DEMENTIA (Perci Intalan, 2014)
A boat approaches toward a huge slab stone of an island, the rock solid formations commanding a visual dread of the unknown. The boat docks, and we see the familiar face of Nora Aunor disembarking from the vessel. At the onset of DEMENTIA, Perci Intalan readily lays the groundwork for a thriller that benefits greatly from its picturesque location. Shot in Batanes, a dreamy place rarely seen on film except for KADIN (THE GOAT) and BATANES, both films by Adolfo Borinaga Alix, Jr., DEMENTIA maximizes the haunting beauty of its location and underneath the majesty of every shot of the cliff overlooking the sea, of waves crashing, of secluded forest trails, of every lagoon, of the ancestral home and even the cemetery is a knowing fear, or at least a shiver of restlessness. Cinematographer Mackie Galvez (SANA DATI) captures the visual tone that complements the story's demands, and levels with the acting caliber of Nora Aunor. La Aunor plays Mara Fabre, a woman whose mental facult...