07 Friday Aug 2020
Posted in Essays, Video Essays
Ang Pagpakalma sa Unos tells a personal story of grief and trauma and how to process them. It is about the director’s hometown of Tacloban and the 2013 Super Typhoon Yolanda that killed thousands. While the film takes on the perspective of the director, the tale told in the film is that of public trauma. It details the grief, frustration, and anger of a community that was neglected by the people supposed to serve them.
06 Thursday Aug 2020
Posted in Essays, Movie Reviews, Video Essays
Tags
2019, Bontoc, cinemalaya, film criticism, Igorot, QCinema 2019, Review, short film, Tokwifi
Tokwifi is about the tale of a young Igorot man who came upon a falling star, only to find out that it was an old television containing a 1950s showbiz star. The two try to bond while overcoming the stereotypes they hold over each other.
06 Thursday Aug 2020
Posted in Essays, Movie Reviews, Video Essays
Tags
2020, cinemalaya, cinemalaya 2020, Huawei Mobile, Living Things, Martika Escobar, mobile filmmaking, short film
Living Things is about the tale of lovers who encounter a sudden change in their relationship. The two must face a new reality making them reflect on the nature of love, relationships, and humanity.
04 Saturday Apr 2020
Posted in Movie Reviews, Video Essays
Tags
children's cinema, children's film, film criticism, Film essay, independent film, indie film, meng patalo, patintero, Patintero ang alamat ni meng patalo, philippine cinema, philippines, QCinema
Children’s cinema is a film genre that remains under-valued and undiscussed. In the country, much of the films for children are either imported from Hollywood or from the Metro Manila Film festival run. And this trend in the industry posits several problems and concerns. One, we continue to favor the colonial narrative when it comes to teaching the next generation. Two, the so-called family-oriented, comedy films during the MMFF bring no value to viewers, both adults and children. Often times, they propagate sexism, classism, and ageism to their audience. Meng Patalo, a 2015 film by Mikh Vergara, is a good reminder of the need to create children films in the country. The film teaches us how the use of children’s perspective in telling a story in film incites innovation and creativity. It shows us that tales, when seen and told in the eyes of children can be new and revolutionary.
22 Sunday Mar 2020
Posted in Essays, Video Essays
Tags
2017, Bliss, criticism, filipino, film, film criticism, ian veneracion, iza calzado, Jerrold Tarog, pelikula, philippine cinema, Review
We have seen the surge of women in lead, even titular, roles in the recent years. In a way, they are a sign of progress for women inclusion in the field of cinema.
Meanwhile, it is essential to examine further how women, much like other vulnerable sectors of society, are depicted in films. Is their inclusion in cinema empowering? Is the use of their image revolutionary? Does the cinematic work support the plight of women?
In this video essay, we look at how Bliss uses the image of a woman in a psycho-thriller narrative. Particularly, we discuss how the film depicts a woman as a protagonist while also silences her and deems her helpless.
Cinetactic 