Disaster preparedness exhibit Earth Manual Project at the Ayala Museum

November 8-December 7, 2014

Third Floor Gallery, Ayala Museum

Makati Avenue corner De La Rosa Street

Greenbelt Park, Makati

The Japan Foundation, Manila, in partnership with Ayala Museum, is proud to present the traveling exhibition Earth Manual Project on the third floor gallery of Ayala Museum from November 8 to December 7, 2014.

An initiative of KIITO (Design and Creative Center Kobe), Earth Manual Project encourages a country of frequent natural disasters, such as the Philippines, to also become a country of excellent disaster preparedness. The exhibition’s maiden run happened last year in Kobe, Japan, wherein 23 projects from different Asian countries showcased activities centered on disaster risk reduction and post-disaster relief and recovery.

The Manila run of the exhibition includes 11 projects that tackle earthquake, typhoon and flood: Iza! Kaeru Caravan!, Jishin ITSUMO Project and Red Bear Survival Camp by NPO Plus Arts (Japan), Design for Flood by Thailand Creative and Design Center (Thailand), Climate School Project by Dakila (Philippines), The Filipino Spirit is Waterproof by Ayala Museum (Philippines), Paper Partition System by Shigeru Ban (Japan), RooSuFlood: Knowledge to Fight Flood by RooSuFlood (Thailand), “Lost Homes” Model Restoration Project by Osamu Tsukihashi (Japan), Core House: Extensive Live Post Earthquake by Ikaputra (Indonesia), FLOATING WOMBS: A healing project through the arts – heARTS by Alma Quinto (Philippines) and Forms of Recollection by Plus63 Design Co. (Philippines).

The exhibition is an opportunity for visitors to make their own disaster preparedness manual based on the presented projects, as well as for audience to hear stories and expertise from overseas creators. Talks are slated on the first two Saturdays, with speakers Osamu Tsukihashi of “Lost Homes” Model Restoration Project on November 8, 2014; and Hirokazu Nagata of NPO Plus Arts, Ruttikorn Vuttikorn of Club Creative Co. Ltd., and Dan Matutina of Plus63 Design Co. on November 15, 2014.

Earth Manual Project is also made possible through the support of KIITO, NPO Plus Arts, AIG, Muji, Yoshinoya, Plus63 Design Co., Capitol University and the Ateneo de Manila University, Japanese Studies Program.

Admission fees:

P150 Regular

-50% student/senior citizen discount

For inquiries:

Japan Foundation, Manila (JFM) 811-6155 to 58, arts@jfmo.org.ph

13th Israeli Film Festival

The 13^th Israeli Film Festival turned out to be the first ever event by Embassy of Israel under its new Ambassador Ephraim Ben Matityau. It was my first time to see and meet him as well. And right from the onset, he along with Deputy Chief of Mission Adam Michael Levene gave the guests at Greenbelt 3 Cinema 5 a taste on how the film festival will be: with a lot of laughter. As Ambassador Matityau informed the audience in his opening speech that the opening film, Hunting Elephants, stars Hollywood actor Patrick Stewart (known to many a either Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation or Professor Charles Xavier from the X-Men film franchise), he then jokingly blamed Adam Levene for failing to bring the actor to the festival. Adam quickly quipped that he would be beamed up, a clear reference to Star Trek although I am not sure if many among the audience were able to pick that up.

RAd and Israeli Ambassador Ephraim Ben Matityau

A significant development in this year’s film festival is its partnership with the Film Development Council of the Philippines. This means that after the Greenbelt run, the films will tour in Baguio, Davao, Zamboanga, and Iloilo Cinematheques as announced by FDCP Chairman Briccio Santos. I am not sure if all eight films to be screened in Greenbelt will be brought on tour though. As of now, no screening schedule has been released yet.

RAd and Adam Michael Levene

I was able to ask Adam Levene, in line with Patrick Stewart being part of Hunting Elephants, if it is usual for Israeli films to have Hollywood actors in it. He said that it is only in recent years when there has been a noticeable crossover between Israeli and actors from other countries. And more noteworthy for him is the presence of more Israeli actors in Hollywood like Natalie Portman (who holds both American and Israeli citizenship) and Gal Gadot who was recently announced as portraying Wonder Woman in the super heroine’s upcoming feature film. He also proudly mentioned that in recent years, Israeli films had been nominated for the Academy Awards’ Best Foreign Language Film category. One such film is Footnote from 2011 which was included in last year’s 12^th Israeli Film Festival. Other films that were nominated are Ajami in 2009, Waltz with Bashir in 2008, and Beaufort in 2007. But he noted that no Israeli film has ever won the Oscar though.

Ambassador Matityau and FDCP Chairman Briccio Santos cut the ribbon

Hunting Elephants

The film that opened the 13^th Israeli Film Festival was Hunting Elephants by director Reshef Levi. The film is a comedy about a very smart and often bullied young boy Jonathan (Gil Blank) who witnesses the death of his father, finds out that his mother is having an affair with his father’s former boss, and realizes that their down on their luck with finances. And not just that, he has to spend most of his afternoons at a nursing home with his grandfather Eliyahu (Sasson Gabai), a stern and bitter old man whom he has never met before, and his grandfather’s best friend and former partner in crime Nick (Moni Moshonov). Jonathan’s mother’s desperate attempt to get a loan led to the arrival of his grandmother’s brother Michael, sorry, Lord Michael Simpson (Patrick Stewart), a disillusioned and struggling actor still holding on to his non-existent nobility and fortune.

When things don’t get any better for any of them, Jonathan, Eliyahu, Nick and Michael plot to rob a bank where the boy’s father used to work. The boy’s smartness and knowledge of the bank’s security system, Eliyahu and Nick’s militant past (they’ve robbed banks before) seem to work for their advantage. But Michael, who treats this stick up as yet one of his roles on stage casts major doubts if the group will able to pull this heist off. As to the outcome of the film, if this unusual crew was indeed able to rob a bank successfully and get away with it, I wouldn’t say since one has to watch the film to find out for himself.

It’s safe to say though that Patrick Stewart stole most of the film. Since he has cemented himself in the annals of pop culture with his career defining roles in the Star Trek and X-Men movie franchises, it was very amusing to see him in a role that had him cast in a self depreciating light. The Hamlet scene with Stewart could possibly be the most memorable and jaw dropping scene for all the Trekkies out there. They probably never imagined that they’d be seeing the actor who played Captain Jean-Luc Picard dressed up like that.

As for me, I felt that the characters’ quirks and oddities were stretched to the max. I had the impression that the nursing home was a place for old men and women whose libido remained unabated. This prevalence of sexual vulgarity in the film didn’t spare Jonathan’s mother, the bank manager and also one of the caretakers in the nursing home. Even though the film is fictional, I did worry about Jonathan’s well being since he spent most of his time with these people who aren’t exactly the best role models out there. I somewhat hoped that Jonathan will turn out well after the film since he has been through a lot and that it will be a shame if a smart kid like him goes down the drain later in life.

Other films to be screened in the 13^th Israeli Film Festival are Alex is Lovesick, Total Love, Up the Wrong Tree, Big Dig, Pick a Card, The Matchmaker, and a re-screening of A Matter of Size at Greenbelt 3 Cinema 5. Admission is free.

Italian pianist Christian Leotta performs in Manila

November 11, 2014, 7:30 PM

Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater)

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Featuring:

Christian Leotta, piano

Programme:

Johann Sebastian Bach

     Capriccio sopra la lontananza del suo fratello dilettissimo BWV 992

Franz Schubert Piano Sonata in A minor, D 784, Op.143

Gioachino Rossini

     Memento homo

     Une caresse à ma femme

Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 Appassionata

The Embassy of Italy in Manila, the Philippine-Italian Association and the Cultural Center of the Philippines, in cooperation with Furnitalia and with the support of Trevi Foundations Phils. Inc., Sta. Elena Golf & Country Estate, SSI Group Inc., Diamond Hotel, Shopwise, Global Executive Solutions Group and Lombardi's Authentic Italian Restaurant present Italian pianist Christian Leotta in a one night concert billed as An Evening with Christian Leotta: From Bach to the Romantic Piano of Schubert, Rossini and Beethoven this November 11, 2014, 7:30 PM at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater).

Born in Catania, Italy, Christian Leotta is an award-winning Italian virtuoso pianist. He has a vast repertoire and is now recognized for being the youngest pianist since Daniel Barenboim to perform and record all 32 Beethoven Piano Sonatas. He began his study of piano at the age of 7, furthering his studies at the Milan Conservatory under Mario Patuzzi and is a former pupil of the acclaimed pianist Karl Ulrich Schnabel. Christian studied at the Theo Lieven International Piano Foundation and also with Rosalyn Tureck at the Tureck Bach Research Foundation at Oxford, England. Likewise, he studied at the Literature and Philosophy faculty of Milan State University. Christian officially began his career in 2002 in Montreal at the age of 22 and began to perform the complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas, which he completed in a period of less than a month.

Pianist Christian Leotta

Christian Leotta has worked with major orchestras such as the Münchner Philharmoniker, the Wiener Kammerorchester, the Italian RAI National Television Orchestra, the Milan’s Symphony Orchestra “Giuseppe Verdi”, regularly performing in important theatres and concert halls such as the Philharmonie at the Gasteig in Munich, the Konzerthaus of Vienna, the Tonhalle of Zurich, the Sala Verdi and the Auditorium of Milan, the Salle Claude-Champagne of Montreal, the Great Hall at the Bunka Kaikan Theatre of Tokyo.

The international press hailed Christian as "one of the major Beethoven soloists of our time" (Pizzicato, Luxembourg), defining his complete recording of the 32 Piano Sonatas as "a major addition to other sets currently available" (Fanfare, USA); "his prodigious technique used to better express the poetry of Beethoven’s music" (The Whole Note, Toronto), to "his capability of really seizing your attention at unexpected moments" (All Music Guide, USA), gaining a reputation as "a pianist of the highest order: technician, musician and interpreter all at once" (La Presse, Montreal). Leotta has been defined by the legendary Rosalyn Tureck as "an extraordinary talent with a beautiful innate musicality", and praised by the great Karl Ulrich Schnabel for "his respect of the indications of the Classical and Romantic composers as perfect and their understanding considerable."

An Evening with Christian Leotta: From Bach to the Romantic Piano of Schubert, Rossini and Beethoven is for the benefit of the Philippine-Italian Association Endowment Fund.

Ticket prices:

P1000 Orchestra Center

P800 Orchestra Side

-20% senior citizen discount

For inquiries:

CCP Box Office 832-3704

Philippine Italian Association 815-1310

TicketWorld 891-9999

Music from Frozen and Tangled in ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra’s second Disney concert

November 8, 2014, 8:00 PM

November 9, 2014, 2:00 PM

Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater)

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Led by the music from more recent animated features like Frozen and Tangled, the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra brings once again the timeless music of Disney in Tale as Old as Time this November 8, 2014, 8:00 PM and November 9, 2014, 2:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).

Last year’s concert Magical Music of Disney was purely an orchestral music affair (accompanied by video clips of Disney films) with the show’s host Nikki Gil performing a very special song number only at the very end. With Tale as Old as Time, the orchestra along with its principal conductor/music director Gerard Salonga will be joined by performers from the world of musical theater and more.

Announced performers include Karylle, Sam Concepcion, Morissette, Red Concepcion, Caisa Borromeo, Carla Guevara-Laforteza, Camille Santos, Julia Concio, Vocal Synergy, and with the special participation of Bituin Escalante. Jillian Ita-as and Antonio Ferrer (who was impressive in San Andres B.) join the cast after getting the thumbs up in their respective auditions.

Aside from Tangled and Frozen, with the latter film’s soundtrack topping the Billboard charts, the concert will also feature music from Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, The Princess and the Frog, The Jungle Book, Hercules, and more. An exclusive Disney animated short specifically prepared for the production will also be shown.

The big question for me is whether Gerard will dance again while conducting one of the up-tempo tunes in the concert. As always, one has to watch the concert to find out the answer.

Ticket prices:

P3500 Premium Orchestra Center

P2500 Regular Orchestra Center

P2000 Orchestra Side

P1500 Extreme Orchestra Side

P1000 Balcony I Center

P800 Balcony I Side

P500 Balcony II

For inquiries:

Karlo Cea 415-2272 local 2409, (0937) 410-3242

TicketWorld 891-9999