08 Saturday Aug 2020
Posted in Movie Reviews, Video Essays
Tags
cinemalaya, cinemalaya 2020, experimental, fatigued, Horror, independent film, james mayo, psychological, short film
Fatigued offers a glimpse of a bleak and horrifying dream. It brings the viewers in what looks like a simulation game where they have to interact with what is happening on the screen.
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.
08 Wednesday Aug 2018
Posted in Movie Reviews
Tags
bodjie pascua, cinemalaya, film review, independent film, indie film, miel espinoza, Movie review, pan de salawal, summary
Pan de Salawal uses magical realism to point out the country’s problem on our poor healthcare system. It offers a clean plot with seamless cinematic qualities to both entertain and educate the viewers. From its cast to its screenplay, the film is surely one for the books.
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07 Tuesday Aug 2018
Posted in Movie Reviews
Tags
Angeli Bayani, cinemalaya, employee of the month, filipino film, film review, independent film, indie film, jodilerks dela cruz, Movie review, proletariat
Jodilerks Dela Cruz, Employee of the Month uses comedy to comment on the poor working conditions of many Filipinos. It zooms in on the story of gasoline station workers and how they, like many Filipino proletariats, suffer the most during business failure, corporate bankruptcy, and economic downfall.
07 Tuesday Aug 2018
Posted in Movie Reviews
Tags
2018, cinemalaya, filipino movie, film review, Glenn Barit, independent film, Movie review, short film
In his second year in Cinemalaya shorts, Glenn Barit creates another film that calls more attention to its form than its content. In Nangungupahan, Glenn translates into cinema the ability of a space (such as an apartment room) to transcend time. In his depiction, Glenn captures on screen the abstract notions of nostalgia, permanence and transition, and the cause-and-effect nature of time and space.
