DEATH OF TRADITIONAL CINEMA

Official Entry, New Breed Category, Cinemalaya X BWAYA, the third feature-length feature from filmmaker Francis Xavier Pasion, following 2008's JAY and 2010's SAMPAGUITA: NATIONAL FLOWER is a film that beckons us to swim in the depths of the Agusan Marsh, and with such experience relive the fear of an unknown enemy. Moreover, it also allows us to fill the shoes of a couple in unimaginable anguish. Based on a true story, BWAYA incorporates actual interview footage of the real husband and wife who mourns the loss of their young daughter. By making it another film-within-a-film like JAY, Francis Pasion injects raw satire and emotion into his story. Asked why she would allow the story of Rowena be told on film, the actual case study (the mother) cites remembrance in response.  At a running time of around an hour and a half, BWAYA considerably takes its time to paint us a picture of the Agusan Marsh- quaint, idyllic, placid, and yet underneath the stillness a hungry...

Official entry, New Breed Category, Cinemalaya X Suicide, especially among teens is a very delicate subject matter for film. Handled carelessly, a film may give off a wrong vibe that it promotes or justifies suicide. #Y (pronounced as hashtag Y), the second feature-length film by Gino Santos deals with the subject of suicide as one of the issues involving the upper middle class, or the generation "Y". In the film, we are readily offered the idea from the get-go that the lead character Miles (Elmo Magalona) is contemplating suicide, and through flashback we recollect his troubled, confused, and oftentimes ambivalent behavior. We never really get to fully understand Miles's psyche. Is he heartbroken? Does he hate his parents? If so, why? Does he long for social acceptance? Is he mentally unstable? The film offers vague answers. In a way, director Gino Santos may be telling us that we may never really fully comprehend the reason behind the prevalence of suicide ...

Official Entry, New Breed Category, Cinemalaya X Watching K'NA THE DREAMWEAVER is like watching a gorgeously shot travelogue. The debut feature film of Ida Anita Del Mundo (Doy Del Mundo's daughter) weaves an uncompromising, compelling tale of love and destiny set against the hauntingly beautiful Lake Sebu in South Cotabato, beckoning us to enter a world rarely seen on film. As a child, K'na (Hezel Ann Sulan) is already exposed to the intricate T'boli tradition of weaving. As she matures into a beautiful, young lady (Mara Lopez), K'na is guided and prepared by her grandmother Be Lampey (Erlinda Villalobos) to be their clan's next dreamweaver. Amidst their peaceful residence off the waters of Lake Sebu, constant threat from their mother tribe shakes the villagers. All of this, because of a generations-old betrayal that continues to haunt the lineage of Be Lampey. In the majesty of their humble abode, love blossomed between K'na and Silaw (RK ...

Official Entry, Director's Showcase category, Cinemalaya X Too long has filmmaker Carlos Siguion-Reyna been on break from making feature films, his last one being Azucena back in 2000. HARI NG TONDO, his current entry for Cinemalaya X under the Directors' Showcase section is a more than welcome comeback for him. The film begins with the end of an empire. Ricardo Villena (Robert Arevalo) is facing imminent bankruptcy as his son-in-law Dan (Eric Quizon) lectures him about his bad business decisions. To add to their family's baggage, his granddaughter Anna (Cris Villonco) opts not to push through with her wedding to a wealthy bachelor, much to the dismay of the parents (Quizon and Ali Sotto). Also, his grandson Ricky (Rafa Siguion-Reyna) from his other son (played by Audie Gemora) reveals that he is not graduating this semester with his Economics degree. So what to do indeed with all these woes? The Villena Patriarch makes a hasty but informed move: to return to Ton...

New Breed Entry: Cinemalaya 2014 As her first vehicle for her foray into independent cinema, RONDA provides a lot of potential for Ai Ai De Las Alas to  discover her artistry, and prove that she can do more than provide laughter. Her character, a policewoman patrolling the dark streets of Manila allows her to grow a lot as an actress. Much of the film's scenes takes place at a safe distance; we observe as the patrol car roam around Recto Street and Quezon Boulevard while Ai Ai and her partner, played by Carlos Morales discuss things ranging from the mundane, like Morales's character's sexual escapades with his numerous women, to the bizarre, like the story about ghosts in the apartment.  However, the frame is never boring. Even when there is nothing happening onscreen, there is something happening. A reflection, a stir of emotion, a foreboding- all part of director Nick Olanka's master plan. Perhaps, Olanka wants us to be observers of the routine, of the redu...