The presidential snub of Nora Aunor as National Artist reveals not her supposed "ineligibility" but the administration's lack of accountability, hence its incapacity to govern

Nora Aunor on the cover of Philippine Graphic Magazine

(Image from NFF - Nora's Friends Forever - facebook page)



Well into a week and more since the Philippine President Benigno Aquino III's  announcement of the list of new National Artists, where its most anticipated candidate, Superstar Nora Aunor, was visibly omitted, the decision sparked public outrage - from the artistic/cultural community, the movie industry, fans and admirers, political pundits; from across all walks of life, from across generations, beyond borders - that was unprecedented in scope and impact.

Clamors for explanation from Malacanang, by National Artists Bienvenido Lumbera and F. Sionil Jose and even from the head of the National Council for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Felipe de Leon, Jr. (NCCA and the Cultural Center of the Philippines are two agencies tasked to supervise and manage the screening and deliberations of candidates) went unheeded, only the president's functionaries invoking presidential prerogative as the reason for the president's continued silence on the matter. (De Leon has since recanted his statements, including an absurd claim it was the media that was to blame for the mess.)

Given the absence of formal statement on the reasons for Aunor deletion from the list, one can only speculate:
> Was it really a question of morals, as a lot of opinionators and tambays would suggest - Aunor's alledged lesbian affairs, her run-ins with the law for tax evasion, for her substance use -
> or was it a case of political maneuvering/manipulation - 2016 presidential contender Jejomar Binay is rumored to court Vilma Santos as his vice-presidential running mate, Santos being Aunor's most fierce professional rival; and Aquino is also planning to have her as his manito, Mar Roxas's running mate, hence so as not to antagonize Santos, he better removes Aunor from the National Artists list -
> or was it a mere case of whim, based on advice of Aquino's younger sister, Kris, who is an avowed Vilmanian - this is gaining traction since Kris Aquino's statement on the latest episode of her show, The Buzz - or her preference for the late Dolphy, based on her friendship with ZsaZsa Padilla, Dolphy's last live-in partner

Perhaps, much to the chagrin of both the establishment right and orthodox left, the incident directly inquires into how this president makes his decision, questioning his capacity for deep thinking and reflection on matters of national interest especially; it has laid bare the insensitivity of this morally-bankrupt government, so steeped in corruption and inefficiency (think: Yolanda victims, for one), while Aunor became the vessel with whom citizens expressed their frustration and desperation.

For it is no longer the burden on Aunor to prove herself, a long litany of her accomplishments in recorded music, cinema, theater, live entertainment has long been cited for her eligibility as National Artist, but I dare say as summation of her works attest to, it has been her artistic instinct and leadership that separate her from the rest, her peers before and after her, that make her singular and exemplary.

How this incident has unfolded this past week is short of historic: moves to continue promoting her legacy through discussion meetings, symposia, publications; initiatives to educate masses of people on her art and life; calls for reforms in the selection of National Artists with minimum of politicians' interference.

The Superstar lives on! Indeed.

Important to recognize that Lav Diaz's NORTE, HANGGANAN NG KASAYSAYAN/Norte, the end of history is part of his continuing critique of the Marcoses regime of plunder and murder, while representing a point in a career trajectory that saw the pursuit of a distinct film aesthetic

NORTE, HANGGANAN NG KASAYSAYAN/Norte, the end of history
250 min, Philippines, 2013
Kayan Productions, Wacky O Productions
Distributed by The Cinema Guild (US), New Wave Films (UK)
Directed by Lav Diaz
Written by Lav Diaz, Rody Vera
Stars Sid Lucero, Angeli Bayani, Archie Alemania with Angelina Kanapi. Soliman Cruz, Hazel Orencio, Mae Paner

To fully appreciate a Lav Diaz film, in this case NORTE, HANGGANAN NG KASAYSAYAN, and especially in this particular film, one has to know his nation’s history, understand his politics.

Hence, to see this work through the prism of a Dostoyevsky novel, although appropriate but convenient, may not suffice considering how the film chooses to both reveal and obscure certain aspects of history it purports to explore, at the same time presents an expansive terrain of people and events, both vital and incidental, depicting in startling detail a landscape of devastation wrought by a long history of neglect and plunder.

Sid Lucero as Fabian, the murderer in a photo still of NORTE

In a film that follows parallel stories of the murderer – a student of law (and history, as well) that is an uncanny allusion to a young Ferdinand Marcos, who was himself a student of law when indicted for murder of a political rival in his native Ilocos Norte, where the film is also set – and the aggrieved family of a poor laborer who was wrongly convicted of the said murders,  it is both very  important to recognize NORTE as part of Diaz’s continuing discourse on the Marcoses’ martial law regime, considered as the darkest period in the nation’s contemporary history, and also mark it as a film that is at a certain juncture of a career trajectory that saw a pursuit of a distinct film aesthetic not seen in Philippine cinema – long, contemplative with minimum of mediation, diegetic sound and music, among its salient attributes – a cinematic style that sadly, has alienated a mass audience and a few serious film viewers, used to popular, commercial movies.

Angeli Bayani as the wife, Eliza, walks the parched earth with her two children

in a photo still of NORTE

Archie Alemania as Joaquin, being whisked away from his worksite, wrongly convicted for murder

in a photo still of NORTE

Because finally, NORTE,  if based on the acclaim it has so far received not only in foreign film festivals but also locally, via limited theatrical screenings, either by choice or by circumstances of its production and distribution - the film, in contrast to his previous long works, is now less static, given to more lively exchange of dialogue - may point to a particular moment when a Lav Diaz film can slowly find its way to a mass audience consciousness, hence the possibility of his past works getting their larger, rightful audience is better, a time of urgency when the threat of history being revised constantly by the very evil that has made his films so vital – the return of the Marcoses to power, for one – then, it is not for naught.

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NORTE premiered at the Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard section to unanimous acclaim, eventually selected as one of the ten world's best films for the year 2013 by at least two influential film magazines, Film Comment in New York and Sight and Sound in the UK.

NORTE was recently selected as Best Film by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino, the Filipino film critics group with three other awards including Best Screenplay for Lav Diaz and Rody Vera.

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SINE! says:

XO (crossover appeal): **

A+ (arthouse potential): ****

C> (cult film fav): *

H! (hometown prime): **

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Rody Vera, co-writer of NORTE

Given that the story idea for NORTE came from someone else, how did you proceed to start writing the script? In this case, what was the idea/concept given to you and how did you fashion the final story?

The initial story came from the former producer of the film. She wanted a movie based on the story of this prisoner who kept waiting and waiting for his wife to visit him, making one parol each Christmas for seven years. He was about to lose hope when suddenly, his wife arrived from the province and told him that for so long she hadn't had the chance nor the means to come to Muntinlupa to visit him. She went home with all the seven parols her husband gave her. That story was featured (daw) in one of the tv magazine docus (can't remember na.)

When Moira, Michiko and I sat down to brainstorm on the given story concept, I felt it only offered one path-- and that path was toward a tearjerker story. Parang dapat may iba pang layers. so I suggested Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. Why not juxtapose this with the story of the prisoner-- it may be a more interesting story of guilt and innocence, freedom and imprisonment. Para sa akin, it became more of juxtaposing Raskolnikov and the Book of Job. when Lav read the story pitch-- he related the Joaquin story to that of Leo Tolstoy's short story "God Sees the Truth But Waits", which may be more apt para Russian Lit na talaga ang mga peg.

When I wrote the script, lalong lumaki ang role ni Elisa. For me this became a sort of triangle where Elisa becomes some sort of fulcrum to this meditative portraits of "good" and "evil". IN the original script, Fabian stalks Elisa and, wanting to atone for his "sin" against Joaquin and his family, hires her. (IN the original kasi she was a labandera, which for me was more logical kasi that would explain her dire poverty and therefore inability to go visit her husband in Munti.) Anyway, Fabian showers her with kindness up to the point of intimacy, parang ganoon. Kung kaya Elisa is not exactly the devoted wife considering her situation. And at the same time, I wanted to show that Fabian, in trying to make things right-- destroys more lives. But Lav's rendition was no less interesting naman.

Moira loved the idea of astral travel and levitation when I suggested that Joaquin was turning into some sort of saint, literally. and it is there that he finds freedom while inside the selda. Samantalang papaliit nang papaliit ang mundo ni Fabian as we see him ostensibly "free" in the midst of the expanse of this wonderful Ilocos landscape.


If I am not mistaken, you share writing credit with Lav Diaz. How was the collaboration like; can you cite which part is entirely yours, which part is mostly his? How was it working with a director who, in most of his films, he himself is the writer?

I wrote the script and Lav rewrote it while shooting it. I gave him the draft and waited for the final dvd. There was no active collaboration, really. I think my instincts told me that Lav is an auteur-- a filmmaker who knows what he wants. and I respect that. And I don't want to quarrel with that.

Maliban na lang kung major issues na. Na wala namang nangyari malaking ganon.
Aside from the fact that I don't have the luxury of spending time for the shoot where Lav does most of his rewriting, etc-- I decided that it was better for him to do what he wants with the script. He consulted me, through Moira, about certain crucial decisions of the characters, pero overall, I stepped aside.

but let me clarify that I don't regret it. Because how the film turned out to be was more than I expected. I don't think it will be a matter of which version is better, mine or his, since 1, it's the same template and we sort of shared that same vision. and 2, I know my place in the scheme of film creation.

Maraming dinagdag na characters si Lav kung kaya lumaki din ang mundo in a way. there's Wakwak (Soliman Cruz), who replaced a gay character (original) in Muntinlupa. there's the sister of Fabian (played by Angelina (Mailes) Kanapi), and also there's Ading (the halfwit caretaker of Joaquin and Elisa's children)-- wala lahat yun sa original. and I believe they were all worthy additions to the story. there are also the teachers of Fabian (Moira and Perry).

Where we diverged actually is about Joaquin's outcome. Lav felt Joaquin should die. I felt he should not. Kasi for me, it would break the "equilibrium" between Joaquin and Fabian. Kung mamamatay si Joaquin, Fabian's evil will be meaningless. Yun yung yin-yang noon, di baga? Kaya sa ending ng film-- I think Lav intentionally made Joaquin's outcome ambiguous.


You came from theater, writing for a number of PETA productions. How did you start writing for film? Is there a difference between writing for different media forms? If there are, can you mention a few.

Malaki ang difference sa akin. Kahit ngayon I have a real hard time writing screenplays. directors still find my scripts "talky", for one. so i try to lessen the "talk" each time I get the chance. I also leanred that there are a few screenwriting "styles" out there vying for "legitimacy" so to speak-- alternative scriptwriting baga-- breaking the 3act structure or going for real time or "found story" etc. I'm no adherent to any but i use whatever I feel suits my story and how I want to tell it.

Another difference would be the obsession of films to realism. which in contemporary theater is so limiting na. Kahit naman yung brand of realism in theater won't be always successful kapag translated to film kasi nga iba ang dramatic realism at iba and cinematic realism. In short madaldal nga. And if you try to simply "transcribe" the playscript into film-- it would still be like watching a play, instead of a film.

My script for Nino (dir. by Loy Arcenas) was something like that. The cinematographer (Lee Meily) was scratching her head when she read the script. she had a big problem kasi it had six major sequences around the dinner table, where the characters were always eating. How do you shoot that??? That was my first lesson. I mean Loy and mine- kasi we were both from the theater.


How does it feel being one of the few celebrated scriptwriters at the moment? In a sense, when a film credits you as the writer, there seems to be some expectations by serious filmgoers. Have you also written for tv?

Naku, sa maniwala ka o hindi, I don't consider myself "celebrated" dyusme. I guess it's because of my sober (and realistic) attitude about a screenwriter's "place" in the film business/art field. I realized early on that if I want to be a successful film writer, it will have to be in complete awareness that the screenwriter is only in control during the scriptwriting phase. Pag shinoot na iyan at inedit na iyan-- marami nang pwedeng mangyari (filmmaker, editor, producer). Even during the scripting phase-- pwede ring mapalitan ang writer-- which happened in Ellen Marfil's Boses kung saan ipinasa sa akin ni Froi Medina ang baton.

Again I'm not venting. I'm just stating a fact. and I don't think screenwriters like should even raise a ruckus about it dahil ganun talaga ang kalakaran. Unless of course the director is more like a "collaborator". Pero kahit pa, the director/producer will have their final say. isa pa iyang kaibahan sa playwriting. kasi as a playwright, I can easily have my script remounted by another director. Sa pelikula it take years or gazillions of pesos. Kaya, yes, I have accepted wholeheartedly that film is ultimately the filmmaker's realm. and I think the earlier screenwriters accept that, the better they will understand and lessen their frustrations.

Which brings me back to being touted as "celebrated"--- wasak talaga para sa akin. In the whole scheme of things therefore, I find it slightly oxymoronic for a screenwriter to be celebrated. hahaha. but that's just me. Kunsabagay si Ricky Lee was celebrated.

I rarely write for TV. But I did. Bayan Ko by GMA News TV was a six-episode series on corruption in a small town, starring Rocco Nacino and Pen Medina. Adolf Alix directed. and also long time ago noong panahon ng TeleSine sa GMA. Mga ganun lang. Not in teleseryes.


As a scriptwriter, what do you think make for a good script? Can you cite a few films, preferably Philippine films, that have inspired you or you can consider as great?

There really is no formula, meron ba? Ako, when I don't see the "seams" and when I get absorbed in the movie, forgetting about the actor as actor, and get into the story without being able to point out, "A,there's the atuhor's note!" o "A, the intentions are too obvious." when i get carried away totally-- or kahit hindi totally, kahit na lang when I find the "flaws' forgiveable dahil it transported me into that world kahit paano-- then bravo na. If it's melodrama, it must be a good melodrama, that hinges more on real issues and logic. I don't have any preferences. I mean hindi naman lahat ng magandang film ay 4 hours long. hahaha

but yes, films that have inspired me? Ganito Kami Noon, Maynila, Milagros (Marilou Diaz-Abaya), Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos, Kubrador (Jeffrey Jeturian), Insiang… are but a few.


Immediate plans--

still writing for film and theater. Pero medyo nakakapagod na rin. Pero directing films is something that never crossed my mind. I've directed plays and doon pa lang nauubos na ang energy ko. film pa kaya? yikes.

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Some takeaways from YBCA New Filipino Cinema 2013, a few gems, some disappointments, still an important platform for Philippine cinema in the US

This year's New Filipino Cinema series at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, its third edition, which concluded last Sunday, had its share of gems and a few disappointments.

Inasmuch as it remains to be an important venue for Philippine cinema in the US, I must disagree with its curators' pronouncement that this year's its best since last year's clearly had a stronger line-up: Gutierrez Mangansakan's QIYAMAH/The reckoning, Arnel Mardoquio's ANG PAGLALAKBAY NG MGA BITUIN SA GABING MADILIM/The journey of stars into the dark night, Jewel Maranan's TUNDONG MAGILIW: PASAAN ISINILANG SIYANG MAHIRAP/Tondo Beloved: To what are the poor born, Whammy Alcazaren's COLOSSAL, Vincent Sandoval's APARISYON, Shireen Seno's BIG BOY, Mes de Guzman's DIABLO and the digitally-restored version of Ishmael Bernal's HIMALA/Miracle (1982).

This year, I can mention only a few gems, including the critically-lauded masterpieces, Brillante Mendoza's THY WOMB, and the digitally-restored version of Peque Gallaga's ORO, PLATA, MATA/Gold, silver, death (1982); the pleasant surprises, my two personal favorites,  Keith Deligero's ISKALAWAGS, Pam Miras's PASCALINA and a maybe, Jerrold Tarog's SANA DATI/If only.

I made separate notations of the last three-cited films in this blog, and here are my few take-aways of the last two days of the series.

>            ORO, PLATA, MATA/Gold, silver, death (Experimental Cinema of the Philippines, 194 min, 1982; directed by Peque Gallaga, written by Jose Javier Reyes, stars Cherie Gil, Sandy Andolong, Joel Torre, Liza Lorena, Fides Cuyugan-Asencio, Lorli Villanueva, Maya Valdez, Ronnie Lazaro, Abbo de la Cruz), its digital restoration made under the auspices of ABS-CBN Archives and Central Digital Lab, is better made than the HIMALA restoration - more crisp colors, clearer audio - could be because the original print may have been better kept and preserved.

Also interesting to note that the film marked the film debut of actor Joel Torre, the mama's boy-turned-cold-blooded killer, a remarkable debut, if I may say, which turned out to be the first of many brilliant performances the actor has done through the years, notably KARNAL (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1983); UNFAITHFUL WIFE (Gallaga, 1986); BAYANING THIRD WORLD (Mike de Leon, 2000) and the most acclaimed, ON THE JOB (Erik Matti, 2013).

The key problematic to the critique of the film, on its initial release, was its depiction of the lower class, the servants, as subservient, fiercely loyal and savage, brutal, and its empathy towards the genteel class, the landed gentry, as being victims of a tragic period of the nation's history. Although it still remains a prickly issue to this viewer, more than three decades later, its re-screening affords me to realize that class remains to be an unacknowledged, unrealized issue towards a more thoughtful understanding of what it takes to build a stronger nation.

Overall though, the film, a sprawling epic that it is, makes us realize too that this is the kind of film that can never be done again, in a very long time.

>            WALAY TUMOY NA PUNTERYA/No end in sight (Cierlito Tabay, director and writer, 83 min, 2012), an interesting documentary on the underground gun-making industry in Danao City, Cebu, works best when it interviews the actual gunmakers, working in the city and in the mountains, which except for one, is not rightly identified, but falters when it tries to juxtapose these with government officials, police officers at length, weakening the full impact of the film.

>              RIGODON (Erik Matti, director, 85 min, 2012), supposedly an adult movie about infidelity with ample breast exposure of its lead star, Yam Concepcion, is such a turgid film that makes me wonder, what is this film doing in this series? A case in point: Concepcion and John James Yap are having sex, while we get to ogle at Concepcion's breasts, we see Yap's still having his boxers on and we are made to believe they are reaching orgasm. With this movie, I am beginning to believe that Matti must be an overrated director.

Poster for Jarrel Serencio's VICTOR

Photo still from

Aedrian Araojo's SI EL CURIOSIDAD MATA CON EL GATO/Curiosity killed the cat

>           BASKET CASE: SHORT FILMS OVER THE EDGE - A collection of short films, billed as edgy, alarming; of the eight films presented, two shorts stood out: Jarrel Serencio's VICTOR (15 min) and Aedrian Araojo's SI EL CURIOSIDAD MATA CON EL GATO/Curiosity killed the cat.

Serencio's short film follows Victor, who is about to be nailed on the Cross on Good Friday as part of the Lenten rituals in Pampanga, gives its readers a twist: all those being nailed on the cross get paid at the end of the crucifixion, which we realize is a show for tourists, quite a departure from the usual narrative of the penitents doing them as an expression of Catholic piety and devotion.

Araojo's work, spoken in Chabacano, about a young boy obsessed with jacking off, is so funny, hilarious, I almost fell in my seat. Bravo!

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Revaluation as a critical exercise, when given the luxury of time and contemplation, is necessary and fair, take for instance my short critique of Eddie Romero classic, GANITO KAMI NOON, PAANO KAYO NGAYON, what if I do see it more than three decades after?

Original poster design for GANITO KAMI NOON, PAANO KAYO NGAYON

Photo from Video 48

GANITO KAMI NOON, PAANO KAYO NGAYON
125 min, Philippines, 1976
Hemisphere Pictures
Directed and written by Eddie Romero; additional dialogue written by Roy Iglesias
Stars Christopher de Leon, Gloria Diaz, Eddie Garcia
(Digitally restored by ABS-CBN Archives and shown in 2013)


On the occasion of the celebration of the Philippines Independence Day, I choose to write on a very important historical film, Eddie Romero's GANITO KAMI NOON, PAANO KAYO NGAYON, with the re-posting of my review of the film, as a matter of fact, a revaluation of the film when it was re-screened at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on August 18, 1992, some 15 years after its initial release in the 1976 Metro Manila Film Festival.

Revaluation, as critical exercise, I should say is important, especially when the film, by hindsight has been deemed significant, noteworthy, for it affords a film evaluator an opportunity to re-visit ideas, assessments that may no longer be true, that may no longer be tenable because of circumstances of changes in events, whether personal or national or even global. Because, a review is usually written in a hurry, as being submitted on a deadline, such assessment can be said to be determined by factors occurring at the moment.

I wonder, should I be given the chance to see the film again, a little more than three decades after, can I still maintain the same position I had in 1992?

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Gloria Diaz, Christopher de Leon in a scene n the film



Romero's GANITO re-evaluated

by Mauro Feria Tumbocon, Jr.

Philippine Daily Globe

August 23, 1992

For students of film and media, a re-screening of "classic" Filipino films occasions their reassessment, whether as artistic enterprise or cultural product, to gain new insight into their meaning and contribution to the development of local cinema. Reevaluation as an important critical exercise, provides that the meaning of film or any cultural product for that matter, stems from its historical specificity.

Because Eddie Romero's GANITO KAMI NOON, PAANO KAYO NGAYON chooses to deal with a distant past in a more or less realistic manner, it inquires into the validity of the past, and not only its authenticity.

The fact that the film was chosen the local critics' best in a year that also produced other outstanding works - Lino Brocka's INSIANG, Ishmael Bernal's NUNAL SA TUBIG, Mike de Leon's ITIM, Mario O'Hara's TATLONG TAONG WALANG DIYOS and Lupita Aquino-Concio's MINSA'Y ISANG GAMUGAMO - provokes questions about its real artistic merits. For it can be argued that without situating the film in the past, endowing it with the personality of a period work - in effect, calling attention to the scholarly precision of the film design - the film falls short of achieving progressive signification relevant to its present-day audience.

What does GANITO tell a present-day Kulas who faces the reality of Americans finally leaving his country but not entirely shedding off his dependency on his perceived benefactor?

GANITO is arguably Romero's most impressive piece of directorial work. The fluidity of its writing, its humor and the orchestration of film elements notably Lutgardo Labad's score and editing are impeccable. The film has likewise provided us with one of the more original performances in a long time: Christopher de Leon's Kulas is memorable for its pathos and intelligence.

Despite this, what remains in the work is the film's problematics of history. Using the period characterized by the fall of Span and the beginning of American aggression, Romero pursues the historical event as an issue of class. The use of non-historical Kulas locates the author as a disinterested observer, if not an incidental participant. Notwithstanding the film's liberal insinuations, where on the contrary, Romero suggests the revolutionary as opportunist, it undulates into an uneasy tentativeness.

The last sequence tells it more succinctly. Kulas who has left Diding apparently to join the revolutionaries - on a metaphysical level, to find his destiny - finds a deserted village with a few children left. In a long shot of the scene, instead of walking ahead, that is, facing the camera in the direction of the revolutionaries, Kulas turns his back presumably to return to where he came from.

Romero as filmmaker, therefore, bears the burden of his work's ambivalence.

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If writing for film, either one conforms to the norms or subvert conventions: in this case, Jerrold Tarog's SANA DATI comforts us, Raya Martin's HOW TO DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY assaults our hearts and minds

SANA DATI/If only
100 min, Philippines, 2013
Cinemalaya Foundation, Metric Films
In Tagalog with English subtitles
Directed and written by Jerrold Tarog
Stars Lovi Poe, Paulo Avelino, TJ Trinidad, Benjamin Alves

HOW TO DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY
79 min, Philippines, 2013
Hubert Bals Fund, cinematografica
In Tagalog with English subtitles
Directed and written by Raya Martin
Stars Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino, Noni Buencamino, Ness Roque


When the filmmaker announces in its opening credits that this particular film is the last in some-sort of a trilogy - SANA DATI is the last in Jerrold Tarog's Camera Trilogy - which presupposes a running thread of either an idea, an image or subject, three things: One, the filmmaker directs the viewer to give attention to that particular object, in this case, the camera to be able to understand the film's intent; two, the filmmaker is saying that to fully understand this particular film, the viewer is expected to watch the previous two films, because parts of the trilogy;  and three, the filmmaker is discreetly urging the viewer to either go watch, or purchase a complete set of the films.

Very ingenious.

Lovi Poe and Paulo Avelino in SANA DATI

Setting that aside, Tarog's SANA DATI does make use of the video camera as an instrument to drive home point that the camera, contrary to its truth-seeking purpose, does not necessarily reveal the truth, as is commonly suggested.

As a viewer, this is not my main interest.

While Tarog, also the film's writer, is able to update the romantic drama as a popular genre, which by the use of ample flashbacks and well-coordinated, adroitly composed scenes in the present - from the preparations to and the actual wedding ceremony - where the lives of its four main characters intersect in a highly nuanced dramatization of a relationship severely tested by confronting the past, his film just reaffirms society's expectations, thus delaying the prospect of a woman's prerogative, as hinted at in a very heartfelt performance of its lead, Lovi Poe, to be independent and freed of such conventions.

On the other hand, a film like Raya Martin's HOW TO DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY, shies away from such predisposition. In this case, although the film appears to follow some plot, it does not really tell a story. At its most succinct form, the film suffices to project a state of mind; Martin, who in a manner, perhaps to satisfy the curiosity of his European patron(s), assumes the position of commentator instead, rather than a storyteller, of his country's social condition.

A still from the film, HOW TO DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY

This a curious spot that Martin as the filmmaker puts himself in. Because he chooses  to have his film occurs in some nameless islands whose characters are unnamed thus ahistorical, his choice of actors, distinctly Malayan or Filipino in appearance speaking in Tagalog proffers an experience specific to a place and time.

A prepubescent girl wont to imagine to be in a place unknown; a frequently intoxicated father giving her unwanted lustful advances; an industrious mother slowly descending into madness.

Yet, the discordant interplay of images and sound - the punk music situates the young protagonist's imagination as alien to her rustic environment - is deliberately assaulting as the film subjects us, the viewer, to the inevitability of violence against women, in this case, young girls.

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SANA DATI was awarded Best Film in 2013 Cinemalaya Director's Showcase.

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SINE! says:

SANA DATI
XO (crossover appeal): *
A+ (arthouse potential): *
C> (cult film fav): -
H! (hometown prime): ****

HOW TO DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY
XO (crossover appeal): *
A+ (arthouse potential): ***
C> (cult film fav): **
H! (hometown prime): -

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Darkly comic, Pam Miras's PASCALINA delivers a heavy blow in the gut in a film that is singular in its vision

 

PASCALINa
96 min, Philippines, 2012
In Tagalog with English subtitles
Cinema One Originals, Tito & Tita
Directed and written by Pam Miras
Stars Maria Veronica Santiago with Peewee O'Hara, Cara Eriguel, Alex Vincent Medina, Ian Galliguez, Danzon Sartos, Marija Vicente


Darkly comic even its tragic conclusion, Pam Miras's PASCALINA has been one of those few Philippine independent films that get shown in the US that demonstrates a Filipino filmmaker's capacity to push the boundaries of credulity without losing face.

In Miras's story of Pascalina, the misfit whose mere presence inspires derision among her family, her co-workers and even, contempt of her lover, the film has given us what appears to be one of the most intriguing characters ever written for Philippine screen, with a mesmerizing performance of its lead, Maria Veronica Santiago.

Through scenes largely shot in tight close-ups which capture effectively the character's distant affect, the hidden anguish of one who is unwanted, only once offered a glimpse of deliverance when bequeathed the power of invincibility by a dying aunt, PASCALINa strikes a heavy blow in the gut when Pascalina, the character finds her retribution, finally.

With this film, Pam Miras lends a singular voice that needs to be nurtured to its full fruition.

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PASCALINa was awarded Best Picture at the 2012 Cinema One Originals awards.

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XO (crossover appeal): **
A+ (arthouse potential): ***
C> (cult film fav): ***
H! (hometown prime): *
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Pam Miras, the director of PASCALINa



 

Is this your first feature-length film? If so, why this film as dark as Pascalina? What explains the urge to make this kind of film? Can you tell us the genesis of the film?

 

Yes it is. Most of my shorts were dark to begin with. I guess that’s just me and how I look at the world. Almost all my shorts from Reyna ng Kadiliman to Wag Kang Titingin all had supernatural elements in it too. I’d like to think I’m past that now. But who knows…

 

I wrote Pascalina a week after I got fired at work for the nth time for being late.  Finding myself jobless again, I had the time to write and to write what I felt like writing. No outlines, just one event after another. Then I decided to enter the script to the CinemaOne fest that year (2012). Initially, I didn’t plan on shooting via digital harinezumi. But while waiting for the results, the idea to shoot the film entirely on it came to me. I had just bought a digital harinezumi 2 camera as a Christmas gift to myself and was toying around with it before I finished the script.  

 

 

Maria Veronica Santiago as PASCALINa

 

There is a certain look to the film, makes use of lots of shadows, even during daytime. Was it your choice? What are the elements that help you achieve that look?

 

This “dark” look is mainly because of the use of the digital harinezumi camera. You need to google it to get the idea. I’m not sure where you saw Pascalina, but the screenings at Robinson’s Galleria and Shangri-La were close to the image we wanted. That was exactly the look I wanted and yes it could be achieved via any other digital camera with careful grading, but it won’t be the same. The technical team behind the film really found it challenging to blow up this lo-res SD image to HD for projection in movie theaters. It had never been done before. SBut we did it.  Shooting was also a challenge. The harinezumi images were much better in exterior day, or exterior night (neon lights and headlights) but shooting in interiors posed a challenge too. But we did it. And being the first ( I think ha) film to achieve that in the Philippines is satisfying enough for me.

 

Later on, when the film wasn’t picking up internationally, I realized no one gives a shit about the feat of shooting an entire feature on a toy cam. But that’s okay. The crew and I are happy and that still counts for something.

 

Maria Veronica Santiago, Alex Vincent Medina in PASCALINa

 

How did you choose the cast? That particular scene with the three sisters and Aunt Polly, was it done according to script or improvised? As a whole, the cast is almost perfect, as to the kind of film you want to make, notably the lead actor and Aunt Polly. Were they from audition or pre-selected?

 

I didn’t audition. I hate auditions. It’s tough to turn down people who express an interest in joining your film. I picked the actors from the people I knew in real life, whom I thought best personified the characters in the film. Some are professional actors some are not.

 

 

As a woman filmmaker, what were the challenges you faced in trying to join a competition like Cinema One?

 

None really. The toughest part was defending the use of the digital harinezumi for the film. I cried when we fumbled during the test screening. I really didn’t want to shoot the film any other way. Luckily I was allowed to do what I wanted.

 

 

I noticed a lot of names in the final credits are filmmakers themselves, giving me the impression of a supportive film community. Is this a correct observation, how did it develop?

 

Yes we are supportive of each other’s films. We’re one big barkada, if you want to put it that way.  I acted for Shireen’s Big Boy, and she became my DOP (with Malay Javier) for Pascalina. Timmy Harn acted as producer and AD for Pascalina, while I acted as producer & co-wrote Ang Pagbabalat ng Ahas.

 

 

Personally, what is the future of Philippine independents? What is the direction it needs to take at this time?

 

I think cultivating a new audience is just as important as creating new films. I also think we need more film producers who have a deep love for cinema.

 

 

Any new project, any future plan?

 

We’re working on Malay Javier’s “Di Na Sila Tatanda”, a finalist at this year’s Cinema One Originals. Malay worked as DOP for 3 of my films and I’m happy to help out with the final scripting of his film. I’ll be teaching again this sem at St. Scholastica’s Manila in addition to my day job of writing for ABS-CBN. Hopefully we can get a grant this year for a new film.

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A lovely recollection of youth, Keith Deligero's ISKALAWAGS may perhaps become one that heralds a distinct regional aesthetic

ISKALAWAGS
77 min, Philippines, 2013
In Bisaya with English subtitles
Deligero & Co., Quiapost Production, BOMBA, C1Originals
Written by Keith Deligero, Gale Osorio, Remton Siega Zuasola
Directed by Keith Deligero
Stars Kerwin Otida, Reynaldo Formentera, Windel Otida, Johnreil Lunzaga, Joriel Lunzaga, Micko Maurillo, Mark Laurente Montalban and Jeric Raval

A coming-of-age tale of a group of seven young boys - the oldest is 14 - told as a first-person narrative by one of the kids, Intoy, now older and haunted by that one fateful night, Keith Deligero's ISKALAWAGS is a lovely yet painful recollection of youth in a small village in the Philippines, where behind the mischief, hints at sexual longing and restlessness of idle hours, is actually a wistful story of innocence lost.

Deligero has acutely crafted, what appears as a case of DIY filmmaking yet tightly woven film that may herald a type that characterizes a specific place; because geography informs aesthetics, its topography, its flora and its people's ways affect how a filmmaker creates and tells his/her story.

Deligero's work, I must say, possesses a sensibility that this viewer has earlier seen in the works of other filmmakers coming from the south, notably T.m. Malones's SALVI: ANG PAGPADAYON, Arnel Mardoquio's ANG PAGLALAKBAY NG MGA BITUIN SA GABING MADILIM and even Lav Diaz's epic works like FLORENTINA HUBALDO CTE: impressionist/painterly in its look, portentous, a sense of foreboding in its attitude, spontaneous and freewheeling in its delivery.

Deligero's ISKALAWAGS is definitely one of the highlights, a personal favorite, in this year's NEW FILIPINO CINEMA series at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts this year.

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ISKALAWAGS was nominated for directing, writing and performances in 2013 Cinema One Originals festival.

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XO (crossover appeal): ***
A+ (arthouse potential): ***
C> (cult film fav): **
H! (hometown prime): **

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Filmmaker Keith Deligero

What does Iskalawags refer to, is that a popular Bisaya term? And why
did you use it?

Iskalawag (scalawag) as a term, I think, is more Tagalog than Bisaya.
It is used in the film as a reference to the 1997 movie “Iskalawag: Batas Ay
Batas” starring Raymart Santiago.  But of course Raymart is second only to Jeric Raval, the all-time idol of the kids in the story.

Do you remember playing basketball… everytime someone would shoot, he’d say “Jordan for three”
it’s something like that..  Palot and his friends loved the film Iskalawag so much they called
themselves the Ikalawags well Bulldog also loved Rambo


Is the film autobiographical? Or how did the project start?

“Iskalawags” is our story.

The film is a collection of stories while growing up in the barrio. It could be my autobiography as well as Erik’s, Remton’s, Gale’s and the rest of the crew. It is everyone’s autobiography except that we didn’t have treehouses when we were young (maybe erik tuban did)

The treehouse is a Tulang Diot thing in Camotes, many houses on the island have one on the side

The cast of young actors is impressive, how did you choose your actors?

I had my vision of the characters drawn and printed on flyers Then we went to Camotes Island and asked people around if they know any of the kids in our flyers…

It was like we were looking for missing children. It was at Cabong-an National High School where we found most of our cast.

The hardest to find was Jared. In a place where people mostly eat fish & vegetables a chubby kid is a rare sight.

During the production we rented a small house in the island… The kids and the very small crew ate fresh fish together and slept side-byside on banigs.

We only shot during the golden hours so we had a lot of siesta time. The crew and the cast would either be watching a film or playing chess… We were just hanging out, it never felt like we were making a film.. well almost.. for us :)

I assume Jeric Raval is the only professional actor in the cast and I am impressed by how you make references to him and his movies. Did he really make an impression on young people when he was at his prime, and how come? What was his reaction when you asked him to appear in the film, where the film seems to have paid homage to his works?

Small towns would always have Betamax houses that played a lot of action  flicks, both local and Hollywood.

Jeric Raval was just one of those household names that we grew up with, along with Robin Padilla, Raymart Santiago, Fernando Poe Jr., Steven Segal, Silvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, etc.

During the shoot for the scenes with Jeric, people would flock to the location; some would shout “Bunso, Isinilang Kang Palaban” We are very grateful to Jeric Raval for lending us his time and joining in the fun.


Is it important for you to make the film in Bisaya? There is a growing
consensus about the rise of regional cinema; from your own perspective, is it
real? If so, what impact does it have on you as filmmaker, and on the regional
audiences? Does it have a good future?

Iskalawags is about stories in our little barrio and in our barrio we speak bisaya. I think it’s important that we get to watch films from every island in our country portrayed by the locals themselves.

Anybody from anywhere (in the world not just in the Philippines) can now make a film There are a lot of films being made, it’s going to be impossible to watch all of them and a lot of these films will challenge the way we traditionally watch films. I just wish more people would accept this challenge
and i wish people will not only make films but also watch films made by other people.

I’m not sure about a good future but it’s going to be wild ride.


Can you tell me how did you start as a filmmaker. Why did you choose to be one?

I studied Fine Arts (Advertising) in Cebu. In 2005, I went to manila as a drop out wanting to fulfill his big city dreams and become a commercial director. I got to work for a TV network as an editor then a producer before becoming a director.

In 2007 I went home to produce “Uwan Init Pista Sa Langit”. Remton and I consider it as our film school. Since then I’ve been going home everytime I make films I hope I can still become a commercial director… So I can easily fund my films in the future.


What are your plans, both immediate and in the long run?

Right now, I am developing my next film..
I’m still based in Manila, but I go home often to work on BINISAYA while
working freelance to pay the bills.
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Why the subject of Filipina filmmakers is important, for us as audience to learn their history of practice, both their art and craft, to appreciate fully the range of Filipino cinema

Flyer from Carmen Concha's YAMAN NG MAHIRAP (Parlatone Hispano Filipino, 1939)

Photo courtesy of Video 48



Susana C. de Guzman, director of SONNY BOY, ca 1950s



Rosa Mia, director of TORKWATA, 1957

By 1991, when film historian-critic, Agustin "Hammy" Sotto wrote his tribute on Filipina director Susana C. Guzman as that year's Natatanging Gawad Urian awardee (a Lifetime Achievement award), he took note that there were only seven women who became directors in the history of Philippine cinema.

That is, if he were referring to the industry from its beginnings up to 1990s, the number is so minuscule, considering that Philippine movies had already passed the so-called two Golden Ages, first in the 1950s, and second, in the 1970s. Consider that the 1950s was a significant decade when the local movie industry counted as one of the top five movie producers in the world.

However, in my little research in the past few days - thanks to Mr. Sotto, JP Carpio, Archie del Mundo, Noel Shaw and the internet (Wikipedia, ImDB, Video 48) - the count is actually ten.

In its early years, there were two:

1. Brigida Perez Villanueva may have been the 1st woman director to have directed the last silent film, PENDULUM OF FATE.

2. Carmen Concha maybe considered the more popular one having made three features: MAGKAISANG LANDAS, 1939; YAMAN NG MAHIRAP, 1939; and PANGARAP, 1940. Take note that the Angel Esmeralda-starrer, YAMAN NG MAHIRAP, is considered to be the first film of Armida Siguion-Reyna, who at age 9, was an extra in the film (with Tita Duran) which Concha, her aunt, directed.

From the 1940s-1960s, there were three:

1. Susana C. Guzman, (25 directorial credits), niece of literary stalwarts, Lope K. Santos and Severino Reyes, and sister of composer, Constancio de Guzman, was a novelist who was egged by Carmen Rosales to direct her in PROBINSYANA for Premiere Productions, the studio's first film in 1946. However, Dona Sisang de Leon brought her to LVN which became her home studio for the rest of her career. She was known for her screwball comedies and powerful romantic dramas, including SONNY BOY which gave its star Rosa Rosal the FAMAS trophy in 1955.

2. Rosa Mia (12 directorial credits), an actress best known as the Queen of Tearjerkers, also directed melodramas and youth romance for Sampaguita Pictures, including her first, TORKWATA, 1957; DEBUTANTE, 1959; and LERON, LERON SINTA, 1964.

3. Fely Crisostomo (44 directorial credits), writer and director, whose career spanned 2 decades, was known for her domestic dramas, KAPAG PUSO'Y SINUGATAN, 1967; and MGA REYNANG WALANG TRONO, 1976.

In the 1980s-1990s, well into the 2000s, at the advent of the digital age, there are five who figured in the industry. I must as well mention that actress Nora Aunor, according to some quarters, did direct a film she produced and starred her brother, as well as shot significant footage of her own production, THE GREATEST PERFORMANCE OF MY LIFE, which sadly she was unable to complete.

1. Lupita Aquino-Concio (now Kashiwahara) (11 directorial credits, so far) has made a few of the more important films of the decade, including MINSA'Y ISANG GAMUGAMO, 1976, MAGANDANG GABI SA INYONG LAHAT, 1976 and her vastly underrated adaptation of the novel, LORD OF THE FLIES, ALKITRANG DUGO, 1975. The wide critical acclaim her films generated may have paved the way for two other women filmmakers who came after her, Laurice Guillen and Marilou Diaz-Abaya.

2. Laurice Guillen (31 directorial credits, so far), was best known as an excellent actor, notably in Mike de Leon's SISTER STELLA L, became a major directorial talent when she made SALOME with Gina Alajar in 1981. At present, she is at the helm of Cinemalaya festival.

3. Marilou Diaz-Abaya (22 directorial credits) is also considered one of the major directors in Philippines second golden age with a formidable trio of "woman" films: BRUTAL, 1980; MORAL, 1982; and KARNAL, 1983. She would also direct the epic films, JOSE RIZAL, 1998 and BAGONG BUWAN, 2001.

4. Consuelo "Ateng" Osorio, (53 directorial credits) may be considered as the most prolific and commercially successful woman filmmaker whose career started in 1938 with DOLORES and spanned for 3 decades, is more known for her teenage musical movies in the 1970s that brought to the screen then-singing idols, Helen Gamboa, Nora Aunor and Eddie Peregrina, with BANG SHANG-A LANG, 1968, MARDY, 1969 and I DREAM OF NORA, 1970 as well as a host of others.

5. Maria Saret (25 directorial credits, so far), is fairly known as the only woman action director, her works have not really been subject to critical scrutiny, but should deserve a second look, including DUGONG LAWIN, 1976; UTAKAN, 1982; and PRETTY BOY CHARLIE, 1982.



Now, we are at the new digital age, and with the surge of independent filmmaking, we are also seeing a marked rise in the number of women filmmakers.

In this account, I chose not to include the four women directors who are active in the industry, the circumstances of their work quite circumscribed within the confines of market demands, hence will not be comparable to those of independent filmmakers. These include the following: Olivia Lamasan, Cathy Garcia-Molina, Rory Quintos and Joyce Bernal. Their works however, deserve a separate attention in the future.

Inasmuch as I would have listed women filmmakers who are based in or work outside of the Philippines in a separate post, friends have included a few on the following list. In any case, they will be properly noted. This list includes women filmmakers who have completed works, either full-length or shorts. My appreciation to Sari Dalena, Noel Shaw and JP Carpio for assistance in making this partial list.

Aiess Alonso, LAST STRIKE, 2013
Adjani Arumpac, WAR IS A TENDER THING, 2013
Rica Arevalo, ICU BED #7, 2005; GANAP NA BABAE, 2012
Martha Atienza, cinematographer, REFRAINS LIKE REVOLUTIONS IN A SONG, 2010
Ivy Universe Baldoza, MGA ANINO SA TANGHALING TAPAT, 2011
Dwein Baltazar, MAMAY UMENG, 2012
Nadjoua and Linda Bansil, BOHE: SONS OF THE WAVES, 2012
Florida Bautista, SAAN NAGTATAGO SI HAPPINESS, 2006
Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, ANG HULING CHA-CHA NI ANITA, 2013
Esy Casey (US-based), JEEPNEY, 2013
Malaya Camporedondo, ANG PANAGTAOS SA AKONG MGA APOHAN, 2010
Ditsi Carolino, MINSAN LANG SILA BATA, 1996; RILES, 2002; BUNSO, 2005
Sari Dalena, MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN WAR, 2001; KA ORYANG, 2011
Sari Dalena and Kiri Dalena, THE GUERILLA IS A POET, 2013; WOMEN OF MALOLOS, 2013
Kiri Dalena, RED SAGA, 2004; REQUIEM FOR M, 2010; TUNGKUNG LANGIT, 2012
Clarissa de los Reyes (US-based), NANAY, 2005; JOHNNY LOVES DOLORES, 2012
Anita del Mundo
Ramona Diaz (US-based), IMELDA, 2003; DON'T STOP BELIEVIN': EVERYMAN'S JOURNEY, 2012
Victoria Donato (US-based)
Hannah Espia, TRANSIT, 2013
Lauren Faustino, art director, SA ILALIM NG TULAY, 2011
Marlene Francia
Tara Illenberger, BRUTUS, 2008; GUNIGUNI, 2012
Ice Idanan, LIMANG LIBO, 2009; cinematographer, WOMAN OF THE RUINS, 2013
Jeanette Ifurung
Avic Ilagan, SOWING SEEDS, 2000
Gigi Javier-Alfonso, FLAMES OF LOVE, 2012
Monster Jimenez, KANO: AN AMERICAN AND HIS HAREM
Antoinette Jadaone, SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION FROM LILIA CUNTAPAY, 2011
Marie Jamora, ANG NAWAWALA, 2012
Siege Ledesma, SHIFT, 2013
Maribel Legarda, MELODRAMA NEGRA, 2012
Vivian Limpin, SILIG, 1996; KUNYANG, 2006; TONGTONGAN, 2012
Pabelle Manikan, BUKANG LIWAYWAY, 2013
Jewel Maranan, TUNDONG MAGILIW, 2011
Kara Magsanoc
Corinne Manabat (US-based), EXCUSE MY GANGSTA WAYS, 2009; MORE THAN MARINATION, 2011
Riza Manalo, BALIKBAYAN, 2004
Sunshine Matutina, MAGDALENA, 2013; IMIK, 2012
Corina Millado (US-based)
Pam Miras, PASCALINA, 2012
Shallah Montero, ANG LALAKING PARISUKAT, 2012
Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil, PUSANG GALA, 2005; BOSES, 2008
Nerisa Picadizo, assistant director, PANDANGGO, 2006; MGA ANINO SA TANGHALING TAPAT, 2011
Janice Perez, THE MUSES, 2013; SABONGERO, 2009
Ilang-Ilang Quijano, PUSO NG LUNGSOD, 2012
Pamela Reyes, BROWNOUT, 2010; DEBUT, 2011; UNAWA, 2012; LIGAW, 2013; producer, REKORDER, 2013
Ellen Ramos, THE INMATE, 2007; ENDLESS FAREWELL, 2009; GANAP NA BABAE, 2012
Sarah Roxas, GANAP NA BABAE, 2012
Shireen Seno, BIG BOY, 2011
Lady Ann Salem
Larilyn Sanchez (US-based), BALIKBAYAN, 2004
Rianne Hill Soriano, KARSEL, 2003; PERA-PERAHANG LATA, 2009
Veronica Velasco, TUHOG, 2013; LAST SUPPER NO. 3, 2009
Angel Velasco-Shaw (US-based), NAILED, 1992; THE MOMENTARY ENEMY, 2008
Babyruth Villarama-Gutierrez, JAZZ IN LOVE, 2013
Michiko Yamamoto, writer, ANG PAGDADALAGA NI MAXIMO OLIVEROS, 2005; ON THE JOB, 2013


My random notes on why this post, just a guide on what is to do next.

1. Making a list is like taking an accounting of what is out there. This also helps us gain some historical perspective by periodizing the items - both names and works - from where we can explore directions to take and address the challenges that face them.

2. Although there should be no limitation to artistic expression, women's issues - reproductive health, income disparity, sexual violence, gender discrimination - are still very relevant in the present that I must say, women filmmakers are in the best position to address.

3. An investigation into artistic innovation is also paramount: what constitutes the female gaze, how is it achieved?


Again, this is a partial list, my thanks to Sari Dalena, JP Carpio, Noel Shaw and Archie del Mundo for your contributions to the list, Simon Santos (Video 48) for the photos, and to the support of those who respond well to my first post on Filipina filmmakers.


(c) 2014, Mauro Feria Tumbocon, Jr.

Two films, wrapped in fog and smoke though in varying shades, have the woman as an unreachable ideal: Keith Sicat's WOMAN OF THE RUINS and Alvin Yapan's DEBOSYON

 

 WOMAN OF THE RUINS

109 min, Philippines, 2013

In Tagalog with English subtitles

Cinema One Originals, Kino Arts

Directed by Keith Sicat

Stars Alessandra de Rossi, Art Acuna, Chanel Latorre with Elizabeth Oropesa, Peque Gallaga

 

 

 

DEBOSYON

82 min, Philippines, 2013

In Bikol with English subtitles

Cinemalaya Foundation, Voyage Studios

Directed and written by Alvin Yapan

Stars Paulo Avelino, Mara Lopez

 

 

Two films made by male directors, have as the woman as an unreachable ideal, an object that is unfathomable, either in the here or in the afterworld.

 

In Keith Sicat's WOMAN OF THE RUINS, a woman is swept ashore years after a devastating earthquake left an island in ruins, who may or may not be the protagonist's wife, Maria (Alessandra de Rossi), since she has no memories of her own, it unsettles the husband, Pasyon (Art Acuna) to unspeakable violence and destruction.

 

In Alvin Yapan's DEBOSYON, a mysterious woman appears to a young man, Mando (Paulo Avelino) who falls from a tree in his attempt to reach for a beautiful orchid; the woman, Salome (Mara Lopez) claims to be the mythical Daragang Magayon, who thus becomes his quest.

 

Wrapped in fog and smoke in varying degrees of shading, both films play on the duality of the primal/mythic and the engineered/communal aspects of the individual; because vastly incoherent in their storytelling, there is difficulty in reaching for meanings each narrative aspires to.

 

WOMAN OF THE RUINS, though rendered less effective by inadequate exploration of space - to cite: what explains the implied isolation of the island that makes it inaccessible - nonetheless, it is able to capture the proper mood of threat and fear through its unified visual and aural design.

 

On the other hand, DEBOSYON, while it could have worked better had its special effects expanded to its conclusion wherein the viewer is lifted to the realm of the mystical, after distracted by a lengthy depiction of Catholic religiosity, the film impresses us with its use of native language and folk music. (For this viewer, it always help in assessing the film to have the gorgeous Paulo Avelino, even made unrecognizable by parting his hair in the middle. I am just kidding.) Added plus: The onscreen chemistry of its young leads, Avelino and Mara Lopez, is something to behold).

 

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WOMAN OF THE RUINS won the Audience Choice Award at the 2013 Cinema One Originals festival; Peque Gallaga was awarded Best Supporting Actor.

 

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SINE! says:

 

WOMAN OF THE RUINS

XO (crossover appeal): *

A+ (arthouse potential): **

C> (cult film fav): *

H! (hometown prime): **

 

DEBOSYON

XO (crossover appeal): -

A+ (arthouse potential): **

C> (cult film fav): -

H! (hometown prime): ***

 

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