Thai, Pinoy films seize the spotlight at Asia On Screen fest

“TEACHER’S DIARY.” Thoroughly disarming screen romance.

The most pleasant surprises at last week’s Asia On Screen film fest (on Sept. 15-18 at Greenbelt 3) were the unconventional but heartwarming rom-coms fielded by Thailand (Nithiwat Tharathorn’s “Teacher’s Diary” and Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s “Heart Attack”) and the provocative dramas from the Philippines (Brillante Ma. Mendoza’s “Taklub” and Pepe Diokno’s “Above the Clouds”).

“Teacher’s Diary” and “Heart Attack” may not be the stuff that film fest darlings are made of because they don’t hew close  to the “deep, dark and emotionally devastating” school of thought adhered to by many world-cinema practitioners.

In fact, despite the rom-com fizz the Thai movies exude on the surface, they convey stories and themes that are as deeply relevant as the most distressing issues tackled by their more serious counterparts.

Take “Teacher’s Diary.” Loosely inspired by two interrelated true-to-life stories, the film follows Song (Sukrit Wisetkaew), who forges a “psychic bond” with Ann (Chermarn Boonyasak), the teacher he replaced at a primary school on a picturesque floating village. When he discovers the diary Ann left behind, he begins to fall in love with her. Will Song ever meet her?

Devoid of the circuitous, formulaic clutter of most romantic films these days, Tharathorn’s thoroughly disarming screen romance strings a well-spun yarn about how Song and Ann’s paths eventually cross.

More than that, it manages to bring out the nobility and indispensability of the teaching profession. It doesn’t hurt that Wisetkaew and Boonyasak are charming performers who are easy on the eyes.

Easy to root for

Sunny Suwanamethanon and Davika Hoorne, the lead stars of “Heart Attack (aka “Freelance”), are just as fascinating to watch—and easy to root for.

In the film, Yoon (Suwanamethanon) is a 30-year-old freelance graphic designer who must take time out of his “killer” schedule to consult lovely Dr. Imm (Hoorne) after stress-related rashes begin to appear all over his body after working nonstop—and desperately trying to dodge sleep—for five days!

What Yoon doesn’t count on is falling in love with Imm—but, is it just a textbook case of medical transference? And, will his unrequited feelings for her be finally reciprocated at the film’s final fade?

The production’s answers to those questions may not be the obvious ones we often see in Pinoy mainstream cinema—but, just the same, they pretty much tickle rom-com aficionados’ fancy.

MADRID. Career-boosting portrayal.

Also commendable is the inventive way the film zeroes in on the importance of not always taking life too seriously—and appreciating the ample but underappreciated blessings that come our way.

We’ve written about the significant merits of Mendoza’s “Taklub” (starring Nora Aunor), so let’s focus instead on the sumptuous cinematic beauty of Diokno’s exquisite coming-of-age drama, “Above the Clouds,” and its lead star Ruru Madrid’s quietly limned but career-boosting portrayal.

After his parents die in a deadly storm, 15-year-old Andy (the exceptional Madrid) is forced to leave the big city and live with his estranged grandfather (Pepe Smith) in Baguio.

But, he has difficulty coming to terms with his loss, because he isn’t given enough space and time to mourn his parents’ passing by his rough and gruff lolo—his only living relative!

Things take a turn for the worst when the old man forces Andy to go hiking up a mountain with him. But, just as testy Andy thinks he’s reached the end of his rope, he comes to a realization that changes the way he looks at the seemingly indecipherable mysteries of life and death forever—and finds redemption.

The power and impact of “Clouds” come as a surprise to us because, truth to tell, we’ve pretty much been “underwhelmed” by Diokno’s Venice fest-winning “Engkwentro” or the confounding QCinema entry, “Kapatiran.”

Diokno may have endeavored to tackle pertinent issues in those early films, but it is in “Above the Clouds” that we finally see through his heart and soul!