The festival is finally over. What an awesome lineup. 9 films from the new generation, five from the veterans, and ten short films. I missed one New Breed film (Limbunan,) but that's the only one. Here are the last movies I watched in the dwindling hours in the festival. Were they worth it? Absolutely.
SHORT FILMS CATEGORY - SHORTS B
Harang
My favorite short of the entire competition. I was blown away to be perfectly honest. In Evolutionary Biology there is what we call the Price Equation. It can be used in any kind of natural selection process, but if used in relation to altruism, it has some serious implications on the evolution of kindness itself. The implications are that altruism in itself may actually be selfish, and that as much as the genetic tendency to be kind can evolve to be dominant, The reverse can happen: opposite self serving behaviors like inter-racial strife or doing harm - the opposite of kindness, may also become the norm. These realizations led the man who came up with the equation to a life of radical charity, destitution and eventual suicide.
The characters in this short all are given an opportunity to give help, and they are placed in situations in which to seek it. Some do not help at all, expressing true selfish behavior. Others help but only to a certain extent - where he or she would not be affected by his or her choice. Ironically none of the characters help each other out of true altruism at all.
Man is a selfish creature; even in the facade of helping, man is trying to do so for someone else's collective benefit, which would translate into his own. It's a sobering thought. What are the barriers between two strangers? What are the barriers that prevents him from helping or not?
Well, rant over. That just shows how awesome this movie is. 5 roadblocks over 5.
Hay Pinhod Oh Ya Scooter
The presence of a narrator was strange but made absolute sense in the end. The non-actors chosen for their roles were mostly speaking out their lines, which made scenes unnatural - although in the context of what the film eventually would become, it might be intentional. Technically the film is sound. The short makes focus on how people can slowly lose their cultural roots in the face of globalization.
3.5 scooters out of 5.
Lola
Short animated film about a couple of movie making dudes hiring a ghost for their horror film. It's okay. Nothing much of note. 2.5 scary lolas out of 5.
P
Again, another really fun story from Milo Tolentino. I'm not going to tell you anything about the plot so as not to spoil anything. Figure out what P means for yourself; it means a lot of things. Very very entertaining and quite well done. 4.5 N95 Masks over 5.
Wag Kang Titingin
A very simple story with a twist ending. I recommend this one. 4 compasses over 5.
NEW BREED CATEGORY
Rekruit
Jamir and Lando are both part of a group of soldiers that will undergo special training for an as-yet unknown mission. The group is composed mainly of Muslims who join the training to provide for their families via the stipend that was promised if they joined, and an automatic inclusion into the Philippine Armed Forces if they completed the training.
The training is hard and physically draining, but through it all the recruits bond and form a close brotherhood. But soon things do not appear as they seem and the soldiers have to decide between their loyalty and honor to their desire not to do harm.
Rekruit is based on the Jabidah massacre, a horrible event that had its beginnings in the Diosdado Macapagal and Ferdinand Marcos presidencies. The repercussions of the massacre led to the emergence of radical Moro insurgencies and the later appearance of the MNLF, later MILF. As a member of the same ethnic tribe as those involved in the massacre, this fact resonated personally during my viewing of the movie.
It then seems rather ironic that this movie was a story of brotherhood that crosses religious borders. In the dramatization of the ultimate act of betrayal of people of different faiths, there is an advocacy for a desire for peace and kindness to all.
The film seems to have been captured on two kinds of cameras; one that brings a clear film-worthy picture, and another brings a sharper, TV-quality picture. Since scenes intercut with those taken on either camera, the effect is sometimes jarring. The cinematography itself is excellent. All the actors deliver noteworthy performances; by the end of the film you will feel as if you were with these people during their training, sharing their pains and experiences.
One of the best of the festival. Now give me 9 push ups over ten on the double!
NOTES:
Links on the Jabidah massacre:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jabidah_massacre (compare with the events of the film)
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080318-125522/Lone-survivor-recalls-Jabidah-Massacre
In the massacre, only one person survived the carnage, managing to escape by holding on to a piece of driftwood and swimming all the way to Cavite.
Final thoughts on the Festival
Overall the festival was a success. Attendance was over the top, with many screenings sold out. Unfortunately, other than that one midnight screening, I was unable to watch any non-competition entries. Priorities I guess. Stars came out in droves to support their films and the film industry. With the participation of veteran directors, the festival has gained another level of credibility.
I was glad to see the audience engaging with the people involved in the making of the film. Cinema as an artform is composed of the filmmakers, the film itself, and the people who watch the film. What worth is a film if no one watches it? To the directors and actors involved, continue engaging with the filmgoer.
My favorite Cinemalaya years were 08 and 09. This one maintains the overall high quality, but there wasn't really one film that totally blew me away. That's just a subjective thing however, and I'm sure others must have loved some films like I did the old ones. And that doesn't mean that any of the films were bad in any way, none were.
My thoughts on who will win? The old guard of intellectual cineastes from the era of the 70s and 80s Golden Era of Cinema will probably lap up movies like Sigwa and Ang Paglilitis... The younger film student or casual movie goers will go for an entertaining, 'kwela' film.
My personal favorites were Sampaguita, The Leaving and Rekruit. Two Funerals was the most fun full length movie for me in the whole competition. Mayohan was the prettiest (and cutest.) The shorts this year were quite amazing, a big leap from 09. Harang is my absolute favorite movie over the past 2 or 3 years.
I look forward to knowing the winners of this year's festival. I'm pretty sure my tastes will clash with the people who decide the winners (I chose Engkwentro last year and it won like nothing, at least in the festival. It did win in Venice, so revenge for me there haha.)
What will the future bring? God willing I'll be back in 2011, and hopefully there will be more stories, more experiences, more amazing films.
SHORT FILMS CATEGORY - SHORTS B
Harang
My favorite short of the entire competition. I was blown away to be perfectly honest. In Evolutionary Biology there is what we call the Price Equation. It can be used in any kind of natural selection process, but if used in relation to altruism, it has some serious implications on the evolution of kindness itself. The implications are that altruism in itself may actually be selfish, and that as much as the genetic tendency to be kind can evolve to be dominant, The reverse can happen: opposite self serving behaviors like inter-racial strife or doing harm - the opposite of kindness, may also become the norm. These realizations led the man who came up with the equation to a life of radical charity, destitution and eventual suicide.
The characters in this short all are given an opportunity to give help, and they are placed in situations in which to seek it. Some do not help at all, expressing true selfish behavior. Others help but only to a certain extent - where he or she would not be affected by his or her choice. Ironically none of the characters help each other out of true altruism at all.
Man is a selfish creature; even in the facade of helping, man is trying to do so for someone else's collective benefit, which would translate into his own. It's a sobering thought. What are the barriers between two strangers? What are the barriers that prevents him from helping or not?
Well, rant over. That just shows how awesome this movie is. 5 roadblocks over 5.
Hay Pinhod Oh Ya Scooter
The presence of a narrator was strange but made absolute sense in the end. The non-actors chosen for their roles were mostly speaking out their lines, which made scenes unnatural - although in the context of what the film eventually would become, it might be intentional. Technically the film is sound. The short makes focus on how people can slowly lose their cultural roots in the face of globalization.
3.5 scooters out of 5.
Lola
Short animated film about a couple of movie making dudes hiring a ghost for their horror film. It's okay. Nothing much of note. 2.5 scary lolas out of 5.
P
Again, another really fun story from Milo Tolentino. I'm not going to tell you anything about the plot so as not to spoil anything. Figure out what P means for yourself; it means a lot of things. Very very entertaining and quite well done. 4.5 N95 Masks over 5.
Wag Kang Titingin
A very simple story with a twist ending. I recommend this one. 4 compasses over 5.
NEW BREED CATEGORY
Rekruit
Jamir and Lando are both part of a group of soldiers that will undergo special training for an as-yet unknown mission. The group is composed mainly of Muslims who join the training to provide for their families via the stipend that was promised if they joined, and an automatic inclusion into the Philippine Armed Forces if they completed the training.
The training is hard and physically draining, but through it all the recruits bond and form a close brotherhood. But soon things do not appear as they seem and the soldiers have to decide between their loyalty and honor to their desire not to do harm.
Rekruit is based on the Jabidah massacre, a horrible event that had its beginnings in the Diosdado Macapagal and Ferdinand Marcos presidencies. The repercussions of the massacre led to the emergence of radical Moro insurgencies and the later appearance of the MNLF, later MILF. As a member of the same ethnic tribe as those involved in the massacre, this fact resonated personally during my viewing of the movie.
It then seems rather ironic that this movie was a story of brotherhood that crosses religious borders. In the dramatization of the ultimate act of betrayal of people of different faiths, there is an advocacy for a desire for peace and kindness to all.
The film seems to have been captured on two kinds of cameras; one that brings a clear film-worthy picture, and another brings a sharper, TV-quality picture. Since scenes intercut with those taken on either camera, the effect is sometimes jarring. The cinematography itself is excellent. All the actors deliver noteworthy performances; by the end of the film you will feel as if you were with these people during their training, sharing their pains and experiences.
One of the best of the festival. Now give me 9 push ups over ten on the double!
NOTES:
Links on the Jabidah massacre:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jabidah_massacre (compare with the events of the film)
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080318-125522/Lone-survivor-recalls-Jabidah-Massacre
In the massacre, only one person survived the carnage, managing to escape by holding on to a piece of driftwood and swimming all the way to Cavite.
Final thoughts on the Festival
Overall the festival was a success. Attendance was over the top, with many screenings sold out. Unfortunately, other than that one midnight screening, I was unable to watch any non-competition entries. Priorities I guess. Stars came out in droves to support their films and the film industry. With the participation of veteran directors, the festival has gained another level of credibility.
I was glad to see the audience engaging with the people involved in the making of the film. Cinema as an artform is composed of the filmmakers, the film itself, and the people who watch the film. What worth is a film if no one watches it? To the directors and actors involved, continue engaging with the filmgoer.
My favorite Cinemalaya years were 08 and 09. This one maintains the overall high quality, but there wasn't really one film that totally blew me away. That's just a subjective thing however, and I'm sure others must have loved some films like I did the old ones. And that doesn't mean that any of the films were bad in any way, none were.
My thoughts on who will win? The old guard of intellectual cineastes from the era of the 70s and 80s Golden Era of Cinema will probably lap up movies like Sigwa and Ang Paglilitis... The younger film student or casual movie goers will go for an entertaining, 'kwela' film.
My personal favorites were Sampaguita, The Leaving and Rekruit. Two Funerals was the most fun full length movie for me in the whole competition. Mayohan was the prettiest (and cutest.) The shorts this year were quite amazing, a big leap from 09. Harang is my absolute favorite movie over the past 2 or 3 years.
I look forward to knowing the winners of this year's festival. I'm pretty sure my tastes will clash with the people who decide the winners (I chose Engkwentro last year and it won like nothing, at least in the festival. It did win in Venice, so revenge for me there haha.)
What will the future bring? God willing I'll be back in 2011, and hopefully there will be more stories, more experiences, more amazing films.
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