It's time for Cinema One Originals! Nine feature length films and twelve short films, as well as a large selection of restored local films, international films, and other special releases are showing at select cinemas from October 12-21. For this entry, we'll be talking about both sets of short films. Some of the films in this list have been part of other festivals that have come out this year; links to reviews of those films will be given, if available.
Cinema One Originals 2018 Short Shorts Reviews
Set A
(I arrived late to the first screening of Shorts A, so unfortunately I was unable to see either Wall or Ketchup.)
Joji Alonso's Last Order is a film about endings: it chronicles the last few moments of a doomed restaurant. It's shot in one take, and viewed mostly through the eyes of a waiter (Nico Antonio) as he deals with regulars, annoying customers and the occasional weirdo as he faces the fact that he's out of a job. In showing us just the ending, one wonders what the restaurant used to be before its fate was sealed.
In Para Kay James we learn about the titular character posthumously, through flashbacks: a dutiful son, an affectionate lover, a lonely and broken individual. The film charts the course of James' life and explores the many factors that led to his demise in terms of sexual identity, interpersonal conflicts and issues with depression and mental health. Whatever the case may be, James is gone to the people who loved him and the people he loved, and he's not coming back.
3021's usage of Star Wars terminology may be a bit off putting, but this quirky and weird lo-fi science fiction film does manage to worldbuild a bit before making obvious parallels to current events and the post truth world. The ending is strange and psychedelic, a mix of the endings of 2001 and Eye of the Serpent.
And to round off Set A, we have Wala'y Humayan sa Tanglad from the Binisaya film festival. It starts off as a hybrid of documentary and found footage as we follow two journalists as they investigate the secret of "miracle rice" and the people who grow it. It's relatively light at first and a bit tongue in cheek, but then things escalate quickly and they turn into something that legitimately chilled me. It might be my favorite film of either set.
Set B
Nangungupahan was part of this year's Cinemalaya Film Festival. Glenn Barit's film is inventive stuff, worth watching again to catch extra details, and pretty heartwarming at the same time.
Unfortunately, the subtitles for Bagane Fiola's Pulangui cut off after a few minutes, leaving the movie basically untranslated. but the lush black and white visuals and context clues make up for the lost translation, at least a little bit. A river runs through the community at the center of the story, and there seem to be parallels with that river and the act of crossing over to the healing process brought about by peace in a wartorn land.
The sole animated entry to this year's shorts, Wag Mo Akong Kausapin tells the story of an old man wracked by the guilt of his past wrong decisions. Only this time, his insecurities take physical form: a dark entity that hounds and taunts him as he tries to reconcile with his son. His internal struggle comes to a head when his realization or catharsis comes with a price. While the animation is simple, it's expressive and fluid.
Sa Pag-agos ng Panahon was part of this year's Viddsee Juree Awards. Its conflict between personal belief and identity is emotionally loaded and well shot.
To Remain is to Have Been Left was part of this year's Cinemalaya Institute Short Films section. It's a bit loopy (ha, that was a pun) but it's wide open to interpretation and says a lot about helping one's self and the importance of that notion in preserving mental health.
In Manila is Full of Men Named Boy, a man hires a teenager to act as his son in front of his very macho father. He is then 'boy' both in name and temperament, especially when the faux child threatens to usurp his place in the social ladder, as the boy can do things the man cannot. Issues of acceptance, identity and absurdity abound in this short film, one of the best of this year's edition.
In Manila is Full of Men Named Boy, a man hires a teenager to act as his son in front of his very macho father. He is then 'boy' both in name and temperament, especially when the faux child threatens to usurp his place in the social ladder, as the boy can do things the man cannot. Issues of acceptance, identity and absurdity abound in this short film, one of the best of this year's edition.
And finally, we have another entry from this year's Viddsee Juree Awards, Ang Mga Turo ng Gabi (a.k.a. Lessons of the Night,) which won the silver prize in that competition. Having watched this film three times now, it's easy to see why. It's a compelling story that's packed nicely into a short time frame. It's well worth recommending.
That's it for this year's Cinema One Shorts. Up next, the feature length films.
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