Friday, December 07, 2012

The Moviemov: Italian Cinema Now 2012 Experience Part 2


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.

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.

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.

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.

Ejay Falcon
Gerald Anderson
Maja Salvador
Maricar Reyes
Matteo Guidicelli
Victor Basa
Xian Lim
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.

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.

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.

Andrea Bosca
Alessio Gallo

Moviemov: Italian Cinema Now 2012 is supported by the General Direction for Cinema of the Italian Ministry of Heritage and Culture and the Film Development Council of the Philippines, organized by the Embassy of Italy, Playtown, the Philippine-Italian AssociationRustan's, The Peninsula Manila and the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Madame Silvana Novelli-Fornari and Ambassador Luca Fornari

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