‘Batch ’81’ in Asian gems showcase in S’pore

A scene from “Batch ’81”

Mike de Leon’s “Batch ’81” is part of the Asian Restored Classics 2018, ongoing in Singapore until today.

The event is dubbed as “the only film festival in Singapore dedicated to screening restored films.”

Apart from the 1982 Filipino film, other screen treasures included in the lineup are: Chen Kaige’s “Yellow Earth” (1984, China), Yasujiro Ozu’s “Tokyo Story” (1953, Japan), Fruit Chan’s “Made in Hong Kong” (1997, Hong Kong), Yu Hyun-mok’s “Aimless Bullet” (1961, South Korea), Franz Osten’s “Shiraz: A Romance of India” (1928, United Kingdom), Juzo Itami’s “Tampopo” (1985, Japan), R. Krishnan’s “Orang Minyak” (1958, Malaysia), and Rattana Pestonji’s “Dark Heaven” (1958, Thailand).

According to the fest’s website, these “iconic movies span 70 years of timeless Asian gems from the 1920s to the 1990s,” consisting of “epic stories and sweeping landscapes.”

Venues for the screenings are the Capitol Theatre and the National Museum of Singapore.

De Leon told the Inquirer: “I am grateful that at my age, my films still resonate with contemporary audiences, but I’m also troubled that after 30-plus years, the film’s indictment of authoritarian rule and the fascist mindset is still relevant.”

He related that organizers had invited him to attend the event. “But I don’t enjoy festivals anymore, and I’m tired of talking about our political situation,” he explained. “I find no reason to be optimistic. I would have wanted to see ‘Tokyo Story’ and ‘Tampopo’ on the big screen, though. Hanggang Blu-ray na lang!”

Done by the L’Immagine Ritrovata in Italy, the restoration of “Batch ’81” was made possible by the Asian Film Archive, based in Singapore. Produced by Marichu Maceda and topbilled by Mark Gil, “Batch ’81” made a comeback when its restored version was unveiled in the Classics section of the Venice International Film Festival last year.

De Leon is currently remastering his other films, like “Bayaning 3rd World” (2000) and “Aliwan Paradise” (1992).

He plans to rerelease “Aliwan Paradise,” which was originally part of the Asian anthology “Southern Winds,” as “a stand-alone short film.” Like “Bayaning 3rd World,” “Aliwan Paradise” was also scanned at Ritrovata.

“I plan to have a school organization in UP show both films back-to-back before the end of this year. They sort of complement each other. Both are satires and black comedies,” he remarked.

He feels strongly about getting these films “back into circulation,” before working on “something new,” his follow-up to the much-acclaimed “Citizen Jake,” released this year. “Hopefully still a feature,” he said of his immediate plans. “But I feel like going back to basics, to real cinema, and giving up on ‘message’ films like ‘Citizen Jake,’ ‘Sister Stella L’ or even ‘Bayaning 3rd World.’ Perhaps do a thriller or a horror film that I can again shoot in Baguio.”