Teatrino in Greenhills screens quality Filipino indie movies during selected Saturdays of the month. I've heard of these screenings but last Saturday was my first time watching something in Teatrino. Before I talk about what I watched, I'd like to comment on the experience.
Compared to other movie theaters, Teatrino is modest in size, with a maximum capacity of about a hundred or so people. True to its theater roots there's a small balcony at the back and the architecture reminds me of old style theaters. There's even a snack bar to the side which is pretty neat. At 200 pesos a pop, not more than what you'd pay at a conventional cinema, it's a great deal.
Jun Lana's second film about life in a small town, Barber's Tales, is a deliberately paced character piece which has its share of lighthearted and heavy moments. It is about the experiences of Marilou, wife of the town barber. When her husband dies unexpectedly, she becomes the unlikely heir to the family barbershop, the only one in town.
The film takes place during the Martial Law years. Although the town is small and isolated, the government is very much active in the area as it is a hotbed of rebel activity. Marilou then gains a unique position in the social structure of the town: while she has the perspective of a normal towns person, she also gains access to the mayor, whose hair she cuts as the new town barber.
Both this film and 2012's Bwakaw are character pieces and luckily for both films, the right actor just happens to be in the lead role. There is much in Eugene Domingo's performance that is not expressed in words, but definitely felt through subtle actions. Her transformation in the film feels natural, and thus the overall message of the film does not feel forced.
The film also tackles women's issues. Many of the women in the film are subservient to their husbands or to a male dominated power structure - seen in the military and the government. Ironically, it is the resolve of one woman that tips the balance of power, and the women of the town, homemakers and prostitutes both, use their own unique talents to help this change occur. (Also in an interesting twist the rebel leader happens to be a woman.) The film also makes the point, that sadly, some of the trials faced by the women in this film due to their gender are still prevalent today.
Of all the events in Philippine History in the past fifty or so years, Martial Law has been one of the most popular subjects in contemporary cinema. I had theorized in the Q and A after the showing of this film that like many other films about this time, this was a way to heal deep seated wounds created by the Martial Law era. It's sometimes a good idea, some might say, to talk about a problem rather than hide it away.
The counterpoint to that (and the answer that I eventually got) was that these films are more of a reminder rather than a means of therapy; by reminding us every so often that these terrible things did happen, we can learn from them and apply the lessons we have learned from our mistakes to the future. History has a close symbiosis with memory; there are people who seek to retcon these memories to fit their narrative, effectively changing history. Films like this are part of the collective memory of our people, little beacons lighting the truth.
Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita is about the sexual awakening of a young girl. Thankfully it deals with the subject without getting gaudy and ruining the subject material. Instead Anita's experience is tempered with a bittersweet feeling and a bit of naivete.
Most of the movie is told via flashback; Anita, now an adult, remembers the woman who made her heart first skip a beat. Through her interactions with her first love, Anita comes to realize what she really wants in life.
While Anita the child sees the world through rose-colored glasses, often taken to daydreams and idle fascination, we see the adult characters as they really are. In Anita's eyes (which take the guise of the camera,) Pilar is a beauty from another world. Anita's fantasy sequences with Pilar are a mix of whimsy, admiration, and a little sprinkle of desire. However, fantasy and reality are far from the same. There is much more to Pilar (and almost everyone else) than is apparent to Anita. The thing is, it is Anita's unblemished look at the world that proves to be one of the most powerful driving forces in the film.
The film also tackles women's issues. Many of the women in the film are subservient to their husbands or to a male dominated power structure - seen in the military and the government. Ironically, it is the resolve of one woman that tips the balance of power, and the women of the town, homemakers and prostitutes both, use their own unique talents to help this change occur. (Also in an interesting twist the rebel leader happens to be a woman.) The film also makes the point, that sadly, some of the trials faced by the women in this film due to their gender are still prevalent today.
Of all the events in Philippine History in the past fifty or so years, Martial Law has been one of the most popular subjects in contemporary cinema. I had theorized in the Q and A after the showing of this film that like many other films about this time, this was a way to heal deep seated wounds created by the Martial Law era. It's sometimes a good idea, some might say, to talk about a problem rather than hide it away.
The counterpoint to that (and the answer that I eventually got) was that these films are more of a reminder rather than a means of therapy; by reminding us every so often that these terrible things did happen, we can learn from them and apply the lessons we have learned from our mistakes to the future. History has a close symbiosis with memory; there are people who seek to retcon these memories to fit their narrative, effectively changing history. Films like this are part of the collective memory of our people, little beacons lighting the truth.
Most of the movie is told via flashback; Anita, now an adult, remembers the woman who made her heart first skip a beat. Through her interactions with her first love, Anita comes to realize what she really wants in life.
While Anita the child sees the world through rose-colored glasses, often taken to daydreams and idle fascination, we see the adult characters as they really are. In Anita's eyes (which take the guise of the camera,) Pilar is a beauty from another world. Anita's fantasy sequences with Pilar are a mix of whimsy, admiration, and a little sprinkle of desire. However, fantasy and reality are far from the same. There is much more to Pilar (and almost everyone else) than is apparent to Anita. The thing is, it is Anita's unblemished look at the world that proves to be one of the most powerful driving forces in the film.
A subcurrent theme in the movie is the exploration of femininity, and the woman's societal role in creating life; for one, the setting is a fertility festival that takes place in Obando, Bulacan. One scene later on in the film juxtaposes welcoming new life onto the world and ending it. This societal role, however is not set in stone. Like many things, motherhood and parenthood are choices; I believe it is up to the individual to have or not have kids and start a family of her own.
The drama is balanced by a stellar cast, with particular credit to the child actors. I do have some issues with the plot, especially whether a person with a physical therapist background can terminate pregnancies (they can't) - perhaps a writing decision brought about by the multiple meanings of the term "hilot."
The movie ends on a very bittersweet note, and for me it seems to make the point that this isn't, say, mourning innocence lost, rather it is a celebration of the discovery of the myriad paths of life as the cloak of childhood is shed.
***
Overall the Teatrino experience is pretty good, if you are itching for some quality indie films from the past five or so years you can't go wrong here, especially since many of these films have never been released on digital media, and screenings are scarce.
P.S. This took way too long to write. :-/
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