The short documentary was supposed to be about the indigenous language of the Aeta in the remote, hilly village of Villa Espina in Lopez, Quezon (boondocks). It was my intended entry to the 2022 Kota Kinabalu International Film Festival (KKIFF) in Sabah, Malaysia, on Sept. 17-25. But a tight production schedule and a looming deadline...
Tag: film
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The militancy in/of Jay Altarejos
It’s not every day that one encounters a militancy in/of a filmmaker like Joselito “Jay” Altarejos. Local show business isn’t traditionally and usually attuned to or associated with activism, political or otherwise; it’s more known for glitz and glam, if not gossip. Anything of the hoi polloi, the great unwashed, and being combative, truthful and...
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This master of fantasy and horror films was born in Manila
The name of American filmmaker Brian Yuzna might not ring a bell to the mass audience of commercial films, especially from Hollywood, but he is a master in his own right. Come to think of it, Yuzna is on a par in innovations with such legends as Alfred Hitchcock or Brian de Palma, or even...
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The extraordinary Cherie Gil
Cherie Gil came across in varying ways—imperious and intimidating; funny, warm and open; beguiling and sexy. Writing this, thinking about her and my time with her, I realize I probably really knew only one facet of a woman I love dearly and hold in great esteem. I’m certain her family, her barkada (the women—and man—who I fondly...
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‘Katips’: Martial Law 101 on dramatic steroids
“Katips” is not for those looking for a nuanced, layered, complex movie about martial law. It caters to a less sophisticated crowd—those who have not yet seen a martial law film, those who have zero to little knowledge and appreciation of martial law, and those who deny martial law atrocities altogether. That’s a wider net,...
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Cinemalaya: back with a vengeance
Through the years since 2005, the Cinemalaya festival, a project of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), has been providing the more discerning moviegoers—many of them young people—some memorable films. During that first year, one of the independently produced movies in the full-length category was “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros.” It did not win...