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this film is just so beautiful in a lot of ways Lion (2016) dir. by Garth Davis

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“Listen, Haku. I don’t remember it, but my mom told me… Once, when I was little, I fell into a river. She said they’d drained it and built things on top. But I’ve just remembered. The river was called the Kohaku River. Your real name is… Kohaku.” – Chihiro Ogino

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just realized that The Shining is a quarantine movie

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Here's to the ones who dream Foolish as they may seem Here's to the hearts that ache Here's to the mess we make

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Dear Friend, 

I feel infinite...

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to die by your side is such a heavenly way to die

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the past is a dangerous place to dwell on

Clips from Esteros (2016),  Papu Curotto

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Red and Lit

I am really tired of movies where women are pitted against each other. It’s like women who share an environment have to compete to be on the top. In the case of Raise the Red Lantern, there still this feeling of annoyance while watching the film. However, I understand that this fits the social context of the film. I am aware that concubinage in Ancient China comes with such strict competition where concubines try to claw their way up to the position of “head wife”. The tension between the mistresses was so palpitating and really tugs your emotions. The film’s narrative was comparable to the afternoon telenovelas Filipinos are fond of watching.

Setting the narrative aside, I have to acknowledge the beautiful cinematography of the film. I love how every frame was dead centered and incorporated balance. I also love how the close-up shots of the mistresses felt distant as opposed to personal. It felt like there was a filter between the audience and their faces. Aside from that, the film was also successful at capturing the beautiful yet eerie look of the location, enough to suggest that dark mystery shrouds the castle.

Overall, Raise the Red Lantern was special for its enigmatic cinematography. Some might argue that this film was ahead of its time however this just proves that Asian films can compete with its Western counterparts.

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RESPECT BEGETS RESPECT

Armed with themes that tackle social issues like poverty, war on drugs and corruption. Respeto is a film that definitely deserves our respect for dauntlessly delivering blows against the current administration and its injustices.  

Respeto narrates the story of an aspiring rapper, Hendrix played by Abra and his journey as he spends his life living in the slums. and how it’s like to live in the most fucked up part of the society, with all of these threats of demolition, Tokhang raids, police corruption, and forms of violence against women and children. In a way, This film is trying to wake the people up especially those in the top of the hierarchy that a lot of horrible things like these are happening below.

Aside from that, the film was able to compare and form a connection between the current administration and the Marcos regime and to do something like this is hard to pull off, considering how the support for both strongmen are ever-growing day by day.

In the end, the film’s cinematography and musical “flip top” aspect is just secondary to the narrative that it is trying to convey. Respeto is undoubtingly a national treasure, roaring amidst the efforts of the government to silence the truth.

PS. We were lucky to meet one of the film’s actors, Brian Arda. He was able to share his sentiments and struggles while making the film. He also spilled some film-related tea  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) .

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JAI HO: Slumdog Millionaire is a Slam

Released in 2008, Slumdog Millionaire is a British-funded drama film that perfectly captivates a sense of disorientation and disease with its cinematography that successfully made its best scenes even better. This can be observed in the tilted shots of the slums which evoke the feeling of distress and unease as well as in the interrogation scenes which suggest injustice. The tilted shot was also utilized to revoke inequality in the scenes shared by Jamal with either the host, the police inspector, Salim and other characters that hold higher authority. Aside from tilted shots, the film also did a great job of utilizing other kinds of camera angles possible such as low angle and high angle shots to portray inferiority and superiority. The film also used overhead shots to capture an image of the slums that makes you feel insignificant in the sea of chaos and poverty. While the film diligently followed the standards which can be observed in the balanced elements in most scenes, especially in those were 2 characters shared, there were instances that it violates rules but made the film more interesting. One scene on my mind is when Jamal was in the studio, off-centered and looking straight to the camera as it transitions to a flashback. This scene was quite powerful as if his eyes were a black hole, pulling you to a distant memory.

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Ganito ang Filipino Cinema Noon, Paanong Ganyan na Ito Ngayon

I rarely appreciate Filipino cinema. I am so tired of how Filipino films use themes again and again that the narrative is so predictable. You will know that a protagonist that has a poor background will eventually climb his way to wealth or an ugly one will aim for a pretty face and plan her revenge along the road. This also reflects on Filipino TV where most "dramas" involves legal wife vs a mistress. I don't know why but Filipinos do like these themes so much even though shows revolve around the same plot that you can't even distinguish one from another.

That is why it was really a shocker when I watched Ganito Kami noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon.

Set in a colonial/Filipino revolutionary Era, Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon narrates the story of Kulas (Nicolas Ocampo) as he takes his journey to the unknown. Armed with his gullible nature, you would not expect Kulas, a man who accidentally burned his nipa hut right after his mother's funeral, to have what it takes to leave his barrio and ride his horse to somewhere far. However, as the film goes on you will see that in fact, it was his innocence that helped him in achieving things he did not plan to have. Because of his quite charming personality, you can't help yourself but to root for him and get angry whenever others take advantage of him. 

What differentiates Kulas from other protagonists who have a similar background is that he doesn’t actively pursue things that others want like money and power instead, he chases things that others neglect like love and identity. 

Kudos to Christopher de Leon for performing great for this character. I still can't believe that he used to play these charming characters, far from his serious, scary father often play a part.

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Whatever will be, will be.

So far, out of all the films that we have watched in the Film 10 class, “Paper Dolls” is the one that made me teary-eyed.

Paper Dolls is a documentary that follows the story of queer Filipino OFW’s in Israel who perform drag as their part-time job. This film recounts their hardships as they spend their days in a quite different society compared to home, enduring the prejudice towards being both homosexual and Filipino.

The film was not perfect, There were scenes that felt a little “stagey” that almost pulled me out of the documentary but overall, “Paper Dolls” did well at transmitting the story-driven emotions that made its flaws insignificant. So here I am to enumerate the things that made this documentary quite spectacular.

1. Tomer

As the director of the film, it is undeniable that the story of the Paper Dolls will not be heard without his presence but it wasn’t his directorial role that really made him significant. It was his open-mindedness towards homosexuality and forming a friendship with queers that made him important. He needed to be present to document the Paper Dolls but it felt like he actually wanted to. He was there to support them during their auditions. He came quickly once he learned that one of them was detained at the immigration. He was there by their side and was being a great friend.

2. Haim

The world doesn’t deserve a human-like Haim. He’s not just a good employer. He was exceptional. He treated Sally as his own child and willingly taught his language. He has such a bright personality that there were times that I forgot that he was suffering cancer.

3. Paper Dolls.

The film was about them, a documentary that follows the story of queer Filipino OFW’s in Israel who perform drag as their part-time job. This film recounts their hardships as they spend their days in a quite different society compared to home, enduring the prejudice towards being both homosexual and Filipino. You should not forget that it was in the early 2000s when the world was not as understanding as it is now. The Paper dolls have suffered a lot and it was their resilience and passion that made them survive.

4. The End

A friend of mine said that it was really great that the film has ended in a good note that they have gone through a lot and they deserved the best but being pessimistic, I said that their lives were good… so far. I was intrigued, so I looked them up on the internet and hoped that I didn’t. I learned that they got residencies in London and there was a play that is based on their story. Unfortunately, Sally died, 20 days after she went to UAE to work as a hairdresser.

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This documentary has reminded me that life is unpredictable. One day you're in a bad place, the next day you are not. It might be daunting but we cannot control the course of time, we just have to live with it. Whatever will be, will be.

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Love is not that Complicated

To know yourself in a world that dictates who should you be, is one of the greatest feats anyone could ever accomplish.

What are the odds that I will decide to take Film 10 class this semester, and get the professor who is apparently the only one in the country who has the copy of "She's a Boy I knew." I really feel fortunate that I had the chance to watch the documentary of Gwen Haworth featuring her quite unique journey of transitioning from a man to a woman and identify herself as a lesbian.

The documentary is spectacular. It was successful at making the film intimate, that the audience feels special witnessing her story and connect with her in one way or another, expected or not. I know, because unexpectedly I was able to connect to her story in more than one way.

There was a time in her life that she felt like she was alone. She felt like she can't be herself even in front of her family. She was so sure that she will carry to her grave the secrets that only she knew. It was hard. As for me, though I don't carry that much weight in my heart, I know how hard it is to feel like the only human in the universe that you have no one to talk to, no one to trust. However, eventually just as she did, you will realize that you were just not looking around. There are people who will love you whoever you are.

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Serving the Chaos

If you’re looking for a movie that exhibits chaos in more than one way, then Serbis is the film that you’re looking for.

Serbis is an internationally-acclaimed film directed by Brillante Ma. Mendoza focuses on the chaos that reigns not only in the insides of a local theater but also over the characters that live and make a living by screening lewd films/participating in an underground den of male prostitutes.

The lives of these characters are in shambles. We have Nanay Flor (Gina Pareno) who was undergoing a legal battle where their children appeared to side on her adulterous husband. There’s Alan (Coco Martin) who has a dermal infection that obviously needs medical attention and has impregnated his girlfriend. There’s Nayda (Jaclyn Jose) who has crumbles of dark secrets that were left to the audience to decipher. We also have to acknowledge how the theater’s sales were declining, adding more to the

Let us be clear that I did not like the movie, It was nauseating but I acknowledge the brilliance (pun-intended) of Mendoza for successfully portraying chaos not only in narrative but also in the filming itself. We can observe it in the background noises overpowering the dialogues, unstable camera movements that gave me a bit of a headache.

I can compare it to Jackson Pollock’s pieces, interestingly chaotic but whether it was intentional or not, we will never know.

Photo: Convergence, 1952 by Jackson Pollock

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The Odyssey to Boca del Cielo

If you have watched Y Tu Mama Tambien, you will know how Boca del Cielo plays an important role in the journey of Tenoch, Julio and Luisa.

At first, Boca del Cielo (Heaven’s Mouth) was just a make-believe paradise created by Tenoch and Julio while they were talking to Luisa. Never did they know that she was actually interested to come to this place and that there’s really a place that captures the beauty of the Boca del Cielo in their mind.

Their odyssey to Boca del Cielo was not perfect. A lot of things happened like break-up phone calls, broken friendships and a lot of sex, just to name a few. Despite all of these, their journey brought important realizations to all of them. 

Tenoch and Julio were close friends at the start of the movie but the trip revealed secrets that they hide from each other and stirred emotions that they were keeping from themselves.

In Luisa’s case, the trip was something she has dreamed for the longest time, not particularly in Boca del Cielo but just anywhere.  Aside from that, the literal translation of the name, Heaven’s Mouth quite foretells her fate and the secret that she kept the entire movie which was her diagnosed cancer. 

She died in the end but at least she was able to fulfill her dream- to wander, and it was her heaven.

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In life, there is this one trip that you will never forget. A journey that can turn you into someone else, changing the track of your life. I haven’t had mine but all I hope is it will bring a change for the better and I hope yours will too.

Images from Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001), Alfonso Cuarón 

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Cinema Paradiso and Its Themes of Journey and Escapism

No one can argue that Cinema Paradiso is a film about journeys. The main plot is centered on the life of Salvatore, from being an altar boy/inquisitive companion of Alfredo then becoming the official cinema projectionist and eventually turning out to be a well-known director. Aside from his life, the film has also emphasized the journey of the cinema and how technology has paved the way to the advancements in filmmaking. However, Cinema Paradiso is not only about journeys but also about the escapism of the characters.

One of the portrayals of escapism in the film is the “Cinema Paradiso” itself. We must remember that the early life of Salvatore coincides with the period of the war. It was the time where forms of entertainment such as films played an important role in boosting the morale of not only the soldiers but also the family and friends who were left behind. This could be one of the reasons why the cinema was always full: to forget even just for a while.

In Salvatore’s mother’s case, this form escapism is not an option since she carries the responsibility of taking care of 2 children, one of which was still a toddler. Her way of escapism was denying the chances that his husband deployed to Russia was already dead though Salvatore, at a young age, was aware that his father is not coming back.

Speaking of not coming back, the most evident portrayal in the film of escapism is Salvatore’s. Under the advice of Alfredo, he tried his best not to return to the place where he grew up, where he picked up important lessons in life and where he has lost a lot. It wasn’t until the news of Alfredo’s death that he decided to return after 30 years, ready to face the ghosts that he ran away from for a long time.

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In a sense, we are all Salvatores trying to escape from our darkest secrets, regrets, and fears. I hope that one day, we can find the courage to face them, or if not at least some solitude to find the happiness we all deserve.

Clips from Cinema Paradiso (1988), Giuseppe Tornatore

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The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places.

 Ernest Hemingway