The Cinemalaya 2011 Experience Part 2

A coffin during the i-Libings Gala Screening

Looking back, this was the time when I really pushed myself by watching three films in one day for two days in a row. The weather during this time seemed to be mocking me with the rain pouring heavily while I was still on the road and then it would suddenly clear up and the sun would shine when I was just a few minutes away from the Cultural Center of the Philippines. It really seemed that some outside forces were making it difficult for me but absolutely nothing was going to stop me from fully experiencing Cinemalaya.

Day 4

It was strange to see the CCP with a sizable number of people on a Monday since it is normally closed during this day but they decided to let the Cinemalaya run until the end without any interruptions. I was also interested to see what kind of turnout a weekday could command compared to the previous days.

Shorts A
Un Diutay Mundo, Samarito, Walang Katapusang Kwarto, Every Other Time and Niño Bonito

I missed the gala screening of this because I was at the press preview of Cory ng EDSA, a Filipino Musicale instead. So I had to settle for a later screening at the MKP Hall which I think is not the best place to view the Cinemalaya but I had to be contented with this setup since I had no other opportunity to see this set. The set was comprised of Un Diutay Mundo by Ana Carlyn Lim, Samarito by Rafa Santos, Walang Katapusang Kwarto by Emerson Reyes, Every Other Time by Gino Santos and Niño Bonito by Milo Tolentino. The films in this batch felt uneven for me and it was only Walang Katapusang Kwarto that really stood out for me with its clever dialogue between two lovers in bed. The twist in Un Diutay Mundo felt too forced for me and I wished that the reveal was handled with more subtlety. Samarito got a lot of publicity because of the controversry generated by Rafa Santos. But the film underwhelmed me as well. This was also the same for the remaining two which were okay but not as impressive as I thought they might be. Most of the short films were done as college projects so I guess that it's perfectly understandable as to why I felt underwhelmed by them. I just hoped that the other batch of shorts would be a lot stronger than this one.

Gino Santos from Every Other Time

i-Libings

As much as I wanted to like this film by Rommel Sales, I found it difficult to do so since I just recently saw Departures at the Eiga Sai 2011 a couple of weeks before. And it had too many similar elements in my opinion and I couldn’t help but compare the two of them. Departures is a truly remarkable film and i-Libings had the difficult task to match or even exceed the brilliance of the Japanese film in order for it to come out of its shadow. I think that Sales was clearly inspired by Departures and tried to tweak it to make it a totally different film. One major difference was the ending when in Departures it was a bittersweet reunion with the departed father while in i-Libings, it was anything but and this monologue was delivered by the very effective Glaiza de Castro. I guess that I would’ve enjoyed this film a lot more if I hadn’t seen Departures but I did truly enjoy Glaiza’s performance especially the last part.

Glaiza de Castro and Marc Abaya from i-Libings

Isda

Directed by Adolf Alix Jr, this film had a very absurd premise about a couple giving birth to a fish. The wife Lina (Cherrie Pie Picache) accepts the fish as her child but husband Miguel (Rafael “Bembol” Roco) remains in denial. Despite this absurdity, the acting remained realistic and straightforward as if nothing was amiss and this made it absolutely funny for me. One of my favorite moments was when Miguel was having a drinking session with his buddies and Lina passed by and noticed the plate of fish that the group was eating as well. And she in all seriousness remarked that he showed no respect to their child Miguelito at all and she really meant what she said. And I found that very funny. After some films that didn’t meet my expectations, this film absolutely met my standards.

Angel Aquino, Cherrie Pie Picache, Rafael "Bembol" Roco
and Evelyn Vargas from Isda

I survived three screenings in one day although the Shorts A actually had a short running time so I wasn’t that exhausted as I thought I would be. The i-Libings Gala Screening had a very interesting setup at the lobby during its screening with an actual coffin on display courtesy of Sanctuarium. I waited for someone to actually lay down on it but I think that no one had the guts to do so. The Isda Gala Screening on the other hand served sushi and sashimi at the cocktail reception and another Miguelito was on display as well. I was told that they used seven Miguelito’s during the shoot and the one on display was the actually the eighth.

Day 5

Now this was the day that I dreaded the most since I was scheduled to watch three full length films. Thankfully, all of them would be at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) and I knew that I’d be comfortable watching there. But I already prepared myself for the pandemonium that was Ang Babae sa Septic Tank which many predicted to be the biggest hit of the Cinemalaya 2011.

Busong

This film already made its debut at the Cannes Film Festival and many people had high expectations for this work by Aureaus Solito. I do think that this film was lovely to look at although the tales of the people who helped carry Punay (Alessandra de Rossi) was difficult for me to comprehend especially during the beginning when I was still getting used to the narrative style that was employed in the film. I only got settled in this during the second part which highlighted the gorgeous sea surrounding Palawan where the film was set. One of the things that I liked about the film was the score by Diwa de Leon. The end credits featured fleeting passages of the kudyapi accompanied by sustained bass notes which had a very haunting effect. It was a simple tale with splashes of myth, folk and legends which I am not familiar with. I wished that I could view this another time for me to see things that I wasn’t able to see before so that I could understand the film better.

Clifford Bañagale from Busong

The cast and director of Busong at the Gala Screening

Ang Babae sa Septic Tank

Eugene Domingo on a film at the Cinemalaya seemed like a sure hit and indeed it was. Aside from the actual film directed by Marlon Rivera, there was also an added show brought about by the huge crowd who came to see the film. As I’ve said, Eugene Domingo was the star of the film and this film would absolutely tank (no pun intended) if another actress, no matter how brilliant was cast. The film is simply about a trio of young filmmakers dreaming of making an Academy Award winning independent film and they wanted Eugene Domingo to star in it. In jokes abound in this film and someone who doesn’t have any idea who Eugene Domingo is will not get the full extent of the humor of the film. Thankfully, I know who she is and how she appeals to a wide audience (independent and mainstream) and the stabs at herself in the film absolutely worked for me. This was clearly a film made for her and she proved her status as one of the industry’s major stars by the sold out screenings this film had through the entire festival.

JM de Guzman from Ang Babae sa Septic Tank

Kean Cipriano from Ang Babae sa Septic Tank

Cuchera

After the hilarity of the previous film, it was time for a more serious and disturbing film. Cuchera, by Joseph M. Laban is definitely not a feel good film as it recounts the preparations that drug mules, couriers and traffickers had to do before the risky trip overseas. The film touched upon the uncomfortable way of hiding the drugs inside the stomach, rectum and in a woman’s sex organ. Swallowing the drugs in capsules with the help of okras to hide them inside the stomach led some people to squirm so what more for the other places in the body to hide the said drugs. The new recruits seemed hesitant and some even backed out but Isabel (Maria Isabel Lopez), a veteran in drug trafficking, handled the preparations as if there’s nothing difficult about this kind of scheme. While the film seemed so rough and unpolished in execution, I guess that it suited the subject matter. I think that only someone with a deranged mind would say that he would love to see this film over and over again.

Maria Isabel Lopez from Cuchera and Jean-Marc Thérouanne

Three full length films which are so different from each other and I was glad that they were since I would’ve been too bored if they felt the same. The last two films that I saw were Gala Screenings so there were a lot of people especially during the Ang Babae sa Septic Tank screening and I didn’t even dare try to get close to Eugene Domingo since she was literally mobbed by people taking photos of her. What I dreaded before actually happened but I was still grateful that it was nowhere near the hysteria that I usually see in movie premieres happening at the mall with the people screaming and pushing each other.

Overview

Part 1 The Opening Ceremony, Maskara, Niño, Patikul & Teoriya

Part 3 Amok, Shorts B, Ligo na U Lapit na Me, Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa, Bisperas

Part 4 Bahay Bata, Rakenrol, Zombadings 1 (Patayin sa Shokot si Remington) & The Awards Night

The Cinemalaya 2011 Experience Part 1

Camille Molina performs during the Opening Ceremony

Here now is a more detailed account of my Cinemalaya experience starting from the Opening Ceremony up to the Awards Night with my thoughts on all the films that I’ve seen in between. I do consider myself as someone who is so used to going to the Cultural Center of the Philippines but right from the start, this film festival caught me off guard in a lot of ways. First of all, I couldn’t recall ever going to the CCP for ten consecutive days. There was a National Orchestra Festival months before that lasted five days and I was only able to attend two non-consecutive days and consider that this was a classical music event. So there must be something indeed about this Cinemalaya for me to have done something that I’ve never done before.

Day 1

I wished that I’ve arrived earlier on Day 1 because there was an opening of a photo exhibit at the upper floors of the CCP but I only made it with enough time to get settled for the Opening Ceremony at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo Lobby. But that still wasn’t enough since a lot of people were already there and all were positioned to get a good view of the proceedings. Thankfully, my former experience in attending CCP events proved handy and I was able to find a good seat for myself.

The Opening Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony was comprised of the usual speeches delivered by Emily Abrera and Nestor Jardin and the introduction of the films and film makers in competition by Laurice Guillen. To make the ceremony more festive, dance numbers were performed by the Philippine Dance Ensemble accompanied by the Buganda Drumbeaters during section breaks. The main musical numbers were Redux sung by soprano Camille Molina accompanied by guitarist Butch Roxas and cellist Herrick Ortiz and the dancer numbers by the Seven Contemporary Dance Company who were later joined by Liwliua Peralta, Jr. who rapelled his way down the lobby. And then it was time for everyone to go inside the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) to view the opening film of the Cinemalaya 2011.

Maskara

I admit that I didn’t try to learn much about Maskara before viewing it so I found it a bit hard to understand it at first. The film, directed by Laurice Guillen is about a widow Helen (Shamaine Buencamino) who discovers the existence of her husband Bobby's (Tirso Cruz III) illegitimate daughter Anna (Ina Feleo) when she stumbled upon the letters that the daughter had sent to her father throughout the years. Normally, a premise such as this could mean hysterics by the widow and a melodramatic meeting between her and the illegitimate daughter. But I am pleased to see a performance by Buencamino wherein she conveyed much even if she just read a letter or just listened to friends recall moments about her husband. The film clearly is a tribute to Guillen’s late husband and father to Ina, who also wrote the screenplay and producer Ana Feleo, Johnny Delgado and I heard some people wonder how close to the truth this story was. But personally, I don’t care since I was very glad that the characters had sense to be civil about it which is quite refreshing in local films. Because of this, I had very high hopes that the rest of the films, especially those entered in competition, will be as good as this.

Laurice Guillen and Shamaine Buencamino from Maskara

After the movie ended, it was time for photo opportunities with some of the cast and other celebrities present. Then, I was fortunate to be able to join in the cocktails afterwards wherein I was able to meet more people like actress Raquel Villavicencio and Loy Arceñas. I confess that they were complete strangers to me at the time but they didn’t seem to mind. And that was remedied since we saw each other many times during the course of the festival and they were all too familiar to me by the time Cinemalaya was over.

Day 2

Now, it’s time for the films in competition to be screened. Upon entering the CCP, I was astonished to see the long line at the box office of people wanting to buy tickets. And then a minor commotion occurred when Eugene Domingo passed by and people in the line and those who just happened to be there scrambled to take photos of her. If I thought that the opening was crazy enough, then I guess I had to toughen up since I knew right then and there that I had to toughen up in order to survive this Cinemalaya experience. Fortunately, I no longer had to endure the long lines to get tickets and the possibility of not getting any in case of a sold out screening since I was given a media pass by the CCP. My plan was to watch two night screenings per day over at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) and these were expected to be Gala Screenings with most of the cast and crew gracing the event.

Niño

At first glance, this film seemed to be something that could be easily ignored. There aren’t huge stars in this film and some of them are quite old especially from the point of view of a college student/young adult. And a movie about an aging opera singer desperately trying to return to her former glorious life may turn off those who are trying to be cool, hip and edgy. But if these people decided to ignore this film for those reasons, then they’ve done themselves a huge disservice. Niño, directed by Loy Arceñas is a truly exceptional film and it was the standard that I used to measure the rest of the films in this festival. Consider me biased since I love music and I’m currently exposing myself to opera music especially Vissi d’arte from Tosca by Giacomo Puccini which was used magnificently in the film. I still remember some people glancing over at lead star Fides Cuyugan Asensio prior to the gala screening of the movie and not knowing what to make of her. But after the screening during the cocktails, people regarded her as a star, mobbed her and congratulated her for a splendid performance. And more splendid was when she gave a sample of her amazingly preserved singing voice when people asked her if it was truly her who sang in the movie. The cocktails were held at the second floor hallway but her voice resonated to the lobbies above and below.

Jhiz Deocareza from Niño

Patikul

Now, this film directed by Joel Lamangan had a difficult task of being screened right after I was totally blown away by Niño. But some people I know responded strongly to Patikul since they were teachers. And teachers would really fall in love with it since not only the film pays tribute to them but it also highlighted the desire of the children and their parents to have an education despite the violence that surrounds them. One thing that I found truly impressive in this film is that most of the leads went against type and played roles that are so remarkably different from what they normally portray in their mainstream work. I would normally not take note of Allen Dizon as an actor but his portrayal of Amman, an illiterate coffee farmer who wishes to break the chain of ignorance and illiteracy definitely changed my mind about him. And it eventually made me aware that he had already done similar substantial roles in recent years as well. Glaiza de Castro, Ciara Sotto and Dimples Romana also shed their usual glamorous image to portray an infatuated teacher (de Castro) another illiterate coffee farmer (Sotto) and a stay at home wife (Romana) and I do really appreciate them taking on these roles. But I felt that the tension was a bit lost after the film’s turning point involving the enthusiastic and optimistic principal Michael Balmes (Marvin Agustin) and the end was a bit anticlimactic because of this. The film had a very good underlying message in it and I believe that it brought awareness to the plight of the people in the poorest towns in Mindanao.

Glaiza de Castro from Patikul

The two films both had cocktails for their guests and members of the media as well. I was able to be on both cocktails albeit briefly since they happened simultaneously and I had to hop from one cocktail congratulating the cast and crew of Niño and then over to Patikul’s and getting a feel of what was to happen. But after viewing of Patikul, things got more relaxed and I was able to have conversations with some of the stars and crew of the film especially the writer of the screenplay, Palanca award winner Kristoffer Brugada.

Ciara Sotto from Patikul

Day 3

Now this was a more relaxed day for me Cinemalaya wise since I planned to watch only one film on this day. I already committed myself to other events later this evening and another night as well which meant that I had to catch earlier screenings of some films in order to make sure that I don’t miss anything. I felt too bad that I had to choose Teoriya over the Gala Screening of Bisperas which was surprisingly held on an afternoon instead of the usual evening schedule. There were no other chances for me to see Teoriya so I had to pass on Bisperas and an opportunity to interact with the cast and crew of the said film.

Teoriya

Looking at my schedule, I already knew that I’d be missing the Gala Screening of this film so I had to watch this on an earlier, afternoon screening, and if it couldn’t be avoided, in another venue aside from the CCP Main Theater. The only time I had the opportunity to watch Teoriya was when it was shown over at the Tanghalang Huseng Batute (CCP Studio Theater) which is a lot smaller and the seats aren’t as comfortable as the other venues. I guess that this affected my appreciation for the film which is simply a road movie about a Jimwell Apostol II’s (Alfred Vargas) quest to find where his late father was buried in Zamboanga. Throughout his journey, he reads his father’s journal knowing more about him and he also encounters several people along the way who will have an impact in his life which he will never see coming. Aside from the factors not related to the actual film (afternoon screening at a smaller venue with thoughts of the movies I had to miss later one and also of the event I was already committed to later that evening), this film honestly threw me off since it was a drastic change of pace compared to the previous festival films that I already saw. I found it very difficult to relate to Jimwell and I couldn’t figure out if there was indeed a signigicant change that happened to him by the film’s end. But then, I started to look at the film from another perspective, like that of Maria (Sue Prado), the provincial lass who had her simple life shaken by the sudden appearance and yet too brief encounter with Jimwell. I remember the scene towards the end when she was staring out the window of her humble store probably wondering where Jimwell was and what could’ve been if she had more time to know about him. That’s how I actually felt that I wish that I knew more about Jimwell.

Right after this, I only had few moments to pack up and leave and then I walked a few blocks away to a press preview of Cory ng EDSA, a Filipino Musicale at St. Scholastica’s College. Then right after watching the play, I went back to CCP with Cinemalaya veteran Arvin Ello to see if there’s anything left of the Gala Screening of Amok. There were still a few of the cast and crew left when we arrived and although I felt bad for missing this screening of Amok and also of Shorts A, it was still okay since I was still scheduled to catch a later screening for both. Four film screenings and a detour to watch a musical in three days made me seriously wonder if I’d be able to keep this up until the very end. Of course I did and I’d post what happened in later entries.

Overview
Part 2 Shorts A, i-Libings, Isda, Busong, Ang Babae sa Septic Tank & Cuchera

Part 3 Amok, Shorts B, Ligo na U Lapit na Me, Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa, Bisperas

Part 4 Bahay Bata, Rakenrol, Zombadings 1 (Patayin sa Shokot si Remington) & The Awards Night

The Cinemalaya 2011 Experience Overview

Ten short films grouped into two sets, thirteen (four Directors Showcase and nine New Breed) full length films in competition, one opening and two closing films. So that’s eighteen film screenings, an opening ceremony and an awards night (plus a handful of cocktails) in the course of ten straight days at the Cultural Center of the Philippines which basically what my first ever Cinemalaya film festival experience was all about. It’s no wonder that I was tired and exhausted by the festival’s end and yet I yearned for it for days after it was all over.

The Cinemalaya crowd

Cinemalaya 2011 was indeed an intoxicating experience despite feeling very culture shocked during the opening ceremonies when I saw the huge, young and very vibrant crowd which I have never experienced before during my years of watching music performances at the CCP. But as the days went by, I got used to the frenzy that accompanied every event especially if it’s a gala screening and after ten straight days of Cinemalaya madness, I felt like I’ve survived a war and came out victorious. I was just glad and extremely grateful that despite the occasional heavy rains during the early afternoon, the weather cooperated throughout the festival.

The Cinemalaya crowd once again

So here are the victorious films that were awarded the Balanghai trophies as being the best of the Cinemalaya 2011.

Cinemalaya 2011 Winners

Special Awards

NETPAC Award - Boundary

Kids Treat Best Film for Children - Patikul

Audience Choice Awards

Directors Showcase Category - Patikul

Short Feature Category - Walang Katapusang Kwarto

New Breed Full Length Category - Ang Babae sa Septic Tank

Directors Showcase Category

Best Sound - Diwa de Leon for Busong

Best Original Music Score - Diwa de Leon for Busong

Best Editing - Benjamin Tolentino for Isda

Best Production Design - Rodrigo Ricio for Bisperas

Best Cinematography - Roberto Yñiquez for Bisperas

Best Screenplay - No Winner

Special Jury Prize - No Winner

Best Performance of a Supporting Actor - Jaime Pebanco in Patikul

Best Performance of a Supporting Actress - Julia Clarete in Bisperas

Best Performance of an Actor - Rafael “Bembol” Roco in Isda

Best Performance of an Actress - Raquel Villavicencio in Bisperas

Best Direction - Auraeus Solito for Busong

Best Film - Bisperas

Short Feature Category

Best Screenplay - Emerson Reyes for Walang Katapusang Kwarto

Specialy Jury Prize - Hanapbuhay

Best Direction - Rommel Tolentino for Niño Bonito

Best Film - Walang Katapusang Kwarto

New Breed Full Length Category

Best Sound - Mike Idioma for Amok

Best Original Music Score - Christine Muyco & Jema Pamintuan for Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa

Best Editing - Lawrence Fajardo for Amok

Best Production Design - Laida Lim for Niño

Best Cinematography - Arvin Viola for Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa

Best Screenplay - Chris Martinez for Ang Babae sa Septic Tank

Special Jury Prize - Niño

Best Performance of a Supporting Actor - Art Acuña in Niño

Best Performance of a Supporting Actress - Shamaine Buencamino in Niño

Best Performance of an Actor - Edgar Allan Guzman in Ligo na U, Lapit na Me

Best Performance of an Actress - Eugene Domingo in Ang Babae sa Septic Tank

Best Direction - Marlon Rivera for Ang Babae sa Septic Tank

Best Film - Ang Babae sa Septic Tank

RAd at the Cinemalaya

Watch out for more detailed entries in the links below.

Part 1 The Opening Ceremony, Maskara, Niño, Patikul & Teoriya

Part 2 Shorts A, i-Libings, Isda, Busong, Ang Babae sa Septic Tank & Cuchera

Part 3 Amok, Shorts B, Ligo na U Lapit na Me, Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa, Bisperas

Part 4 Bahay Bata, Rakenrol, Zombadings 1 (Patayin sa Shokot si Remington) & Awards Night

Aki & Kuniko Concert

I’ve always enjoyed the events of the Philippines-Japan Friendship month organized by the Japan Foundation, Manila and the Embassy of Japan. For this year, they’ve had the hugely successful Eiga Sai and the still ongoing JAPAN: Kingdom of Characters Exhibit. But the event that I anticipate the most every year is their music offering and for this year, they brought to us Aki and Kuniko, a duo who play the guitar and koto respectively. They’ve had a couple of concerts and a workshop during their brief visit here and I was fortunate to be able to see their first performance held at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium at the RCBC Plaza. A guitar and koto duo is very rare indeed and I wouldn’t pass up on this opportunity despite having a busy week with the Cinemalaya happening at the same time.

Along with a few friends from the Pinoy Violinist group, we were able to witness a magnificent merging of a traditional Japanese stringed instrument (koto) with the modern acoustic guitar. Aki looked like a veteran rocker wearing an all black ensemble while Kuniko looked elegant in a blue kimono. Kuniko really surprised me because while koto is a traditional instrument, she employed modern playing techniques with it like plucking with both hands and even tapping the bottom of the instrument adding percussive touches to the music.

The guitar and koto when playing the same notes in unison brought forth a very interesting tone color which was very interesting to hear. And I found myself very mch enchanted whenever Kuniko bent the strings of the koto which also bent the notes as well. Aki really let Kuniko shine almost the whole performance but he had his moments as well as both had turns playing the melody. A duo since 2002, the years performing together have served them very well as they were really much in sync during that evening. They played a programme, including a guitar and koto transcription of an orchestral suite, that are totally unfamiliar to me but that didn’t affect my enjoyment of the concert at all. I just wished that the description Aki gave before performing the suite was printed out and given away to the audience. It was difficult for me to absorb everything that he said (he spoke in Japanese and a voiceover spoke after with the English translation) so I wasn’t able to connect everything with the music played as well. But that is just a minor gripe to an otherwise excellent night of rarely heard music.

Koto player Kuniko

Too bad that prior commitments and an extremely busy week prevented me to attend the workshop that they’ve had the following morning. I would’ve wanted to hear and learn a lot from them and this workshop was an excellent opportunity that I had to miss. And I would’ve had more photos if I were there since taking of photos were not allowed during their performance inside the auditorium and it was only Kuniko who went out to the lobby afterwards. Anyways despite these minor setbacks, I remain grateful to the nice people from Japan Foundation, Manila for bringing us Aki and Kuniko and in general Japanese culture, cinema and music. And I await the next time that I'll be able to attend their event. And this next one is something that I truly await. Gyabo!