What a difference a year makes. When we spoke with writer-director Jose Javier Reyes in an exclusive interview for CoverStory last year, the chair of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) used Ishmael Bernal’s screen drama “Relasyon” and Joey Gosiengfiao’s cult classic “Temptation Island” as tragic examples of cinematic loss to emphasize the urgent need for massive,...
Tag: Ruby Ruiz
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Cinemalaya 22: Comedic Ruby Ruiz, dramatic Pokwang face off in genre-bending performances
While last year’s Cinemalaya celebrated filmmakers navigating a changing industry, the 22nd edition of the festival this month has turned its lens inward. Under the theme “Reel Reflections,” the country’s preeminent indie showcase honors cinema as a powerful mirror of the Filipino experience. This focus blazes through the themes of the festival’s nine competing feature-film entries—from the harsh...
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Berlinale film shines a light on the plight of undocumented Filipino migrant workers
At the height of the pandemic in 2021, Al Jazeera reported on the plight of thousands of undocumented Filipino migrant workers in Switzerland. Because of their illegal status, it wasn’t very hard to exploit them. They were paid very little for services rendered and charged exorbitant fees to manage the high cost of living in...