The Opening Night
The
first ever Moviemov: Italian Cinema Now
back in 2011 was such a success that people asked me for months whether there
would be another Italian International Film Festival again this year. Well, there is indeed a second one
and it just officially opened with a splendid cocktail reception over at the Ayala Museum. The event was made more
exciting not just by the presence of several Italian actors, but also by some
Filipino celebrities as well. Invited guests who were dressed to the nines enjoyed
the abundance of Italian food and wine, the fine display of Vespas and a
Ferrari, and the fine company they find themselves in. After the dining and
socializing, they were led towards the Greenbelt 3 cinemas to view the opening film which was Cesare deve morire/Cesar Must Die.
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| Piolo Pascual |
For
the second time around, I walked the red carpet leading to the Ayala
Museum. But this time, I gamely posed
for some photographer friends although the other picture takers there probably
had no idea who I was. Compared to last year when the spectacle and the sheer
number of guests overwhelmed me, I was not as uneasy this time. After having
been a guest to numerous diplomatic and cultural events for the past year, I
think that I’ve grown a lot more comfortable since I usually get to see very
familiar and friendly faces like the Italian Ambassador Luca Fornari and his
wife Madame Silvana Novelli-Fornari.
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| Sam Milby |
The
“unfamiliar” faces during that night belonged to the Italian personalities who
flew in for the film festival. During the cocktails, I was able to meet actor
Salvatore Striano who looked like he had a great time taking photos of everyone
and everything, especially the cake. Also present there were actors Alessio
Gallo, Davide Iacopini and Andrea Bosca. I tried looking for the other Italian
VIP’s that were supposed to arrive for the festival but there were so many
people that finding them proved to be difficult.
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| Denise Laurel |
Not
so difficult to find were the local celebrities from Star Magic since they were
always surrounded by guests who wanted to take photos with them. I was able to
see Piolo Pascual, Sam Milby, Xian Lim, Diether Ocampo, Maricar Reyes, Maja
Salvador, Ejay Falcon, Denise Laurel, Victor Basa and Tessa Prieto-Valdes.
Matteo Guidicelli was the only one who was a guest last year whom I saw again
this year. Unfortunately, I think that none of these local stars stayed long
enough to view the opening film of the festival.
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| Ejay Falcon |
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| Gerald Anderson |
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| Maja Salvador |
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| Maricar Reyes |
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| Matteo Guidicelli |
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| Victor Basa |
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| Xian Lim |
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| Diether Ocampo and Maricar Reyes |
Cesare deve morire/Cesar Must Die
The
main selling point of the film Cesare
deve morire/Caesar Must Die for me is that it was a movie shot in prison
with actors who are actual prisoners as well. This was more than enough to
forget my aversion to Shakespeare since the bard’s Julius Caesar is an integral
part of the movie. And I couldn’t discount that this multi-awarded film is also
Italy’s entry
to the Academy Awards’ Foreign Language Film Category. Lastly, after seeing a
very enthusiastic Salvatore Striano earlier during the cocktails, I couldn’t
help but be excited about the film as well.
The
film did take the guests to a completely different world very much different
from the glamour and color of the cocktails a few moments before. Shot mostly
in black and white, the film is simply about the prisoners who are in the midst
of rehearsing a production of Julius Caeser that was to be presented in the
prison theater. During the course of the rehearsals, the line between life and
art becomes blurred as their daily routine inside the facility started to revolve
around the rehearsals. And then during rehearsals, their personal issues, emotions
and yearning for freedom were brought to the surface adding more layers and
putting more weight to the play Julius Caesar. And the last line from the film
really summed up the whole movie which resonated in me a lot. One who is
expecting a typical summer blockbuster, special effects laden movie will be up
for a huge disappointment. But for someone who longs for a story that focuses
on humanity, then one should give this film a shot.
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| Salvatore Striano |
Actor
Salvatore Striano played Brutus in the film and like all the other actors
there, he also served time in prison. But unlike the other prisoners in the film, Striano was
pardoned and now enjoys a career in film and theater. It was surreal seeing him
in person right after viewing the movie. The characters in the film longed for
freedom and it was only Striano who made it out and is now seeing the world.
All these elements made the film a whole lot more than what I saw on the big
screen which reinforced how powerful art really is.
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| Davide Iacopini |
After
viewing the film, those who watched were asked to fill some forms that will
determine the winning film of the festival. These forms will also serve as
raffle coupons for the three pairs of Ray-Ban sunglasses that would be up for
grabs by the end of the festival. Then, some of the guests returned to the Ayala
Museum and continued to dine and
drink. It was another chance for me to hang out with friends, to discuss the
film with them and and make new acquaintances as well.
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| Andrea Bosca |
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| Alessio Gallo |
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| Madame Silvana Novelli-Fornari and Ambassador Luca Fornari |
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