THE Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival kicked off last weekend at the Cultural Center of the Philippines with 10 short films endearing and even scaring indie buffs.
Directed by the 21-year old Kenneth Dagatan, “Sanctissima” has become one of the early favorites under Shorts A category for its gory depiction of a lone abortionist who feeds the fetuses of her customers to her child.
The film received a warm reception from members of the audience after it made them cringe in fright and disgust.
“I didn’t expect the reaction of the crowd would be like that. It is only now that I confirmed that the film is really effective,” Dagatan told INQUIRER.net.
Dagatan said he’s always wanted to make a horror film that isn’t clichéd and different from what typically seen on mainstream movies.
“I’ve liked to capture the perspective of the protagonist. There is no jump scare, only creep and gore,” said Dagatan who is a fresh graduate of University of San Carlos.
Ryanne Murcia, a college instructor at Ateneo de Zamboanga University, felt happy and humbled to be able to share his film “Apasol (Chasing Sun),” which tells the story of same sex lovers Mark and El spending their last afternoon together and wishing on a tree.
“Apasol was inspired from a state of mind when something so wonderful is happening and you don’t want it to end,” said Murcia.
He added that his short film reveals the demure side of a gay relationship that not all people see. “The silent, poetic and tender side.”
Ligaya Rabago as Marisa in Sanctissima
Childhood memories
Cinemalaya multi-awardee Rommel “Milo” Tolentino, known for his works that revolve around children and family, returned again this year with another humorous piece “Nenok” which depicts a nine-year-old street kid in Malolos, Bulacan finding a home in the premises of Barasoain Church with the company of a groundskeeper.
“Nenok embraces the memories of my childhood spent in the hallowed halls of the Cathedral of Lipa in Batangas and my juvenile fascination with the concrete saints that tower its corridors,” Tolentino shared.
“Like my protagonist child, my films are light-hearted and sunny, sprinkled with enough sugar and wit and brimming with heart,” he said.
When asked whether he would always pursue child-centered themes, Tolentino said, “At the moment my brain is wired to stories about children but it doesn’t mean that’s all I want to do. But I don’t mind exploring it further because these kinds of stories or films make me happy and brightly optimistic.”
The other two shorts under Shorts A are: “Gatilyo ng Baril”, directed by Eero Yves Francisco and Glenmark C. Doromal, which revisits the assassination attempt on former first lady Imelda Marcos; and “Kyel” by Arvin Belarmino that delves on drug addiction.
Casey Jedrik Palomares as Nenok
Love and loss
The Shorts B category, meanwhile, treated the audience to different shades of love and loss.
Inspired by Palanca awardee Conchitina Cruz’ poem, “Lisyun qng Geografia (Geography Lessons)” earned a good deal of attention for its themes of friendship, regret and loss.
The film, directed by 23-year-old Petersen Vargas, is about a man named Tib who is leaving the province of Pampanga for good until one day he sees the map that his close buddy Tric made for him during their high school days. Tib then decides to go back to all the places that are special to him and his bestfriend.
“The story is very personal to me. You could say it’s autobiographical. It was inspired by an experience I had in high school,” Vargas said.
“I really want to make films that really expose the beauty of Pampanga. And so I used Kapampangan language all throughout the film,” he added.
“Lisyun qng Geografia” is Vargas’ undergraduate thesis at UP Film Institute. It already made rounds in several film festivals in and out of the country including Cinema One Originals, Singkuwento, CineKabalen, Cinemanila, Thai and Mumbai Shorts Film Festival.
Stage and film actress Mailes Kanapi said she completely identifies with her character Cinta, a middle-aged and has-been actress who relives her stardom by watching her ‘70s movies and one day falls in love with a rock as told by Martika Escobar’s “Pusong Bato (Stone Heart).”
“I think the rock is not a symbol. It’s real. She really fell in love with a rock. I know it’s weird…it’s really transcendental thing for me…this is the truest role I’ve done,” Kanapi said.
Escobar disclosed the concept for her film was born out of curiosity for she never got involved in any romantic human relationship.
“I thought what if I fall in love with an object? From there, I researched and found out there are really people who develop feelings with inanimate things,” Escobar said in Filipino.
Ross Pesigan (Trick) and Earl Policarpio (Tib) in Lisyun qng Geografia
Mailes Kanapi as Cinta in Pusong Bato
Puppet
Another interesting short is Darwin Novicio’s “Papitir” which relates a ventriloquist looking back on his gloomy past during a performance in children’s party.
Novicio said he chose a ventriloquist as his character because it could play two personalities at the same time, the puppet and himself. “He is able to convey his thoughts and talk to himself, though in a different way with the help of the puppet.”
“I drew the story from the experience of my actor (Ruther Urquia). At one point, he had to mourn for the death of his father and at the same time he needed to perform in four kiddy parties,” he said.
Meanwhile, Annemikami Pablo’s “Mater” touched a rather sensitive subject when she presents the story of a mother and her daughter and the deterioration of their relationship because of religion.
The melancholic atmosphere of “Wawa” also impressed the crowd as the film takes them on a journey of a young boy and how he lays his deceased father to his final resting place.
The festival runs until August 15 at CCP and Greenbelt 3 Cinema.
Email arvin.mendoza@inquirer.net