From the film, “Kita Kita”
The Filipino movie is worth dying to watch for and the future is bright for Philippine cinema! The Philippine movie industry has proved itself to be a promising feat, especially with the rise of new and talented filmmakers.
With the likes of Antoinette Jadaone (That Thing Called Tadhana and Love You To the Stars and Back) and Sigrid Bernardo (Kita Kita), these filmmakers have created themselves players of a “new game” in the Philippine movie industry, experimenting with uncommon storylines and techniques, and screening them to public theaters in areas where masses usually gather.
Although the much-loved rom-com is still a popular genre, several Filipino movies involving action and thrill proved it could create stimuli among the perceptive Filipino audience.
From the movie, “That Thing Callled Tadhana”
Since June is the month to wave the Philippine flag with honor, what better way to complete this month-long celebration than to add these to-die-for flicks that will make your #ProudlyPinoy heart skip a beat? So treat yourself to a break, invite some company and pop in these movies that will no doubt give you a great time.
Going on a movie marathon by yourself or with friends and family is not only a fun way to bond, but also a way to support locally produced films and to truly appreciate the Filipino mind.
We listed down some movies recommended by family and friends. Some films on this list may be something you may have watched already (Tick them off to your list, then!) So pop that corn, get a large drink and sit down because these movies are going to blow your mind, while simultaneously poking that proud Filipino heart of yours.
100 Tula Para kay Stella
Directed by Paul Laxamana
100 poems = 100 reasons why the stuttering boy loves the girl in the black lipstick.
Psychology freshman and poet, Fidel, meets and falls in love with fellow freshman Stella, a rocker who prefers her band than her studies. Having difficulty to express his affection due to his stuttering, Fidel secretly writes her 100 poems in a fleeting course of four years.
Meanwhile, Stella goes through a rough patch in her life. The only thing she wants to achieve in her life is to score a record label and be the most famous rock star in the country. Along the way, she struggles to find love and her true self, oblivious to the fact that one person has set his heart for her.
This heart-wrenching film is one unforgettable story. And since everyone loves a heart-breaking story, it’s no wonder that this was the most suggested one of the bunch. The film depicts love in its most sincerest and silent forms, and how it could turn things around in the most unexpected ways.
Heneral Luna
Directed by Jerold Tarog
The ultimate decision between self and country.
The year is 1898, and the Philippines has just been declared independent from the Spanish colony. Yet, a new problem arises our revolutionary leaders– the Americans. General Antonio Luna, with his great love of country than of himself, fights tremendously to save the Philippines from yet another foreign colonizer, and sees beyond the Americans’ sweet advances that entices his fellow leaders.
Heneral Luna takes us way beyond what we’ve learned from our History classes. It’s one of the most brilliant historical films produced in the Philippines. If you have seen this film, then you must agree on me on that note. If you haven’t, then I’ve got three words for you: Watch. It. Now.
That Thing Called Tadhana
Directed by Antoinette Jadaone
Where do broken hearts go? It takes you where you were meant to be.
Anthony and Mace meet at a rather unpleasant situation; Mace cries over which of her belongings to let go while relating everything to her recent breakup, while Anthony finds himself lending a hand to the poor lady at the airport in Rome. Upon arriving in the Philippines, they go on an unexpected journey to find a way to mend their broken hearts
On their journey, they help each other forget their own disappointment and heartbreaks in recent and previous events, while developing a closeness that deepens as they get to know each other more.
With its quirky statements and cheesy “hugot” lines, That Thing Called Tadhana will make you believe in love again. The film stirs from the usual Filipino love story format seen in commercial films with its simplicity and realistic vibes, the reason why audiences were captivated by this unlikely story. It catapulted to the success and recognition of Jadaone as a fierce and upcoming director of Philippine cinema.
Love You to the Stars and Back
Directed by Antoinette Jadaone
Their love goes where the road takes them; part of it involves getting captured by aliens.
Mika, an eccentric and awkward girl, set out for a road trip after feeling out of place at home. She decides to go to Mt. Milagros, a place her mother used to talk to her about, to get captured by aliens. Along the way, she accidentally meets Caloy, a good-humored boy and decides to give him a free ride until he reaches his destination.
Mika is surprised when she learns that Caloy has cancer. Despite his condition, he accepts this and remains positive and joyful. They both embark on a series of adventures and misadventures that unexpectedly leads them to a memorable romance even at such a young age. They eventually arrive at their destination, learning an important lesson on love and life.
This movie is another setback for Barreto and Garcia, this being their second movie as a tandem. They have really spiced up audiences with their charm and chemistry, even with the simplicity of the storyline. Jadaone has yet again turned herself away from the usual rom-com and delivered.
Patay Na Si Hesus
Directed by Victor Villanueva
This is not a road trip movie; this is a funeral.
Iyay informs her three adult kids that their estranged father, Hesus, has passed away. Despite the reluctance of her children, she pushes them and her sister Lucy to join her on a road trip from Cebu to Dumaguete to attend the funeral
This Cebuano dark comedy was one of the crowd favorites during last year’s Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino film festival. Jaclyn Jose, having won the Best Actress award at the 2016 Cannes Film festival, takes a different take from her usual dramatic roles. In this film she proves that she can also do the comedic role. So put on your seatbelts, and take the dreary but funny road to Hesus’ funeral.
Kita Kita
Director- Sigrid Bernardo
A heartwarming story of an unlikely couple who meets and proves to themselves that love is not blind.
Lea, a Filipina tourist guide who lives in Sapporo, Japan loses her eyesight after seeing her fiancé cheating on her. As she lives her life in temporary blindness, she encounters Tonyo, her neighbor who is also Filipino. Tonyo tries to cheer Lea up by doing her a few favors. Once he gained her trust, the both of them visit Sapporo’s tourist destinations.
On the night that Lea finally regains her eyesight, she sees Tonyo happily waving at her from the other end of the street, but he gets hit by a vehicle afterwards. Days after, Lea visits Tonyo’s house and discovers a lot more about Tonyo. Later on, she revisits all the places she and Tonyo used to go, carrying with her always a blindfold.
With this unlikely duo, this movie shows you that love is truly unconditional. It knows know condition or circumstances; it is as it is. Be prepared, though, because tears may also be involved when watching this film.
Ang Larawan
Directed by Loy Arcenas
A high-price bidding war of an unlikely masterpiece. In song form!
A throwback to the American colonization of the Philippines, this movie was based on a play titled Larawan by national artist Nick Joaquin. The film circles around two sisters, Candidad and Paula Marasigan, who find themselves in a financial crisis after their father, Don Lorenzo was caught in a recluse and has stopped painting for a long time now. To get some money, they take in a boarder named Tony Javier.
Meanwhile, a self-portrait made by Don Lorenzo sparks the interest of many high-profile personalities. Although the bid price could help them ease their way out of their financial problems, Candidad and Paula fear that they will lose such a precious treasure from their family. From there on, the two sisters shall choose between family and stability.
This is a perfect film to watch with your family, especially that the story surrounds one as well. Aside from that, it also gives a clear picture of the lifestyle of that time, when materialism and consumerism were on the rise. With an original score composed by the iconic Ryan Cayabyab, this Filipino musical will surely captivate you.
]]>The talented young filmmaker Ara Chawdhury has come a long way from being recognized as one of Cebu’s most promising creatives in Zee Lifestyle‘s Youth Issue in April 2015. Her debut full-length feature, Miss Bulalacao, will be premiering and competing in four international film festivals in June.
Ara Chawdhury (Photography by Dani Bautista)
Following its success at the Cinema One Originals 2015 and the Young Critics Circle Awards, Miss Bulalacao will have its international premiere at the Seoul Independent Women Film Festival, known as the world’s largest international women’s film festival on June 2-12. The film’s North America debut at the 5th YBCA New Filipino Cinema will follow on June 9-August 9, simultaneously competing at the Bangkok Gay and Lesbian Film Festival on June 10-19. Ara and cinematographer Christian Linaban are expected to appear in South Korea and San Francisco, while lead actor Russ Ligtas will represent the cast in Bangkok.
Miss Bulalacao will also travel to South Africa for the Durban International Film Festival, where film producer Bianca Balbuena will serve as part of the jury for the feature competition.
“I’m ecstatic over the chance to bring Bisaya humor to international audiences, and curious as to how it will be received, ” enthuses Ara.
Miss Bulalacao is about a young drag queen who joins a barangay gay pageant to gain acceptance in his father’s community. He is instead met with hostility from his father, who chases him to a jungle, where he sobs to a lone bright star. What follows is the strangest night in his entire life, and an even stranger nine months when he realizes he is pregnant. The film stars Russ, Tessie Tomas, Mon Confiado, Nanette Inventor, Chai Fonacier, Keith Deligero, Ferdinand Mesias, Gen Mijares and Ronyel Compra. (READ MORE: Constellation Prize)
Before jetting off to South Korea and USA, Zee Lifestyle catches up with Ara for a quick Q&A:
Ara Chawdhury (Photography by Dani Bautista)
FILMMAKING IN CEBU? It’s not really a full-fledged industry yet. We don’t regularly screen Cebuano features anywhere, for example, but we’re getting there.
HOW IS BEING YOUNG AN ADVANTAGE? I can learn from my mistakes and still have the energy to do 30-hour shoots BUT inexperience and an inherent underestimation of younger people make it hard to get people to listen. So there’s a lot of pressure to achieve.
THE REWARDING THING ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? Seeing mere ideas turn into tangible things. Filmmaking is basically catching lightning in a bottle.
A SACRIFICE YOU MADE FOR YOUR CRAFT? A stable income.
A MOVIE YOU WISH YOU DIRECTED? Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin. It’s a mix of everything I’ve wanted to bring onscreen—the feeling of isolation, a femme fatale who’s the spider instead of the fly, and it’s sci-fi to boot.
produced by Patty Taboada (with PR) photography Dani Bautista makeup Bobbie Albert hair Carlos Conde locale UVNS
Edited from the Young at Art feature originally published in Zee Lifestyle, April 2015. For back issues, subscribe via Magzter
]]>
“Motherhood,” he replied, without realizing that his answer to what makes a woman had birthed a bundle of extraordinary events for the new Miss Bulalacao.
Directed by Ara Chawdhury, winner of the grand prize at the Sinulog Short Film Festival for her Operation Prutas earlier this year, Miss Bulalacao is a finalist—and the only entry from Cebu—for the 2015 Cinema One Originals Film Festival.
Miss Bulalacao director Ara Chawdhury (Originally published in Zee Lifestyle, October 2015: photography by Mark Philip Dales/makeup by Romero Vergara/hair by Jessie Egos/shot on location at Qube Gallery featuring Insidious by Geovanni Abing)
Teaming up on this project are award-winning cinematographer Christian Linaban and producers Jill Anoba-Yap and Bianca Balbuena through Cinema One Originals, Panumduman Pictures, Above the Line Productions and Epic Media. Ara wrote and directed Miss Bulalacao with inspirations from several indie films, the popular video God-game The Sims, and her own childhood experiences in her hometown in Naval, Biliran, where the movie was shot.
Pregnant and bored, the young filmmaker was looking around her mom’s village for something to shoot. “Our helper’s family was living with us; and an addition to the household was the maid’s stepson, a flamboyant and proud boy,” Ara recalls. “I was aware that the husband beat up his wife time and again. It wasn’t hard to imagine then why the boy had stopped singing à la Regine Velasquez every morning, knowing his father had a short temper and heavy hand. I thought to myself, maybe if he were the pregnant one, his dad would go easy on him.”
BEHIND THE SCENES: Shooting at the director’s hometown in Biliran. (Photo credit: Panumduman Pictures)
Miss Bulalacao is a black comedy featuring a young drag queen (Dodong) who joins a barangay gay pageant with the hope of gaining acceptance in his father’s eyes and in his community. When he does win, Dodong’s dad remains hostile and the nod of approval he had anticipated never came. Instead the father runs after Dodong, who flees to a jungle where he cries his heart out to a single shining star. Instantly, there’s a flash of white light. What follows are the strangest nine months of his life as Dodong finds himself pregnant. The whole barangay, now abuzz with rumors of a miraculous encounter or an alien abduction, ridicules him.
Ara says the satire intends to send a message of respect—for all people, their individuality and their roles in society. The film depicts the effects of community sentiment (whether positive or not) on an individual, as well as the culture and attitudes of the people of Region VIII. “Regional stories are important fibers in Philippine cinema because of the little stories that we don’t hear in the cities we live in,” says Bianca, one of the producers. Ara adds that Region VIII is one of the poorest in the country, even before typhoon Haiyan. “I am hoping this film sheds some light on the culture and attitudes of people who have to survive on family bonds and community spirit, and how the individual suffers for this imbalance.”
BEHIND THE SCENES: Director Ara Chawdhury films one of the movie’s pivotal scenes. (Photo credit: Panumduman Pictures)
The film stars Cebuano performer Russ Ligtas in his first lead role in a film. Russ says of the experience, “Even as someone who is part of the LGBT, shooting the film revealed so many things about my own prejudices. I am humbled to be part of it.” The cast includes Chai Fonacier, Ferdinand Mesias, Tessie Tomas, Nanette Inventor, Mon Confiado, Jeff Ogario, Nikki dela Paz, Ronyel Compra, Paz Tabueldan and Tita Cris. Tomas, who is a native Waray speaker, says it was a chance to reconnect with her heritage. “Miss Bulalacao is a cleverly wacky story that challenges our beliefs on faith. I am proud to be a part of it,” she says.
Miss Bulalacao will premiere at the Cinema One Originals Film Festival on November 9-17, 2015. See screening dates below:
Wednesday, November 11, 2015 (gala premiere)
7:40 p.m., Trinoma
Thursday, November 12, 2015
12:30 p.m., Glorietta
10:00 p.m., SM Megamall
Saturday, November 14, 2015
1:10 p.m., Resorts World Manila
2:45 p.m., SM Megamall
4:50 p.m., Glorietta
Monday, November 16, 2015
12:30 p.m., SM Megamall
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
12:30 p.m., Glorietta
3:30 p.m., Trinoma
by Rusel Apa-ap sittings editor Patty Taboada photography Mark Philip Dales
makeup Romero Vergara hair Jessie Egos locale Qube Gallery
Originally published in Zee Lifestyle, October 2015