Filipino Cinema

[malcolm1980]

I just saw one of director Lav Diaz's gargantuan films, the 9-hour Heremias. I have mixed feelings on whether or not the 9 hours is justified, I really did feel that it would lose much of it's flavor and power if it wasn't this long.

And no, I did not stay for the entire film. I left twice. Once to eat and another to get a cup of coffee.

[fred]

I just saw one of director Lav Diaz's gargantuan films, the 9-hour Heremias.

I thought this was very strong--and the length quite justified. It should be pointed out that it's merely the first part of a longer work, the next part of which is, according to the director, projected to be twice the length!

[malcolm1980]

I just saw one of director Lav Diaz's gargantuan films, the 9-hour Heremias.

I thought this was very strong--and the length quite justified. It should be pointed out that it's merely the first part of a longer work, the next part of which is, according to the director, projected to be twice the length!

I hear it's 11 hours.

[noelbotevera]

Hi, long time member only had a chance now to post.

Thanks, ltfontaine, for the link to my blog, by the way.

Glad to see Mike Kerpan and acquerello showing interest in this forum; they're in the minority, and I appreciate their attention. We need more people interested in Filipino films, or at least seeing them.

acquerello, for the record Blink of an Eye is often considered Mike de Leon's best work. I agree with the consensus.

I think you'd be aware that two of Brocka's major works are now available, at CineFilipino (they can be googled).

And one more thing. Not sure what you mean by this:

"I find it frustrating in that not only is there no effort to preserve these films, but that even the local critics seem to either be unaware of, or choose not to champion these more mainstream films. To me, the approach is something like internationally promoting the Wakamatsus and Masumuras over the Ozus and Mizoguchis - it's fine only if someone else is covering those more "fundamental" national filmmakers, which no one seems to be."

First--I'm green with envy you managed to speak with expats who remember the film scene from the 40s to 70s. Those people are good as gold and should have their testimony written down, because their voice is the only one speaking out regarding those periods at the moment. Really.

For my part I can say that part of the problem is that the works of those mainstream filmmakers are difficult to see, even for Filipinos. The Cultural Center of the Philippines has prints mostly of 70s and 80s films, those that either won awards or have gone to festivals; NCCA (Natioanl Council for Culture and Arts) has video copies of plenty of 50s and 60s films from LVN among other studios.

I've seen a few, am hoping to see more, and from those filmmakers I can cite Manuel Conde and Manuel Silos as being especially fine, with Luciano Carlos being the rare adept at comedy. Lamberto Avellana is another excellent filmmaker, very good with street colloquial (as opposed to Gerardo de Leon, whose dialogue tends to be highflown).

If I haven't written about these filmmakers it's not out of choice; even I'm learning about their films, and it's a neverending process, one with a distinct deadline--many prints are turning into vinegar, even as we speak. Hopefully stopgap measures have been implemented--I hear the prints are being stored in ABS CBN which has the only 24 hour airconditioned and dehumidified facilities--so that might help.

No, I don't feel I've been promoting Masumuras over some undiscovered Mizoguchi (or at least, not more than anyone does, in any country); the names I mentioned pretty much covers the period I mentioned. As for earlier periods--Octavio Silos, Carlos Vander Tolosa, Jose Nepumuceno, among many others--their films are mostly gone. I've seen Silos' Tunay na Ina, and Tolosa's Giliw Ko, but in the condition the prints are in, it's hard to be impressed with those particular works.

As for the '70s and '80s, I think I pretty much covered them, mainstream and alternative. You know the drill--Brocka, Bernal, O'Hara, De Leon, Ad Castillo, Guillen. Throw in Raymond Red, Joey Reyes, Maryo delos Reyes, Tikoy Aguiluz among others, and this whole new digital thing (Raya Martin, John Torres, Lav Diaz, Auraeus Solito, Dennis Marasigan) and entirely commercial filmmakers (Joyce Bernal, Erik Matti, Yam Laranas, Ronnie Rickets, Ike Jarlego) and I think that's a fair if not entirely comprehensive look at the cinema landscape that I've written about. If any have slipped through the cracks, I apologize, but it's not for want of trying.

[noelbotevera]

Oh, as for Heremias part 2, no idea how long it's going to be. I'm going through Death in the Land of Encantos, tho, and can happily report that from what I've seen, Lav's got his sense of humor back (I was afraid that during Ebolusyon and Heremias he lost it). He can be a very funny guy, and judging from Hesus Rebolusynaryo, a terrific action filmmaker, believe it or not.

[Michael Kerpan]

Hi Noel

As far as I can tell, there's still no subbed versions of any of the major Brocka films -- or of Bernal's Himala (which I reallly really want to see). Have I missed some releases that have crept out recently?

[acquarello]

Noel, it's been a while since I posted the comment, but I think you've hit the nail on the head of what I was trying to say in terms of the frustration level when it comes to a Philippine national cinema. There's essentially a cultural amnesia on what is being written about today (as you've mentioned, there's more visibility with films from the 1970s on, but very little before). Sure, a big part of it is availability of these films, but the other part is also, as you've indicated, because there's also not a forum to aggregate these personal testimonies about the national film culture and as a result, there's a lot of holes that aren't being filled.

I know we disagree on Mike De Leon's Bayaning Third World, but that's the kind of unbalanced "emphasis" of what is being covered that I find frustrating. I'd rather see primer pieces of old masterpieces than an essay on a mediocre contemporary film, but at the same time, I do understand that there is some kind of a lost, oral history at work here, and it's self-perpetuating. I don't know the answer on how to fix that, but I do see it as something of a reflection of the national character, and it saddens me.

[malcolm1980]

As far as I can tell, there's still no subbed versions of any of the major Brocka films -- or of Bernal's Himala (which I reallly really want to see). Have I missed some releases that have crept out recently?

Actually, a whole bunch of Brocka films have been released on DVD lately. It's barebones but they contain English subtitles. I recently purchased Insiang but Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang (You Were Weighed But You Were Found Wanting), Cain & Abel and a few others that can be found here: http://www.cinefilipino.com/main.asp?page=rps

I think most if not all of them have English subtitles.

[Michael Kerpan]

I know SOME Brocka films have appeared with subs -- but my understanding (possibly incorrect) that none of these were among his most celebrated works. I think only 2 or 3 of his films on DVD have subs -- the rest are just low-quality DVD copies of unsubbed videos.

[noelbotevera]

Insiang and Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang are two of his best works, and are available subbed and in decent DVDs in CineFilipino (link provided upthread, by malcolm1980 I believe). If we can get Mike de Leon who shot and produced Brocka's Maynila sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag to finally release the DVD, then we have more or less Brocka's three best works out there.

On Bayaning Third World, I like it just fine, acquerello, but it's not my favorite film on the subject. That would be Mario O'Hara's Sisa--which was out briefly on VCD, unsubbed. That film I think was fantastic.

I happen to also see that Mike de Leon's Sister Stella L. is out on DVD, and apparently subbed. Know anything about that release, malcolm?

acquerello, a primer's good, a primer's important, definitely; who's going to do it--I don't know. I don't feel I'm in the position, being sidelined here in the US and having my own projects. I do feel the new works coming out are a priority--checking out where the cinema's going, and it seems to be going somewhere nowadays. I do plan to write on what classic Filipino films there are that I can get my hands on, but it's going to be a slow, slow process.

I know Nick Deocampo's coming out with a comprehensive multivolume history on Philippine cinema, which may take years to finish and whose volume one sits in my evergrowing pile of books I just gotta read (this first volume argues for the existence of a Spanish Filipino cinema, if I recall, and it's an interesting idea).

[Michael Kerpan]

Glad to hear that some major Brocka is now available (the website still says coming soon). Does CineFilipino have a search box hidden anywhere> (I can't find it).

PS. I assume -- still no Himala?

[noelbotevera]

Check this site out. Can order there online, too, and I mean now.

No Himala, unfortunately.

[malcolm1980]

I happen to also see that Mike de Leon's Sister Stella L. is out on DVD, and apparently subbed. Know anything about that release, malcolm?

I saw it was available on VCD in local stores. I haven't seen the DVD of it, I'm afraid. The only Mike de Leon movies I know of that have been released on DVD are Bayaning Third World and Batch '81.

[noelbotevera]

According to this link there's a subtitled DVD out.

[noelbotevera]

My article on Lav Diaz's Death in the Land of Encantos (2007)

[noelbotevera]

Tukso (Temptation, Dennis Marasigan, 2007)

[Oedipax]

Ever since reading an interview with Lav Diaz ("Digital is Liberation Theology") I've desperately wanted to see some of his work. Any way of making that happen outside of festival screenings and the like? In particular I'd like to see Heremias or Death in the Land of Encantos...

[malcolm1980]

Ever since reading an interview with Lav Diaz ("Digital is Liberation Theology") I've desperately wanted to see some of his work. Any way of making that happen outside of festival screenings and the like? In particular I'd like to see Heremias or Death in the Land of Encantos...

Highly unlikely. A lot of his recent films are very, very long and he refuses to edit them down. He has only recently (and rather grudgingly may I add) conceded to allowing intermissions. I doubt you'll see them in commercial theaters.

[noelbotevera]

I'd like to see them on DVD someday, if someone is nuts enough to actually put them on DVD...

[Oedipax]

Couldn't he just put them out on DVD-Rs or something? Then sell them at a premium for those nuts enough to pay for it It's obvious Diaz isn't terribly concerned with fitting into what we think of as mainstream commercial cinema... why not distribute the films outside of it?

Maybe there was a period of time where having certain films remain largely unseen, a part of legend, had some mystique and appeal - but in this new era of DVD-driven cinephilia it just pisses me off. Showing films like this even in the most arthouse-friendly places in the world might not draw much of a crowd, but on DVD, you're going to reach people around the world who are excited by the idea of seeing something new.

[noelbotevera]

If he was doing that he might not find the time to do Heremias part 2. As is, he barely has the money to send the films out on Fed Ex.

[noelbotevera]

Best of 2007 updated; Filipino films on DVD updated

[noelbotevera]

Atonement; Juno, Paprika; Sanib;Back Door to Hell

Is Mario O'Hara Underrated or Over-the-hill?

[Michael Kerpan]

Best of 2007 updated; Filipino films on DVD updated

Thanks for the list link.

Himala and Insiang -- ordered.

[noelbotevera]

Have you seen Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang? Worth ordering too, and it's on the same webpage as Insiang.