Sinebarangay: A Review of the Short Films Screened at Riverfront Park, Marikina (11/20/08)

Waiting Shed - by Ely Buendia

A nurse (nursing student?) occupies a random waiting shed (Or maybe I can't recognize where it is hehe) and stays there the entire night, initially carrying on an emotional phone conversation, reads a textbook, ignoring taxi cabs that stop for her, gives directions, gets drunk on wine, buys a huge stuffed animal from a sidewalk vendor, drives people away from her spot. Why she refuses to go home is left to us to wonder. Interesting that in this film, the uncomfortably pink MMDA waiting shed is someone else's comfort zone instead of a place of transience.

The Artist Is In - Marcus Adoro

(I can't review this film properly because it was a night outdoor screening and Jat and I could barely make out what was happening) From what I could gather, the Artist struggles with procrastination or lack of artistic inspiration. The film seemed interesting at first with the buoyant soundtrack, but the music peters out towards the middle and comes back again towards the end.

(Yes, Ely and Marcus are aspiring filmmakers now)

Frou Frou ... Sssh! 'Wag Mong Sabihin Kay Itay

French-speaking, Pinoy actors/characters indulge in their illicit fantasy. The 'fantasy' sequences that are supposed to be sexy are deliberately corny (I think) and remind me of Bollywood. Their love is forbidden, and for good reason. Amusing, but I think the fantasy sequences were a bit overlong and the 'twist' at the end lost its punch.

The Undertakers

Indian film about a poor family engaged in the family business of providing coffins , which is going to the dumps. In a nation where only 5% of the population are Catholic, one of the undertakers longingly muses about doing business in the Philippines, where there are 80 million Catholics and lots of natural and man-made disasters. In doing business, the protagonists are desperate to earn a little money and even offer their bedridden father's custom-made coffin saying that they can make him another one. Striking is the depersonalization of death when seen through an undertaker's eyes.

Inday Wanda

Funny and amusing animated film from La Salle - Benilde students about Inday Wanda, babaylan and 'katulong' and yaya extraordinaire who has to battle evil while caring for her young ward.

Tumbang Preso

Funny and engaging film about Estong, misfit from childhood all the way to adulthood, as seen in the unchanging routine of his daily life - from a skinny, lackadaisical child living with a controlling mother to a middle-aged bum, still living at home, and whose harmless childhood pastimes become more complex (er, slightly criminal) - yet with the same results - locked up, behind bars, watching his friend and deprived of freedom.

*** The great thing about Sine Barangay is that (quality) films are taken to the people, and as the organizers explained, film appreciation becomes a community experience - watching together, talking about the films afterward, and hopefully inspire the dormant filmmaker in all of us.

It was heartwarming to see the very positive response from the audience (the cineastes and other film lovers, walk-ins are just a minority compared to the turnout of the students and residents of Marikina City), showing that it is possible to raise awareness of the wealth of films that cinema offers outside of the mainstream formulaic local schtick crammed down our throats. The sizable crowd was enthusiastic about the first few films that the latter two I reviewed were shown as bonus screenings by popular demand. The films that were screened, by the way, are selected award-winning films from the recently concluded 10th Cinemanila International Film Festival (except for the oven fresh films of Ely and Marcus which were finished the day before the screening, both produced by Direk Tikoy and Anima Aguiluz.)

Catch the rest of the screenings. Will post the sked once I get a hold of it. :) The way to Marikina was traffic-laden and bumpy and confusing, but it was worth it.

Congrats to Direk Tikoy and the people behind Cinemanila Int'l Film Festival!:)