The New Filipino Cinema
Casa Asia responds to the rise of the most current and popular Filipino cinema while taking into account the existence of an independent cinema that has developed in parallel with commercial cinema since its inception. This independent cinema that started strongly in its first phase, between 1950 and 1970, and then between 1970 and 1980, the decade in which it radicalized, coexists with a cinema that tries to cover all genres and reach wider audiences. The Philippine film industry has been one of the most powerful in Southeast Asia throughout the 20th century (oscillating between its most influential eras and those of less impact, concurring with the economic circumstances of the country). For some time now, there has been a new boom in this more popular and closer cinema, which deals with everyday life in all its dimensions, with a clear preference for the dramatic genre. This is the cinema that we want to show in this cycle based on the seven films that we will screen under the title “The New Philippine Cinema”. The titles that have been gathered for this show are Distance (2018), Belle Douleur (2019), Edward (2019), Iska (2019), Kalel 15 (2019), Battered Husband (2020) and In the Name of Mother ( 2020). These productions in general maintain a certain thematic unity among themselves and are carriers of a cinematographic discourse that characterizes the new generation of filmmakers coming out of film schools.
SCHEDULE:
Saturday, April 24, 2021, 8 pm
DISTANCE | Dir: Perci Intalan | 2018 | 100’ | Drama | VOSE
After losing the person she loves the most, Liza meets her ex-husband. She is still hurt and her ex-partner, Antón, with whom she once lived years ago asks for a new opportunity. So he proposes to Liza to be a couple again, wanting to get her children back and rebuild that family that was once all together.
Percy Intalan is a Filipino director, producer and screenwriter. He has worked for Walt Disney and is also the president of Idea First Company, a content creation company. In his filmography, we find films such as Dementia (2014) with which he won the award for Best Foreign Language Film at the Nice International Film Festival in 2014. Other titles to consider are My Fairy Tail Love Story (2018) and Born Beautiful (2018).
Saturday, May 1, 2021, 8 pm
BEAUTIFUL PAIN (BELLE DOULEUR) | Dir: Joji Villanueva Alonso | 2019 | 99’ | Drama | VOSE
Elizabeth is an independent woman, now in her 40s and still determined to live the rest of her days in her way. After the death of her mother – who suffered through a long and agonizing illness – she meets Jon, who is a young man 20 years younger than her. Despite their age difference, he tries to convince her that there are no limits when it comes to falling in love. Although their relationship seems to be off to a good start, Liz realizes that she can’t be a part of Jon’s dreams.
Joji Villanueva Alonso is a young Filipino filmmaker, who studied law at St. Therese College. After working more than 30 years as a lawyer, she decided to venture into the film industry as a producer at Quantum Films. Since then, she has produced more than 32 films, many of which have received international awards. The Woman in the Septic Tankwas selected to represent the Philippines at the Oscars. After overcoming cancer, she made Belle Douleur, which is her first feature film.
Saturday, May 8, 2021, 8 pm
EDWARD | Dir: Thop Nazareno | 2019 | 83’ | Drama | VOSE
Edward is a young man who feels captive in a public hospital in the Philippines because he must take care of his sick father. The weeks go by and boredom takes hold of him until he meets Agnes. With her, he will have his first love experience and at the same time, he will be able to reconcile with his father when he realizes that life is fragile and changes when we least expect it.
Thop Nazareno‘s first film, Kiko Bokinigero, won three awards at the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival in 2017. Edward, which is his second feature film, has also been highly awarded as one of the best Philippine productions of the last decade.
Saturday, May 15, 2021, 8 pm
ISKA | Dir: Theodore Capistrano Boborol | 2019 | 100’ | Drama | VOSE
Iska’s life is not easy. She lives in a shack, works as a photocopier manager and as a cleaner. Her husband is an alcoholic and a womanizer who mistreats her, while she takes care of the house and an autistic grandson. According to Iska, the family must take care of the family and she refuses to leave DongDong (her grandson) in an orphanage. Although her circumstances lead her to act in a somewhat unusual way and she is accused of child abuse, Iska never gives up and tries to survive. Iska won the award for the best script in the Special Selection of the last edition of the Asian Film Festival Barcelona | AFFBCN 2020.
Theodore Capistrano Boborol began his career as a creative researcher in Star Cinema, in 2000, and he made his directorial debut in 2015 withJust the Way You Are, a teen comedy-drama followed by Vince and Kath and James (2016) and Finally Found Someone(2017).
Saturday, May 22, 2021, 8 pm
KALEL 15 | Dir: Jun Robles Lana | 2019 | 90’ | Drama | VOSE
Kalel knows something about what a secret is: her mother is in a relationship with a married man; his sister had an abortion when she was very young, and he is the son of a priest. Kalel has been brought up as if he should feel ashamed and apologize for sins he did not commit. Unsure about his past and the education he has received, he ends up looking for approval and love on the internet. At age 15, he is diagnosed with HIV, which he understands must be one more secret in his life. Used to hiding his emotions from everyone, he rushes into self-destruction and pain.
Jun Robles Lana is an acclaimed director and screenwriter with an extensive and award-winning career for titles such as Jose Rizal, Muro Ami, and Bagon Buwan. In 2015 he directed Shadow Behind the Moon, in which he also won the Best Director award at the Pacific Meridian Film Festival. Kalel 15 is his lastest film.
Saturday, May 29, 2021, 8 pm
BATTERED HUSBAND (LATAY) | Dir: Ralston Gonzalez | 2020 | 85’ | Drama | VOSE
Lando is a modest fisherman who participates every year in the Aguman Sanduk Trans Festival with his companions, the Alpha males. His worldly life, however, hides a great secret. He is married and mistreats his wife Lori. When she discovers that Lando is seeing her ex-girlfriend, she begins to physically and mentally abuse her husband. Lori is constantly suspicious of the women he associates with, which introduces great instability in the couple. It is a very toxic relationship, although after each discussion they end up making love. But the wear is evident and Lori ends up realizing that she no longer loves Lando.
Ralston Gonzalez Jover is a Filipino filmmaker who was born in 1975 and studied at the Mowelfund Film Institute in Manila. He has been a screenwriter for directors such as Jeffrey Jeturian (Kubrador, 2006) or Brillante Mendoza (Tirador, 2007). Both films were awarded. His debut work was Bakal Boys (2009), a film that won several awards at festivals such as Torino, Vancouver or Tokyo. Other award-winning films of his are Hamog (2015) or Bomba (2017).
Saturday, June 5, 2021, 8 pm
IN THE NAME OF THE MOTHER | Dir: Joel C. Lamangan | 2020 | 108’ | Drama | VOSE
Carmen is a devoted mother who must face the setbacks resulting from her husband’s suicide. Two years before he left her for another woman. The 54-year-old mathematician had assumed debts that he could not pay. He took back the jewellery store that Carmen was the manager of, but at the cost of his own life. After his tragic outcome, she only wants to keep the family together, although she cannot control her children.
Joel C. Lamigan is a filmmaker whose successful career began on both television and theatre. He made his film debut in 1991 with Darna, which was followed by films such as The Flor Contemplation Story (1995) Hustiya (2014) awarded at the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, Isa Pang Bahaghari (2020) or In the Name of the Mother(2020).
