‘Indie-fatigable,’ ‘indie-scribable’ party

TRAFFIC!

Superstars and supporters of the independent filmmaking community braved the maddening Metro Manila traffic jams on Thursday night to attend the 2nd Inquirer Indie Tribute at the PDI office in Makati City.

Their efforts were amply rewarded with a rare get-together with trade peers and pioneers—plus, they got to party with two internationally acclaimed queens of Filipino entertainment: Actress Anita Linda and opera diva Fides Cuyugan-Asensio.

Tickled pink

Anita was tickled pink that her seatmate, Christian Merer—counselor for cooperation and cultural affairs of the French Embassy in Manila—was a fan.

The venerable actress recounted: “He told me: ‘You’re Lola! You’re famous in Paris!’” Merer was referring to “Lola,” Brillante Mendoza’s film that won best actress awards for Anita in Spain, Iran and Taiwan.

“I was honored to be seated beside her,” Merer later told colleague Martin Macalintal, audiovisual attaché of the embassy.

French critic Max Tessier explained to Anita that “Lola” had a successful run in Parisian cinemas. “Your posters were displayed all over the city,” Tessier told her.

Late, later

One of the honored pioneers, Roxlee, who came all the way from his home in Cainta, Rizal, said it took him, his wife Lot and two kids Zerox, 4, and Zentrum, 3, two hours to get to Makati.

Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares, chair of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), also had trouble traveling from her office on Timog Avenue in Quezon City. She asked to speak in the early part of the program since she had the MTRCB Christmas party to attend later.

Actress Irma Adlawan, who was to present the Guyito trophy to producer-director Alemberg Ang, recalled how she got stuck for an hour on Kamagong Street, just a few meters away from the Inquirer building on Chino Roces Avenue. Ang said Adlawan was so embarrassed, she asked him to escort her into the building.

Cebu-based Remton Siega Zuasola was among the lucky few spared from the horrific jams. He had flown to Manila a day before the event and stayed at a friend’s house nearby. Remton arrived with director Tikoy Aguiluz, Cinemanila International Film Festival founder.

Special meaning

The program proper—citing six indie pioneers and 10 filmmakers who made giant strides and won awards here and abroad in the past year—began at 6:30 p.m., just a half an hour late.

Singer-composer Noel Cabangon performed “Sangandaan,” the theme of Mike de Leon’s famous drama, “Sister Stella L,” starring Vilma Santos. He later went back on stage to sing “Ang Buhay Nga Naman,” from Soxie Topacio’s satire, “Ded na si Lolo.”

Midway through the proceedings, Fides wowed the crowd with a moving rendition of “Ay Ay Kalisud,” which she performed in Loy Arcenas’ “Niño,” one of the cited films.

Fides told the Inquirer that the song had a special meaning for her. “I sang it to my husband when he was ill. When I did the finale scene with Tony Mabesa in ‘Niño,’ I wasn’t acting at all.”

Post-“Niño,” she has a few follow-up projects in the works. “It’s so weird that this is all taking place so late in my life,” she noted.

Well-loved

Documentarian Ditsi Carolino was obviously well-loved by her colleagues.

Producer Lilit Reyes said that “Halaw” director and honoree Sheron Dayoc was inspired to make movies because of Ditsi’s docus.

Last year’s honoree Ato Bautista recalled watching Ditsi’s seminal work, “Minsan Lang Sila Bata,” in school as a kid.

Ditsi said that she felt elated that documentarians like herself—Nick Deocampo, Butch Nolasco in the pioneers’ group; Monster Jimenez, Mario Cornejo and Ferdinand John Balanag among the new breed—have been included in the tribute. “Documentaries are no longer the poor cousins of narrative features.”

Nick Deocampo donated a copy of his latest book, “Film: American Influences on Philippine Cinema,” to the Inquirer library. Like the other honorees, Nick said he is thankful that the Inquirer gives space to indie filmmakers, further enriching and expanding the discourse on cinema in these parts.

Past honorees Ato Bautista, Raymond Red and Paolo Villaluna were products of the Mowelfund Film Institute that Nick headed in the past. “We couldn’t miss this,” Paolo said.

At the event, Paolo caught up with Anita, whose one line of dialogue in his and Ellen Ramos’ film “Ilusyon” is a favorite of Inquirer publisher Isagani Yambot.

Remton expressed interest in casting Anita in the follow-up to his award-winning “Ang Damgo ni Eleuteria.”

Anita was pleasantly surprised that actor John Arcilla was also a singer. He sang the theme of “Halaw,” composed by Lilit Reyes and Jasper Perez, to cap the evening.

Anita quietly sang along in her seat while Fides fearlessly hit the high notes. “My mother taught me the lyrics of ‘Ay Ay Kalisud’ when I was young,” Anita said.