Binisaya is a film fest that goes around the Philippines, showing us new and promising Visayan filmmakers who have established a bold and innovative film industry. As part of UP Manila's Buwan ng Wika, Binisaya comes to Manila with screenings in both the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Public Health.
I saw a shorts program and an omnibus film. How were they?
Shorts B
Sanctissima - yes, this is the Cinemalaya 2015 short by Kenneth Dagatan and company. However, for some reason this felt like a shorter cut. I don't remember seeing the lesbian couple and some other introductory scenes (admittedly the jittery, boisterous crowd was a bit of an amusing distraction.) On second viewing it still is a really well done film, and the audience response was really great.
Lagkaw - Lagkaw, according to the short synopsis, means "rendezvous" in Bisaya. The film has no conventional narrative structure and shows multiple scenes of urban life and people exchanging money. There's also a singing guitarist somewhere singing about affairs with centenarians. The film makes its message a bit more obvious by the end, lamenting on how we are led astray by money and petty distractions, and how the call to the right path (perhaps indicated by an Angelus broadcast that grows more distorted as the short goes on) is often ignored.
Julie - Julie was Shorts B's crowd pleaser, and a great way to end the set. The titular character, Julie, is a gay single father who has difficulty getting a job, so he decides to become a construction worker. Albert Chan Paran, who plays Julie in this movie, had a similar role in Cinemalaya 2014's Ina-Tay, which was also a Cebuano film. Julie, however, sports a more robust narrative and is generally more enjoyable. The multicolored subtitles that indicated Julie's macho act and his true feminine side was a nice touch, although the pink subtitles were hard to read at times. It's overall a nice film.
***
Sabado Sabado is an omnibus film consisting of seven short films by a variety of filmmakers. There seems to be no overlying theme, and most shorts are under 20 minutes long. The results predictably vary wildly from enticing fare, to experimental stuff, to a mix between the two. (Note: I wasn't able to get the titles for all the shorts, but I will update my entry if I find out what the titles are.)
The first short, Kantil, is a slice of life of two boys living near the seaside and the streets of Cebu. The ending is a bit baffling, but I guess it could mean that it's a dog eat dog world in this place. Certain shots were a bit overexposed but there were few other technical concerns.
The second short is titled Banabana, and is probably the most engaging of all the shorts. Along the streets of Cebu, a fortune teller gives eerily accurate predictions, most of them bad. The secret of his fortune telling powers and his true identity are revealed over the course of the film, and things go to a head when he meets a mysterious woman. It's an interesting premise that really creeps up on you by the end.
The third short is untitled. It intercuts between a person playing out a story with a wooden figure and an Incredible Hulk action figure, and a woman walking around hilly fields. The play-story is about how Hulk and Chau-chau get together but are separated by fate; its connection to the other story is tenuous at best. The two stories try to connect at the end, but it's buried so deep in metaphor that it lost me and probably most of the audience, (guessing by the confused murmurs.)
The fourth short involves a one sided dialogue between a woman and her on and off lover. It's obvious she really loves the guy a lot, and by the middle of it you kinda figure out what it's about. It's short but effective.
The fifth short has a bunch of weird trippy moments. It's about a man who tries to escape his responsibilities in life, but can't fully run away from them. In the end his mistakes catch up to him. His downward spiral is sometimes presented in a abstract action. Two characters (one in a Santa costume) wax poetic about his situation. Overall it's just ok.
The sixth short, Fr.ostitute, is a conversation between a prostitute and her client. It's rather obvious that both parties are hiding secrets, as the lighting obscures their faces and bodies at the start. They start to unravel as the short goes on, with the light of the lamp slowly illuminating both characters. Attention is placed more on the prostitute rather than the client - her situation is one brought about by fate, and they are circumstances from which she can't readily escape. It's probably my second favorite out of the omnibus.
The final short is really strange. It could either be interpreted as the product of a suicidal dying dream, or something else entirely. It's main conceit involves the main character meeting herself. It uses a number of interesting techniques to convey this fact. It ends rather abruptly which was a bit jarring - overall, quality-wise it was in the middle of the pack.
***
That was an interesting experience. With only 25 pesos a screening (50 for other screenings) it's a definite bargain. There was a noticeable sound problem at the little theater which reared its head in the middle of the screening of Sabado Sabado, which was unfortunate. Thankfully the sound problem was corrected later on. The crowd was enthusiastic and loved many of the short films, which was great to see.
It's an interesting and diverse lineup of films, and I am excited for the rest of the festival offerings. Till next time~
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