‘Pintakasi’ goes to Baguio

FACE-OFF Two gangs stage their own “pintakasi” as the good (John Wayne Sace’s gang, right) fights the bad (JM de Guzman’s) in a fight-dance-draw duel choreographed by the internationally acclaimed Philippine All Stars.photo courtesy of giselle sanchez

The film “Pintakasi” wants to be as daring as the award-winning “Himala” in the experimental cinema genre, one of its creators said.

Content-wise, the two films are worlds apart. But, like “Himala,” “Pintakasi” gives viewers another perspective of the experimental film, said John Marc Diego, its writer and musical director.

According to its website, “Pintakasi” is “the story of a boy on the verge of adulthood, who has a passion for painting and who comes to an island made of garbage … From the province, he uses the island and its people as his canvas, and fights to protect the island from the internal and external forces that threaten to destroy it.”

Music, street art

Diego said the film, which uses 3D and 2D animation, has a lot of dance and hip-hop music: “We want to educate the public on music and street art. Hip-hop is not just about [sex] and violence.”

It was produced by Creative Media and Film Society of the Philippines, whose president is Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos. She used to head the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines which produced “Himala.”

“Pintakasi” will be shown at SM City Baguio on Feb. 29, followed by screenings in Davao, Batangas, Iloilo and Cebu. It will also join the Honolulu and Beijing film festivals, Diego said.

It bagged honors in the 37th Metro Manila Film Festival in December, winning the New Wave best indie film and New Wave best actor for JM de Guzman.

In a briefing at the Baguio Cinematheque on Wednesday, Diego said he and the production team wanted “Pintakasi” to again open doors for quality filmmaking, just like what “Himala” and other distinguished works did in the 1980s.

“Pintakasi” was produced on a P20-million budget but its creators still consider it an independent film because it used an unconventional formula.

“Gov. Imee Marcos wanted original Filipino content—from the style, story, form and even music,” Diego said. “We hope this film will be a trailblazer … This is a good [example] for those who want to embark on filmmaking. It is inspired by courage, patience and art.”