ron umarte, as usual. saka maganda yung painter's pov visual chenes. saka andito yung song ni cynthia? hm, nupaba?
well, other than that, this one doesn't fly for me. siguro sawa na kasi ako sa mga storyline na suicidal artist chenes. ron capinding just gives the character new life kasi magaling siya umarte. nakasalamuha ko siya when i was hanging out in the late 90s with anton juan's theater group as their photographer, at saka kasi ex-jowa ko e umaarte sa tropa nila nun, but i digress...
luma na storyline. may sakit siya, di na makapinta, gusto nang magpakamatay, bakasyon sa secluded bahay-bakasyunan, may makikilalang tao dun na bago, at dahil sa heterosexist ang earth ay babae ang makikilala niya... tapos may twist. di ko na sasabihin baka ma-spoil senyo. pero kahit ang twist ay hindi keri. i guess it's because of the elaborate ang very elongated set-up of a story often told. kaya you won't miss much if you don't see this one.
KADIN
d. adolf alix jr
pitch: local boy in batanes (tama ba, batanes? basta dulo ng pinas sa north) tries to look for his lost/stolen goat for sentimental and financial reasons
catch: sabi nga ng co-faculty ko, dapat ang title nito e LAKADIN.hahah funny.
bakit? kasi lakad lang sila ng lakad. masyadong nainlab sa sceneries kaya ayaw magputol. oo nga't sinusubukan niyang i-achieve ang filmic language ng mga quiet iranian/afghanistan and chinese/japanese films by being zen about the shot treatment, movement and pacing. bet sana ito kay alang hindi consistent ati! like parang two-cam set-up ang nangyari, with the A cam being the zen cam while the B cam was like the handheld tracking cam ever na hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit ganun, tapos iba pa ang timpla ng visuals. nakakahilo actually yung b cam. di siya super-complementary sa a-cam. kung sadya iyon, di ko makita ang purpose, except kung sasabihin niyang ang purpose niyan ay para ma-feel natin ang pagkahilo ng bata sa kakahanap sa lintek na kambing na yun.
this film would have worked if they eliminated the b-cam approach e. sobra. saka kung tatapyasan pa ng, oh, about 20-30 minutes worth of empty shots. i gues filmic language is also the problem here. if you don't know how to utilize empty shots, then you're in for it. deds. parang ang nangyari lang e "ay, shot dito parang kurosawa, ay shot dito sa eksenang ito parang chen kaige, ay shot dito parang sa osama, ay shot dito parang sa ___ etc etc etc." hodgepodge of shots seen in world cinematic language. the point of directing is to have your own cinematic language, or use existing cinematic language and appropriate it according to the needs of the story being filmed. what worked lang sa style niya dito e napakita niya ang kabagalan ng buhay doon sa parteng iyon ng pinas.
other than that, i love jun aves' cinematog. at least deserve niya ang award dito. it was the best lighted nga. ewan ko lang kung desisyon niya yung b-cam effect though...
kadin nga pala is the term for kambing sa lugar na yun.
ENDO
d. jade castro
pitch: life of 6-month contractuals, one of the most visible in our work sector these days, as they approach their end of contract deals and begin new ones -- in relation to work and love life
catch: anong nangyari sa visual timpla? hm...
anyway, aside from the uneven technicals of the film, maganda siya! best directing? jade should have bagged that. napaka-natural lang ng akting ng mga tao dito. kahit may mushy effect na sa ibang pagkakataon, eg yung pagmamakaawa effect ng main boylet character sa kanyang jowa towards the end, maganda siya kasi wow men, na-capture niya yung totoo! as in, okay, totoong nangyayari ito, nakakatuwa, kasi authentic. authentic sa buhay ng mga tao, maniniwala kang authentic ang buhay at ginagalawan ng mga taong ito sa panahong ito at mga lugar na ito. so maganda ang handling sa materyal at sa akting/karakter, at yan ang dapat kwalipikasyon ng mahusay na directorial job. good work, jade. ganda. now i know why sir nic was raving about it and making kulit sa akin not to miss this one. bet siya.
now only if he could have done something with the visual quality of the film. medyo putik-ish na kasi yung kulay at yung movements minsan hindi akma o keri. well, i guess napaka-mainstream din yung approach. pero i guess di na talaga maaalis sa star cinema peeps ang maimpluwensiyahan ng ganitong approach. sa araw-araw ba namang pagbababad nila sa network e, but i digress...
what he has going for him din is the fact na maganda ang concept. end of contract people sa service sector. marami sila, at maraming makaka-relate dito, much like maraming makaka-relate sa call center life lately. pero mas makulay itong endo life kesa sa call center life e, kung isasapelikula at ikukuwento, kasi mas maraming mapupuntahan at napupuntahan, unless may magaling na matang makagawa rin ng ganito tungkol sa buhay call center. well, maybe next year may ganitong entry.
saka gusto ko yung konsepto na naging analogy ng endo ang end ng relasyon ng bida. na-reflect din ang tunay na sitwasyon ng mga tao ngayon tungkol sa pakikipagrelasyon. may mabilisan, may hinihintay lang matapos para move on na sa next, merong atat ka nang tapusin kasi mas excited ka nang magsimula ng panibago...subtle yet swak. winner.
at saka revelation sa akin yung ina feleo gelay. na di ko alam na anak pala ni laurice guillen at johnny delgado. aba, magaling ang girl, her acting pedigree shows so well here...and in the other films she's in. she's not sickeningly sweet or pakyut and she acts for film! aware siya sa sensitivities ng medium. wala rin siyang sampu samperang quality ng stable actor sa isang talent center baga. unique siya. homaygad ay hab a new kras. heheheheh. chos.
---
o sya later na ulit yung iba.
...tell me what you want, what you really, really want...
i wanna...i wanna...i wanna...i wanna...
wa. wa na.
wa nang papanoorin. kakatapos ko lang i-marathon ang CINEMALAYA 2007 sa peyups. kung sino man ang gumawa ng simple animation teaser ng UP Cineastes na may cinemalaya vinta boat at si oble na tumatakbo at ang cine adarna na lumilipad, award ito ati! i'm so proud of you guys. very creative.
sorry i can't say the same about your organizing. madaming nagreklamo -- at nag-blog ng reklamo nila -- during the PISAY showing. make this a part of your assessment sana and next time, mas pro tayo dapat. keri?
so sisimula na ba natin ang rebyu? minabuti ko munang panoorin lahat para creative analysis ang gagawin ko. compare and contrast baga, parang requirement ko sa klase ko, only this time, i didn't require them to do that. mas focused kami sa writing and production aspects. konti lang ang critiques. kaya yan.
*
kaya yan ang una kong tanong sa umpisa kasi parang maraming hindi malinaw sa mga entries, at sa mga winners. saka ko na uuriratin sa individual reviews ko. minsan kasi nakaka-hyper lang na sasabihin mo sa sarili mo na "HUWAAAAT! NANALO YAN NG BEST ___ AWARD???? HUWAAAAY???" o kaya tatanong mo rin ang "HUWAAAT! BAT DI ITO ANG NANALO NG BEST ___ AWARD???" medyo maraming ganun this year. pero malamang ang sagot niyan ay isa rin sa kung ano ang marami ngayong taon -- mega unholy alliances (of indie+mainstream lore) and super-strategic casting (aktres ay anak ng sino? festival director? anu daw? cebu? b?)
chos.
basta.
*
at least this year, may attempts of indie naman sa materyal at execution, unlike last year na hello, itatanong mo kung sino nga ang nag-sponsor ng mga pelikula. star? viva? unitel? e parang produkto nila e, at parang produkto ng mga CDGs nila, na pinaghirapang i-brainstorm ng mga utaw para ma-achieve ang glossy look and story. grabe lang sa pagka-mainstream last year. walang lumipad.
this year, meron naman. tulad ng may pagka-neo-realist approach ng TRIBU ni jim libiran. at ang sobrang talagang totoong true to life approach ng acting-directing sa ENDO ni jade castro. sa wakas dude, natupad na rin ang pangarap mong maging direktor! nakasama ko kasi siya some years ago sa cdg ng isang soap at napaa-distinct ng conversation namin na iyon na nilalahad niyang gusto niyang maging direktor, at saka ni-reveal niya na weird siya kasi tuwing manonood siya ng pelikula sa dvd, sinasabayan niya ng director's commentary chenes. so at least something paid off for the dude. but more of that later. congrats jade.
tuwa din ako sa mga kidz ko kasi karamihan sa kanila ay nag-participate sa paggawa ng ibang pelikula. revelation itong si cha, a brilliant feminist writer na student ko dati sa 3 classes na. lost ako sa kanya dati dahil sobra siyang shy at walang confidence sa sariling gawa pero sa totoo lang, isa siya sa mataas na bingyan ko ng grade sa script at production classes kasi maganda ang style ng bata at mas importante, may sinasabing makabuluhan. pero aktor siya ngayon dun sa TRIBU, at R-18 performance to boot. i'm glad she's coming out of her shell, finally. i hope the others like her will, too. pero huwag lang masobrahan na they end up sobrang bilib sa sarili. ang dami kasing ganun sa kanila ngayon e, naturingang sobrang bata.
pero i'm glad they also have more chances to participate these days. thanks to the boom of the music video genre and the indie full-length digi scene, mas marami na silang natututunan sa labas ng klasrum na i hope bumabalanse sa natututunan nila sa loob. minsan nga lang, naaadik sila sa labas at kinukutya na ang loob. di rin naman maganda yun. pero kanya-kanya lang priority yun, i guess... still, i wish them the best, and i hope they take care of themselves and their peers, na walang dayaan at sungitan. sa dami na ng opportunities nila ngayon, share share na dapat ang mode, di tulad dati noon sa amin at sa ibang older and slightly younger batches na kahit naturingang barkada or kaibigan, nagdadamutan, to the point of saksakan pa, figuratively speaking. kaya tignan niyo na lang sila ngayon... hay. sad lang. di na yata matatakasan na ang film dept/film school/institute na iyon ay microcosm talaga ng philippine showbiz, mainstream man o independent. as in, noon hanggang ngayon.
oh well...
flashback lang. naaalala ko lang when we were in our final year of school noon. a bunch of them friends na paminsan-minsan e sumasama sa amin ay characterized na member ng isang elite exclusive club na sila-sila productions ang dating. ang iba sa kanila'y kilala na at may posisyon na sa creatives ng telebisyon samantalang ang iba ay nag-iba ng direksiyon at pamumuhay. kilala sila bilang raketeros. at noong 1994, rare na may mga avp rakets and all ka, kasi kokonti lang ang ganun, kaya damutan sa info ang labas ng karamihan sa kanila. at itong club na to, gumawa rin sila ng sarili nilang mga productions outside class requirements, for creativity purposes baga. wala namang prublema doon. in fact, natutuwa kami kasi at least may iba sa amin na ganun. dati kasi, kapag sobrang nangangailangan ka lang ng pera, doon ka lang raraket, hindi tulad ngayon na binabalanse ng mga bata ang raket at school. mas ginugol namin ang oras sa pag-aaral at panonood ng sandamakmak na pelikula at pag-attend sa mga art chenes to make us wholesome creative artists baga. and have fun with friends to boot. the lunch bunch! yan ang grupo ko. mas buhay pa kami sa patay na UP Cineastes noon at mas fun at aktibo sa naghihingalo at pinipilit kaming i-recruit na UP Cast noon. e kinse kaya kami, plus yung ibang minsanang sumasama from younger and older batches. so isang org na kami diba? pero keri lang. friends pa rin kaming lahat kahit iba-iba ang goals namin bilang barkadahan at individuals.
one day, they decided to open up their "membership" to other classmates. isa-isang nilapitan at kinausap ang mga chosen ones. komento ng karamihan sa amin "ano sila, diyos?" dahil nga sa namimili daw sila ng "best of the best" chenes. ako naman, i was just taking it all in stride, at natatawa lang ako kasi parang ang immature ng set-up. at saka aliw at kuntento na ko sa buhay ko noon kaya di ako bothered ng ganitong ka-showbiz-ang chenes (which actually proved as a useful training for me when i went deep into showbiz work myself -- survival jacket ko siya, up to now).
one day, their kinda "creative leader" approached me and talked to me, recruiting me. it was just so absurd i felt like we were inside a fellini film, 8 1/2 to be exact, dahil medyo surrreal na theatrical na mind-boggling siya na ewan, just like the movie. out of curiosity and just to humor myself, i asked him kung bakit ako ang isa sa napili nila. our conversation went like this, kinda, not verbatim:
SYA: i think you will be an excellent addition to the group.
ME: (natatawa) puwede bang magtanong? bakit ako napili niyo?
SYA: (napapa-smirk) come on libay, i think you know. do you need your ego boosted?
ME: (lalong natatawa) oo e, sige nga.
and he went on and on about how i have good production skills, skills behind the cam, cinematog, writing din, etc etc blah blah blah bilog bilog ulo etc.
grabe. naaalala ko lang to ngayon. napaka-surreal ng moment na iyon. i never realized how power-hungry my batchmates were at that time...and even up to now. i remember that recruiting guy when i saw him just trying to figure out why oh why i was having dinner and conversation in a long table where manay lolit solis and presidential son mikey arroyo were also seated, and right across me pa. this was years ago when i worked in a newspaper and we interviewed him after the edsa dos event. he looked like he was intrigued but in a jealous showbiz kind of way, you know? funny. little did he know that had he asked, i would have traded places with him that time, because i have had enough of storm signal number 30s by that time...sa totoo lang. not to mention the pasta of that resto sucked to high heavens. ilang beses pa kong inudyok ni manay na kumain, nahahalata niya atang di ko makain, nahiya lang ako at nagpakalango sa iced tea.
hay naku, i would have never survived that moment if i didn't use the knowledge i learned from mam malou's acting class back then: project! hehe. chos.
Manila by night. Or Manila Bay lang.
At the baywalk area, with (L-R) erstwhile dynamic duo Ned and Onnah
Taking a late lunch break and early drinking sesh with the bekis 
H: Are the lambs still crying, Clarisse?
I think what I need right now in my life is another big bang.