don't dream hope's over

Try to catch the deluge in a paper cup? 

Obviously I'm soundtripping again as I type this. Waiting for the new year to commence in a few hours, and I can't fucking wait to leave 2013 already!!! If you've been following this space closely, you'll know why. And if you know me, yeah you'll probably know why na rin naman.

Just thought of stopping by here and doing some sort of yearly summary like what I've always done before in this space, and in my offline journals as well. But I think I'm getting too old for such recaps. Or maybe sentimental, I don't know. That's why I've limited my recaps to bite-size chunks instead. Besides, sometimes there are times when you just have to stop, park your thoughts for a while, stop typing, stop snapping pictures, just breathe and let the bad vibes out as you let the good atmosphere in. Things like that.

I realized that when I was in Bangkok earlier this month. There was one point where I was so excited by everything, by coming back there, by revisiting the familiar, that I wanted to snap and snap away, record each and every moment for freeze frame documentation forever. I stopped one time, inside Chatuchak Market, and just let my senses get tickled by everything, without reacting. And you know what? That felt good. So good.

Overload of the senses that is Chatuchak Market. 

Source of my cleansing ritual props today.

This was where I realized it: just stop and 

indulge the senses. Stop documenting! So I did. 

After the bite.

Mindfulness really grounds me. One at a time, as Buddhism taught me 

decades ago. "When you eat, just eat. When you walk, just walk."

Still true after all these years. And this is why it's very meaningful 

for me as well to be guided like this in my travel there. 

I am bringing this feeling here with me, in Manila, 

and wherever I may go next in life.

So yes, sometimes we have to stop and stare. Stop and breathe. Stop and look, listen, and just feel. Stop and feel.

I guess that's what I'm doing here. Stopping and feeling. Not giving in to thoughts that are still haunting me during these last few days of the year, not giving in to emotions that are stapled together with those thoughts. Not giving in. Sometimes you have to not feel as well. Just be. Just be there.

Something like that.

*

Speaking of being, I was being my fabulous self again this latter half of the month. I said I might not surface for air but thanks to some lightened work load sked, I was able to. But what preoccupied me naman was something I love anyway, so the past week or so didn't feel like work anyway, because it involved cinema.

Or more accurately, MMFF. Comme ca:

Photo op-ping in between screenings, here with other 

MMFF peeps and jurors and Miss Universe runner-up 

title holder Ariella...Arianna...shyet ano na nga ngalan niya? 

Lagi ko nalilimutan! Tatlong araw kami magkasama 

pero lagi ko nalilimutan. Kasi hanggang smile 

lang ako at natotorpe akong kausapin siya 

hahahaha lekat sa #dykewoes itey.

I blogged about it in my pop culture blog about how I was tapped to be a juror for this year's Metro Manila Film Festival Most Gender Sensitive Film Award. And awaaaaaard talaga ang nanalo! For the record again, HINDI KO BINOTO ANG GBBT okayyyyyyy? I have my own opinions about that film at mahirap talaga kapag outvoted ka. Democracy rules kaya ayun, olats lola mo hehehe. But the gig was fun naman while it lasted, kaya of course masaya pa rin ako sa overall experience. Cinema is my first love, after all, a love affair I've been having ever since I could remember -- a love affair that will only stop when I stop breathing.

Kilroy was there. Ebidensiya.

Akala ko wala akong kakilala sa jurors, 'yun pala 

andun si Sigrid, direktor ng ANG HULING CHA-CHA NI ANITA. 

First 2 days suffer kami sa super-cold office sa QC GAD 

ni Ms. Ruby. Kaya kelangang magkulitan selfie after the screenings 

-- dahil malayo rin ang yosihan to cope hahaha. 

We screened the indie category here.

The gender jury after the deliberations right after the 

3-day screening sa Podium naman. Ayaw talaga bumigay 

ni Direk William Mayo sa vote naming KIMMY DORA hahaha 

kaya sa GBBT sila pumanig. My tie-breaker didn't push through, 

but I knew it wouldn't. Hope against hope lang naman 'yun. 

Basta, kuwento ko sa 'yo 'pag nag-inuman tayo hehe.

Kaya ayan, napanood ko na sila at sinipag akong mag-full on review ng mga films pero mostly for my POC gig. Here's a line-up:

My 10,000 Hours review - Dapat panoorin mo ito!!! Good good film. Fearless forecast ko ito as best picture at hahakot ng awards hehe. And I was right!

Boy Girl Bakla Tomboy: Mula kalye hanggang pelikula, may pride ka pa ba? - my kinda review of GBBT and why it didn't merit any vote from me whatsoever sa aking gender jury duty. Again, I WAS OUTVOTED! Kaya ayan, di na nga ako nagpunta ng awards night sa Meralco Theater hehe. Kebs na, kahit tinawag pala nila ang name ko to recognize us jurors pala, sabi ng nanay ko kasi napanood niya sa TV ang awards night. Eh mas masarap mag-booking kesa sa um-awards night teh panu ba 'yan hahahaha but that's another story. Chos!

Our "Little Bossing" that could: Isang pahabol na pagpapahalaga sa lesbiyana - My review of MY LITTLE BOSSINGS and why I think you should catch it just because of Aiza's lesbian character there. 

Ang taunang MMFF 2013 at LGBTQ overview - Hmm mali yata ang titling ko nito, pero kebs! In here, I run down the queer characters depicted in the MMFF films, at least yung meron ha. Sareeeh wala sa Pedro Calungsod, unless! LOLZ. 

Fabulous redefined anew, aney, cinematic style naman this time. Alam na!

*

Speaking of redefined, may pahabol pang fabulous ang ilang kaibigan sa pagtatapos ng taon. Ayaw daw nilang tapusin ang taon nang hindi naitatali sa isa't isa. Kaya ayun, from Chiangmai to QC with love ang peg at voila! Two good friends got married, queer style!

Newlyweds Bing and Marion with Bing's tita and mommy, 

JJ and me in the multitasking ceremony.

Nakakatuwa naman ang love story ng dalawang ito. Dekada nang magkakilala pero di nila inakalang magiging sila. Gulat ang lahat, pero ako, pleasant surprise ito. Wala naman kasi talagang makakapagsabi sa atin kung saan magmumula o susulpot ang pag-ibig eh. Minsan nga, tinatawag ka na, di mo pa nakikita. Minsan huni pa lang, nabibingi ka na. Minsan pinapasilip ka ng kalawakan kung ano pa ang meron diyan sa tabi-tabi. Minsan naman pinapatikim ka pero sa kalaunan, ipapasuka sa iyo kasi masama pala sa sistema mo ang timpla. Minsan, nariyan lang pala sa tabi. Minsan, biglaang darating na parang bulalakaw tapos kailangan mong mag-isip nang mabilis kung sasabay ka ba sa andar nito. 

Fun times with old friends. With the addition of Lorna 

the ever-critic at the reception hahaha. 

I so miss hanging out with like-minded fun queer peeps.

And everybody liked my "new" style hehe. 

Cuteness overload daw aney? Pak na pak.

Iba-iba 'yan para sa bawat isa sa atin. Kaya wala talaga tayong karapatang maghusga ng nararating ng lovelife ng bawat tao. Unless nakakasakit na ito sa kanya, at saka ka mag-intervention. Pero until then, hayaan mo silang matuto ng kailangan nilang matutunan, at hayaan na lang natin silang maramdaman ang nais nilang maramdaman. Ganun na lang.

'Yan ang tinutukoy ko sa not dreaming that hope is not over. Hope is never lost, never gone. Anuman ang naganap sa atin sa taong ito, isa lang ang lagi nating binabaon, year in and year out: HOPE. Hope that better things will come our way, hope that there will be a spark of interest that might lead to greater things, hope that things will fall into place and everything touched by chaos will be orderly again, hope that we are still alive with our hearts beating and our brains thinking, hope that blessings will continue to fall in our universe, hope that there will be a string of tomorrows to do all the things we want to do and love doing. 

Hope. Iyan ang hindi dapat nawawala sa atin. Nakatatak nga 'yan sa braso ko, eh, di ba? Kaya nananatili sa aking reminder iyan, anuman ang naganap sa taong ito. Nakahanap ako ng jowa pero hindi rin naman pala kami compatible at pinalala ito ng distansiya. Naloko ako ng isang halimaw na nagpapanggap na anghel na magmamahal sa akin pero sinaktan lang pala ako. Umalis na ako sa isang trabahong minahal ko ng lubos ng halos isang dekada dahil ayoko nang malason pa ng sistemang bulok. Iyan lang naman ang road bumps ko sa taong ito. Major major kung tutuusin, pero kinakaya pa rin naman. 

Pero mas marami at mas marangya pa pala ang papalit diyan. Na ikinakagulat ko, up to this very moment, dahil walang tigil ang pagpapadala ng universe ng reinforcements sa kampo ko. As in! Kung trabaho sa trabaho lang naman, nagkaroon ako ng maraming kapalit na consultancy, na nag-ending na nga sa isa sa pinakamasayang consultancy ko sa ngayon sa Rappler. At sa pagpasok ng taon, marami pa ring nakalinya at patuloy pa rin ang ilang nasimulang consultancy ngayong taon. Kaya wala namang kaso sa larangang iyan. 

 Cleansing the surroundings, cleansing the soul.

What you reap, you sow. Plant kindness and compassion. 

Your rewards will be ever-fruitful. I kid you not.

Sa ibang larangan naman, nagagalak ako at laging nakaalalay sa akin ang mga bago at dating kaibigan pagdating sa pag-alo sa puso at katauhan ko. Resbak kung resbak, at nakakatuwang malamang they have my back. Suwerte ko sa larangang iyan at may safety net ako ng mga confidantes who give me sage advise. I am thankful. As for the real scores, ayan, score lang ng score hahaha. I mean I always find some person here and there to while away time, to pass the time, things like that, knowing full well na all is not lost naman in that department for me. 

Maybe because of the recent experience, I am just wary and careful, especially when it comes to commitment. I'd actually like to go back to the "I don't do girlfriends" Shane shiz I had before. Well, so far, it's working! Brian Kinney mode na lang ever, for now. Maximum amount of pleasure, minimum amount of bullshit should already be tattooed on my being next. Sometimes I keep forgetting that fact. That's why I keep getting hurt. But yeah, thank goddess for my friends. I love their infinite patience and love for me. I heart them back. 

There will always be balance. 

Keep the faith, even if resolve is sometimes thinning.

So for now, we just take it easy, have some vino at queso, let the universe unravel more of what's next for me in my ever-evolving but exciting life. I can't wait to gallop in the year of the horse. I hear Pegasus coming. As I repair my wings, he lends me his. Because goodness knows I'm always meant to soar.

So let's.

May the odds be ever in all of our favors this 2014. 

WORK IT!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, YOU FABULOUS PEEPS. 

KEEP IT REAL.

sige na nga, bago ko makalimutan...

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!

kelangan ko lang 'to ilabas

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!

Ang Pinaka: fabulous lesbian roles in Phil. cinema

ngayong weekend pa lang pala ito ipapalabas. ayuz. man, sana hindi ako mukhang bangag, adik or worse, pangit hehehe. vain eh!

self-plug. got this from their multiply:

DATE OF AIRING: JUNE 15, 2008

In showbiz, actresses always reach a crossroad where they must choose to accept more challenging and career-changing roles and one of which is tackling a lesbian role. But who among our female stars have pulled off the most effective, most memorable, and most ‘astig’ performance of a lesbian role in Philippine cinema?

Last year, we listed down the most memorable gay performances of male actors in “Ang Pinaka: Fabulous Papa-turned-Mama.” This Sunday, we bring you the much-anticipated companion episode with “Ang Pinaka: Astig na Mama-turned-Papa!”

Joining Host Rovilson Fernandez are guest panelistas: Film director Gil Portes, UP Professor Roselle Pineda, Production designer Bong Gacho,UP Professor/Young Critics’ Circle member Nonoy Lauzon, and UP Professor/Writer Libay Linsangan Cantor.

Who among our female stars are the most believable butch and femme? Which gender-bending performance will emerge as the ‘Ang Pinaka: Astig na Mama-turned-Papa?’ Find out this Sunday on ‘Ang Pinaka,’ June 15, 2008, at 6PM on QTV 11 (channel 24 on Sky and Home cable, channel 15 on Destiny cable, and channel 19 on Sun cable).