The Closing Ceremony
All
good things must come to an end and the second edition of Moviemov: Italian Cinema Now had to end as well. As expected, I wasn’t able to return to the
Greenbelt 3 Cinemas after the opening of the festival due to a flurry of
activities that happened during the week coupled with feeling indisposed.
Fortunately, my schedule and health permitted me to catch the Closing Ceremony wherein they announced that Cesare
deve morire/Caesar Must Die was the best film of the festival. The winning film was determined by
the ballots filled up by the viewers who watched the seven contemporary Italian
films featured in the festival. And a few of these lucky viewers won Ray-Ban sunglasses
during the raffle. The ceremony also featured speeches by a pleased Dr. Piera
Detassis and an emotional Vanessa Gravina who both were very satisfied by the
success of the festival. Senator Goffredo Bettini also had a few words and
assured the Filipino audience that Moviemov will be back again next year. Ambassador
Luca Fornari then led a toast and Madame Silvana Novelli-Fornari led the
distribution of the cake in which everyone inside the theater got to enjoy
before viewing the film scheduled right after the ceremony.
Moviemov:
Italian Cinema Now 2012 Best Film
Cesare
deve morire/Caesar Must Die
Also
present during the ceremonies were Italian actors Andrea Bosca, Alessio Gallo
and Davide Iacopini. I found it very interesting that they even managed to
visit some depressed areas during their brief stay here. I was able to ask
Andrea Bosca if they had planned this visit even before they landed here. And
he responded that he came from Los Angeles
before arriving in Manila and had
no idea whatsoever about the Philippines .
And they only decided to visit those places when they got here already.
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| Andrea Bosca, Alessio Gallo and Davide Iacopini |
Anac Ti Pating
The
film Anac Ti Pating became part of
the festival when it won the National Film Festival, Ikalawang Yugto that
happened in Davao a week before
Moviemov. This film, written and directed by Martin Masadao is a coming of age
story of a young boy named Sixto Mangaoang. The film essentially shows one school
year in the life of Sixto, a bright kid who excels in Math and English but is
usually bullied because of his poor parents. The film has its shining moments
like the brilliant acting of the actor who played Sixto, Deuel Raynon Ladia.
Also impressive was Luchie Maranan who portrayed the role of Sixto’s mother,
Mayette.
While
the film had some great characterization, the plot left me a bit wanting. There
were several subplots involving the supporting characters that didn’t get
satisfying resolutions and/or were dropped altogether. The script could’ve been
a lot tighter in my opinion. But then again, I have to consider that Anac Ti Pating is an independent film
that probably didn’t even get a financial grant like those that are screened at
the Cinemalaya. And that I should give the film a bit of leeway and not expect
a highly polished one.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The
film that officially closed Moviemov was the classic film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly which is part of the festival’s homage
to film maker Sergio Leone. The movie, belonging to the genre Spaghetti Western
played a huge role in sending Clint Eastwood into the Hollywood
A-list. This film also has one of the most memorable movie themes ever courtesy
of composer Ennio Morricone. The film starred Clint Eastwood as Blondie (the
good), Lee van Cleef as Angel Eyes (the bad) and Eli Wallach (the ugly).
For
a movie which is already more than four decades old, it still holds up nicely.
The opening sequences were a bit hard to figure out since there wasn’t much
dialogue in it. But once I got to know who the characters were and what their
motivations are, it was smooth sailing from that point onwards. I marveled at
how gorgeous the shots were and I felt the vastness and the desolation of the Wild
West. And these wide shots were nicely contrasted and complemented by extreme
close ups of the faces of the main characters.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a long
film and I was hesitant to see it at first because of its length knowing that
the screening would end up late at night. But I am glad that I decided to give
it a go and was rewarded with a satisfying film viewing experience.
The Final Word
 |
| RAd at Moviemov: Italian Cinema Now 2012 |
Once
again, I wasn’t able to experience fully this year’s Moviemov. Just like last
year, I was only able to watch three films: Cesare deve morire/Caesar Must Die (an Italian contemporary film), Anac Ti Pating (a Filipino film), and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (a
Sergio Leone retrospective film). I also would’ve wanted to have a few words
with Salvatore Striano but he had already left the country by the time that I
managed to come back at the festival. I wasn’t also able to meet personally Dr.
Piera Detassis, Vanessa Gravina and Jennifer Ulrich. I also wish that the
Filipino celebrities from Star Magic who were at the opening cocktails took the time to watch the Italian films
that were shown during the festival. Overall, despite only managing to watch just
three films, I am still glad to have experienced Moviemov for the second year
in a row. And since Sen. Bettini already confirmed that there will be third
edition next year, it’s a surefire bet that I’ll be there as well. But it will
be a bit sad knowing that Ambassador Luca Fornari and his wife Madame Silvana
Novelli-Fornari will not be part of it anymore.
Moviemov:
Italian Cinema Now 2012 was 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 Association, Rustan's, The Peninsula Manila and the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
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