Cinemalaya started out last week. I camped out of the CCP complex last Saturday and Sunday with friends. I was able to see 5 short films and 9 feature films. To say the least, I only liked one feature film so far and was more impressed with the short films that I saw. The title of the feature that I liked was “Two Funerals” (directed by Gil Portes) which was about a tale of two families who had loved ones, each of whom died in an unexpected accident and whose bodies were accidentally switched amongst by the funeral parlor who delivered the remains to their corresponding families (in their provinces). The story revolves on the journey of both families as they get to know, forgive, discover and appreciate their dead and death itself. It’s both funny and poignant without being over the top which is something that endeared me to it. For this year, they added a new segment which is director’s showcase for independent films that are directed by our locally established directors and Two Funerals is part of it.
Too bad that I am not able to see films during weekdays – other than the fact that it was stormy out here for the beginning of the week (literally flying debris, roofs and even the plaster sides of the biggest mall here in the Philippines were peeled off like bananas in just a span of 54 minutes!!!) I was feeling under the weather but could not take a leave of work due to consecutive classes that I just had plus certification classes for our facilitators for which I gotta be here to guide, help and coach them as necessary.
I've been feelin’ down and out lately which is scary for me since I’m feel tired and down most of the time – stress perhaps or lack of creative outlook or intuition I guess, I dunno. I want to go on vacation and I was planning to do so but plans just keep getting pushed or cancelled. I wanna go to either Davao or Malaysia and just get lost just to reset and find my balance. A lot of stuff’s been going on and I need to stay on top of things with the gusto that I once had – this, the thing that I do for a regular paycheck, is quite a tiring trade.
I hope to do a marathon of films tomorrow (technically later) at CCP. At least the line up of films that I intend to watch are more promising than the last that I saw over the weekend:
12:45 pm Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) - Donor by Mark Meily
**In her desire to work abroad, Lizette, a seller of pirated DVDs, decides to sell her kidney to a wealthy Arabian kidney patient. When a law is announced banning organ transplants between Filipinos and foreigners, Lizette agrees to marry the Arab, a man she has never met for the surgery to push through.
3:30 pm Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) - Sampaguita by Francis Xavier Passion
**Is a film that chronicles the journey of the Sampaguita flower from the time the buds are plucked in the province to the time they are sold in the city. The story is told by children who are involved the the different stages of the journey.
6:15 pm Bulwagang Pambansang Alagad ng Sining (CCP MKP Hall - 4th Flr) - Si Techie, Si Teknoboy at Si Juana B. by Arthur Katipunan
**Techie and Jay, both OFW's from Qatar, decide to come home for two weeks to get married. Techie is nurturing a plan to meet her virtual lover, Teknoboy, before her wedding day. The story unfolds when connives with her high school best friend, Juana to be with Teknoboy.
9:00 pm Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) - Rekrut by Danny Añonuevo (GALA Screening)
**Jamir, a devout Muslim, and Lando, a Christian, are among an elite group of young recruits formed by military officers for a classified operation. But what happens when the institution that they have sworn to protect becomes the wedge that will tear their brotherhood apart?
There were some notables that I saw last week which were:
Pink Halo-Halo by Joselito Altarejos which is about a young boy who deals with the death of his military officer father, killed during a rebel siege in Mindanao, at a young age. The feature boasts a very good cinematography by Pao Santiago Pangan - framing, lighting all utilized to achieve serenity and balance for the scenes. The high contrast yellow and orange hues try to make it work for the movie...yet this could only do so much when you have characters that do not sync or just have no chemistry - bond nor the show of sincere affection at all.
Magkakapatid by Kim Homer C. Garcia is a story of 3 siblings that are set apart from each other by their socio-economic status. Each family, going through their own tragedies come to terms with the old adage that blood is thicker than water. The production boasts of noteworthy performance from actor Julio Diaz who play his character with much grit and sensitivity which is a refreshing welcome from the goon/villain roles that he used play in mainstream features. Albeit efforts to avoid turning the promising story into a familial soap opera of sorts, the downside would be much attributed to shaky (and I mean really shaky) camera movement which would have rendered the viewer a free spin onboard the space shuttle instead of the focusing on the story that is unfolding before them. Another thing is...some scenes could have been paced faster -- or the non-chalant parts could have ended on the cutting room floor as they just cluttered the already interpolated family drama.
Limbunan by Gutierrez Mangansakan II is the story of 17-year old Ayesah, who under goes the Maguindanaoan ritual of "Limbunan" which is a month long preparation of the bride-to-be as she is kept from public view as she awaits marriage to a man she has never met. The story is promising as it is boasts of cultural ritual that is not even known, even to the most common Filipino -- a heritage that is kept alive by our fellow Maguindanaoans. But the moral question that looms before the viewer is how do you go against your family's will, your very own culture when your heart is set out to pursue things for oneself...just when life is about to start...quite a tough choice for the 17 year Ayesah especially in this day and age of Girl Power and Female Equality -- much like Pink Halo-Halo, the cinematography is good and the viewer would really feel the lull of rural provincial life but this idea went against itself since the slow paced denouement would lead (led in this case) its viewers into slumber halfway through the movie only to be surreptitiously confounded by an irritating shrill musical revue of natives that overextended their mini concert in the feature. Again, the same conundrum for 1st time film makers - do not be afraid to cut out scenes in your feature...establishing a scene with another is fine --- just don't over do it.
I am hoping that the weather (and my mortal body) will cooperate and have enough energy to get me through the day...Thank God its now Friday...
Welcome To the Infinite Abyss...
**Features Synopsis taken from the official Cinemalaya 2010 programme schedule.
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