High living in a high altitude ridge

Diverse stories in 3 days. Cinemalaya 2018

Cinemalaya represents to me diverse Filipino stories said in a film format. Each film tells a unique story that primarily captures the nuance of a Filipino, our story. Some are well told, some still to be better told. The films can either inform, entertain, provoke. What they unique do is trigger sparks.

#schoolservice Strong opening with a tragic ending. Taboo subject triggers curiosity. Characters and conflicts quickly established at the start. Service designed creatively with all elements and characters crammed in a small space. Yet the story revolves in the street and in the peripherals. Ai Ai is convincing demonstrating versatility. Joel, Joe exaggerate their characterization effectively. Kids are au naturel. A docu structured in a full length movie leaving a perspective begging for a moral judgment.

Slow, restrained and calm for an extended time until it explodes. Then settles down again. #distance in #cinemalaya2018 intimately unfolds the internal family conflicts engaging one to seek for more until it peaks and eventually settles down. The start to finish is appropriately “Sa Pagitan ng Dito at Doon“ hoping that when it reaches there, life goes on differently this time. Well crafted, written well and acted well by Iza and Nonie.

#Mamang. Ghosts of the past coming back alive even if age has forgotten them. Creatively, that’s how the O’ Hara’s created and executed life in a dementia gracefully and entertainingly essayed by Celeste Legaspi aided by inseparable and dependable son portrayed finely by Ketsup Eusebio. Time and reality are suspended to convey the messages of fear of death, separation, unresolved issues, unexpressed love, joy of living in the present with simple needs satisfied and the fulfilment of the promise of everlasting happiness in the afterlife.

The ghosts of the past and the blind spots of the millennials. #ML other than martial law could also stand for millennials. Imagine what happens when you put side by side a retired military colonel with a psychological disorder with the freewheeling pleasure oriented, gadgets driven, "now na," "you only live once" generation. This is graphically presented and impactfully dramatized by veteran actor Eddie Garcia and boyband singer Tony Labrusca. Film is engaging, disturbing and even entertaining. While only the torture and brain washing perspective were highlighted with the military putting value on blind loyalty and YOLO gen on immediacy, #ML projects both as humans, with a drive to contribute but needing understanding and help for their imperfections.

Liway. The charming, inquisitive son of Day & Ric was blessed to have been raised well by his parents. Careful with how the cause oriented parents rear their child on the lurking dangers outside of the comfort home, they protect Dakip from the myths and the half-truths outside the camp and consciously pace the child’s orientation only when he is ready to face and accept reality. I viewed the story not only from the perspective of the mother Day a.k.a. Liway and father Ric but on how Dakip copes growing up. High point for me is when he sees the world outside for the first time and his sincere speech to the crowd. Truly, Dakip the character and the dramatization of Kenken Nuyad were remarkable.

What made #Liway an indie (associated with twist and unconventional and pinoy’s story) was not the ending but rolling credits to close it. It made me ask how will Dakip be nurtured without his parents as the military aggressively exterminates the enemies of the state. There was an impulsive drive to meet him as I knew this was based on a real story and he is a Filipino based somewhere in the island. Did he grow up as a normal child? Did he pursue the cause of his parents? The credit gave me the answer. Ang galing ni Dakip, a.k.a. Kip, a.k.a. @kipoebanda #cinemalaya2018. So do Glaiza, Soliman.

Waiting for Sunset. Truly a great ensemble, Dante Rivero in particular! And Perla and a restrained and effective Menggie (and his outfit). #kungpaanohinintayangdapithapon is a well crafted execution of a story on falling out of love, recognizing it and accepting it in time. Dapithapon explores subliminally that even before one dies physically, without a life, one is no longer alive (father and son Benedicto and Chito). The slow pacing and development of the characters is in keeping with the theme's tone on aging eventually building up to a simple high point, friendship and acceptance expected of people in mature stage. Promotes Kapampangan. Characters use it proudly for intimate talks. #cinemalaya2018

Musmos. A prayer in a song. A prayer in a (full length) movie. A powerful story set in a one setting: river, water and the bank. Treating a century old conflict philosophically and spiritually: going with the flow of the river, slow unfolding of developments, unique rituals, beliefs, practices and culture yet with a universal human message. #Musmosnasumibolsagubatngdigma a century long conflict told differently. Only in #Cinemalaya2018

#pandesalawal offers hope to those in despair and the emotionally and physically handicapped. A fairy tale format Pandacan style unfolds a story of a child who miraculously cures aliments of residents she finds giving them spark in their life. As part of the #cinemalaya2018 festival, it adds a genre to the offering of diverse Filipino stories on film. As situations are pinoy familiar and dramatically essayed by actors, empathy with the theme and characters is spontaneously established making one feel good towards the end.

#thelookout is a person stationed to keep watch for danger or trouble. The situations presented in the mystery thriller set up the ambiguity of who the lookout is. The victim, protagonist, the pick, authorities, the brother or the sister, villain or all of the above?

More interesting is the relationship that develops between the newbie lead actor Andres Velasquez as Lester Quiambao/ George and the newbie secondary actor Jay Garcia as Travis Concepcion/ Timothy effectively interpreted by new faces on film. Set against the backdrop of a well-crafted visuals and lines, the crime story becomes incidental to the evolving, deepening and conflicting bond between them.

Appreciate this if you treat the sub plots are mere diversions and distractions and see the two lead characters as the lookouts for each other.

Photos from cinemalaya promotional images