By: Kristen Huang
The Cinemalaya Film Campus 2015 addressed two questions that should spark interest with students, especially those who plan on taking up film or becoming a film major: (1) How does one read film? (2) What are some basic approaches to writing film critiques? Each session consisted of a screening of a film from a collection of Cinemalaya short films. The featured films were Milo Tolentino’s “Andong”, Emerson Reyes’ “Walang Katapusang Kwarto”, Paolo O’Hara’s “The Houseband’s Wife”, Joel Ruiz’s “Mansyon”, Borgy Torre’s “Bonsai”, and Cole Stramm’s “Jane’s Wedding.” The screenings were followed by a forum or discussion about the featured film by film reviewers and a critique by a film a film academician, writer or scholar. Among the speakers were movie critic Mario Hernando, film maker Jose Javier Reyes and academicians Patrick Campos, Miguel Rapatan, Anne Frances Sangil and Ronald Baytan. According to Clodualdo del Mundo Jr., the aim of the Cinemalaya Campus 2015 was to “Shed the light on the art of reading films.” To sum up my learnings from this year’s film campus, reading a film is not just merely watching and enjoying a film. It is truly understanding deeply the context of a film and compiling all the elements and details of the movie to make it unique. Like said in the forum about critiquing a film, “it goes beyond liking and disliking a film.” Film is just a pretext, the real text is the world outside of the film. “Apasol” (Chasing Sun) by Ryanne Joseph Murcia is a bittersweet short film that starts with a myth, hence the title, and captures an afternoon of love and goodbyes within the life of a couple, Mark and El. The film uses the Chavacano de Zamboanga language which at first I honestly thought was pure Spanish. Also, to be honest, I didn’t get a part of the film wherein El got mad at Mark because his parents apparently “did this too” but as Ryanne explained it further in the question and answer portion at the end of shorts B, I slowly understood the significance of the movie. The short film looks into the trials of gay love and it is able to delineate the anguish of the future and the hardships that Mark and El are trying to signify as they pursue their own thoughts. As Murcia said, sometimes there are memories or experiences in a day we don’t want to forget and moments we want to last. When night comes, the day ends leaving us with only a memory, and so we chase the sun. “Gatilyo ng Baril” or “Trigger of the Gun” by Eero Yves Fransisco and Glenmark Doromal is quite serious as compared to the other short films as it looks deeply and takes a closer look into the assassination attempt on then First Lady Imelda Marcos in 1972 and the murder of Ninoy Aquino at the Tarmac Airport. The short film includes the actual Betamax footages that creates a more eerie mood. In the short film, Mrs. Estrella is investigating on the case of Carlito Dimahilig, the suspect of the assassination attempt on Imelda Marcos by swinging a bolo at her. Mrs. Estrella interviews Rolando Galman, who might have revealed a little bit more than she would need to know and we are merely left suprised and cold just like Mrs. Estrella. “Sanctissima” by Kenneth Dagatan was one of my favourites among the 10 short films and personally, it is the best out of the films in Shorts A so props to Kenneth Dagatan for executing a well-executed short film despite being a Cinemalaya first-timer. It is a dark film and it delivers a very Fillipino barrio-set horror. The short film tells a story about an abortionist named Marissa who keeps a dark secret. In the hopes of not spoiling too much, it’s filled with gore, blood, and at times becomes quite disturbing and horrifying, but also, delightfully appalling. “Kyel” by Arvin Belarmino is a short film that takes us and lets us look closely at the life of a troubled man who seeks freedom from his own mind and finds comfort in using drugs or vices and using it as a form of therapy. Arvin Belarmino also dedicated Kyel to one of his friends. Kyel shows a hazy and confused state of mind not only through its lead, Frank Ferguson Jr., but also through technical aspects. It presented powerful images, but for me, it falls short on it’s conclusion. “Nenok” by Milo Tolentino is a short film about a mischievous nine year old street kid named Nenok who adopts the Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan as his home. The story revolves around Nenok and the church groundskeeper, Mang Johnny who Nenok plays tricks on. Nenok makes mischief around the church not out of naughtiness but out of genuine thoughtfulness.This short film is quite different to the other entires in Shorts A, as it is light, playful, and heart warming. “Lisyun Qng Geografia” (Geography Lessons) by Petersen Vargas has got to be one of my favourites following “Sanctissima” by Kenneth Dagatan. Not to mention the soundtrack in this short film by Ourselves the Elves was breathtaking. This short film is about friendship and factors that could ruin it, and love, among other things. Lisyun Qng Geografia made me feel a lot of emotions at once. It is very captivating and enchanting, but at the same time, heart wrenching. Vargas wishes to emphasise the personal struggles the characters, Tric (Ross Pesigan) and Tib (Earl Poliparpio), go through than to depict the typical gay stigma. I see a lot of people saying that this short film is a coming of age love story, but it is way more than that. It is the fading of a friendship which needs closure. All feelings are valid and love knows no boundaries. For Vargas, it is a personal matter and an experience, but it gratifies an ubiquitous thought. “Wawa” by Angelie Mae Macalanda is a silent film but its cinematography speaks millions. The story deals with a father’s death and his sons unconventional and despondent way of coping. I think the short film also relies on the scenery or the landscape to do most of the story telling. As Macalanda said, it was a reflection of her own grieving process for a loved one. To be honest, there isn’t really much to it as compared to the other short films. It is a process diverging from point A to point B. It is a simple, yet prompting film about loss and lament. “Mater” by Annemikami Pablo actually left me quite scared and disturbed and I still don’t know what to feel about it. The fictional family consists of a very religious mother and her rebel child, should I say. As shown in the short film, the family is stuck constantly doing the same thing everyday; praying, eating, throwing fits. It shows a different kind of motherly love and it also show how powerful jealousy is and how jealousy can lead to detrimental things. The short film is creepy yet intriguing. “Pusong Bato” (Stone Heart) by Martika Ramirez Escobar is definitely in my top 3 for all the short films. Escobar takes her “what ifs” into film and creates a masterpiece. It is about a middle aged former actress Cinta dela Cruz who absolutely adores her past career. Cinta tries to relive her great days as a famous movie start back in the 1970’s by watching films at home. This short film talks about a very different kind of love - love for inanimate objects, which might I add, is a real thing called Objectophilia. Love for a heart shaped rock, to be exact. When you think of it, it is quite of absurd to think of a person falling in love with a rock, there is just the right amount of borderline craziness which makes it absolutely priceless. As entertaining it is to watch a woman fall in love with a rock, the ending is quite dismal. I think it’s true what people say that when we love a rock, we become the same. Love changes people. “Papetir” (Puppeteer) by Darwin Novicio had me taken aback, it was seriously not what I expected. I feel ashamed to say that I judged the movie by its poster; I thought it was going to be a fun and happy film, but at the end I was left pitiful and melancholy. The puppeteer, played by Ruther Urquia, a real life puppeteer and a former contestant of “Pilipinas Got Talent”, whose job is to entertain people by making a puppet his mouthpiece literally talks to his past self about a sorrowful memory. It made me quite sad, actually, that people were laughing and having fun, while he was hurting. It shows us that behind the happy and gleeful facade the puppeteers put on every show, there is a mournful experience they are trying to hide. Albeit being shorter than usual, it is light yet despairing.
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