Wanted: Border (2009, Ray Defante Gibraltar)

Is it a masterpiece or not? I’ve seen Wanted: Border a couple of times but I’m still torn about my feelings for this unforgettable film. There are times when I deem it not worthy enough to be rated as one of the best films of 2009. But, there are those days when I consider it a masterpiece.

The films of Ray Gibraltar are mainly characterized by jumbled editing. This one-of-a-kind film straddles the thin lines between sanity and craziness, between the seven last words and the seven deadly sins, between excellent acting and bad performance, between the sacred and the profane, between a likable good film and a disturbing great film. The non-linear editing by Tara Illenberger is perfectly suited to the ‘border’ concept of the film. It gives viewers a glimpse of the unstable and volatile state of mind of the characters.

A plethora of disturbing characters pepper this film. An envious and greedy politician connives with a resident to spread vile rumors against a mother and her daughter Salvacion. The fatal lynching of her mother leaves the girl to fend for herself alone until she reaches adulthood. The young lady hooks up with a soldier assigned to torture and kill communists. This affair triggers her lust for blood.

As decades pass, Salvacion ‘Saleng’ Castro (Rosanna Roces) becomes an owner of an apartment/eatery. She is a religious fanatic who had a few conversations with God. Her apartment/eatery becomes some sort of haven to problematic people such as the gluttonous obese woman, slothful/lustful filmmaker, and the wrathful student.

Acidic black humor abounds in this film. The scenes with the imprisoned artist are a hoot. There is also the wicked scene involving a dildo and a lecherous stepfather. The campy acting of Roces serves as some relief from the dark and disturbing nature of the movie.

Roces is perfectly cast as Saleng. Her performance borders on greatness and campiness. There are some scenes in which she seems on the verge of laughter. Roces said that her ‘bad’ acting was ordered by director Gibraltar. She made her director proud. It is her best performance so far. It was a surprise to learn that Gibraltar initially thought of offering the lead to Ronnie Lazaro. The latter is a great actor but I think he would be too serious to give the film the desired ‘campiness.’ The proposed film with Lazaro will just end up being too dark and wicked.

Wanted: Border is a must-see film. It is remarkable for its vicious ability to have viewers identify with the sinful behavior of a character/s. It is up to the viewer to exorcise those personal demons or let them out in the open. As it is, Wanted: Border is a perfect movie to watch this Lent.

When Timawa Meets Delgado (2007, Ray Defante Gibraltar)

This is one of the films championed by the late film critic Alexis Tioseco. In response to Tioseco’s wish for more people to see the movie, film critic Francis ‘Oggs’ Cruz chose this film as his Critic’s Pick selection during the Cinemanila International Film Festival 2009. The movie is a good choice because it is a pretty decent film and is rarely exhibited.

Sure, the picks of film critics Bien Lumbera and Roland Tolentino are better films (Serbis and Engkwentro) but those films have been well-exhibited. How I wished the two Urian members chose little-seen gems such as the Urian Best Picture nominee Hunghong Sa Yuta or Hospital Boat. The latter films, both of which I failed to see, had one-time only screenings at Cinemalaya festivals.

When Timawa Meets Delgado is still funny and wacky after all these years. My second viewing of the Gibraltar film highlights major assets and reveals a few defects as well. The rousing soundtrack, with songs by Mista Blaze, Tinug ni Nanay, and Color It Red, keeps things perky when segments fail such as the conversation between filmmaker Jun Delgado and his lover.

The segment I disliked most is the ambush interview with two young girls. Director Ray Gibraltar coaxes the girls to give answers that fit in with the film’s subjects, which are nursing and the lure of working abroad. The segment falls flat because of awkwardness. It contrasts differently from the well-edited interviews of nursing students.

The editing of the film is a mixed bag. The segment featuring the video projects of Delgado takes up a lot of time. It became dragging after a while. There seems to be funny things embedded in the video sampler but are just too deep or personal for ordinary moviegoers to decipher. I had more of a blast with the sampling of the works of award-winning gay poet Ruben Timawa. The gayspeak translation of Timawa’s poem ‘The Pig’ continues to bring out the guffaws. That alone is already worth the price of a ticket.

I love the humor, silliness, and inventiveness of the film. It is a unique and crazy hodgepodge of serious documentary footages, exhilarating music videos, penetrating interviews, and hilarious poem reading.

Special thanks to Oggs for using his clout to get this one-of-a-kind movie exhibited on a big screen.

Panudlak (2008, Ray Defante Gibraltar)

VSO Bahaginan has been affecting lives of poor people around the world via its corps of volunteers. These change warriors share their knowledge and skills in order to alleviate poverty in their assigned areas. The inspiring stories of two volunteers are depicted in the docu-fiction Panudlak.

Volunteers are portrayed as sowers of hope. The documentary juxtaposed volunteerism with the Panudlak rituals in the Visayas. Farmers adhere to age-old planting traditions and rites to ensure good harvest. VSO Bahaginan also aspires for fruitful placements of members. The non-governmental organization mobilizes efficient and effective professionals and assigns them to their rightful volunteer positions.

When the group started looking for filmmakers, director Ray Gibraltar volunteered (but, of course!) and was sent to Cambodia to document the experiences of two Filipino professionals, Debbie Santentes and Manuel Reyes. Santentes works as a district education adviser, while Reyes is an organization and project management adviser.

Homesickness and isolation are the major concerns of the two Filipinos. Each of them works alone as sole Filipino volunteer in their respective district. However, their loneliness, doubts, and fears vanish every time they see their projects come to fruition. A well-stocked library, a piggery business, and a water treatment system are just some of the valuable projects that make a big difference in the lives of impoverished people in Cambodia.

The psychological insights of Katrin de Guia serve as a nice overview of why Filipino volunteers adapt so well in other countries. Their sense of kapwa makes them empathetic to the needs of downtrodden people. The feeling of pakiramdam helps the volunteers gauge when to join a group or how to blend in with the community.

Almost an hour in length, the documentary should have been pruned down. There are repetitive scenes dealing with the projects. Then there are the scenes that linger on such as the farewell and last day of Santentes. I don’t know if it is really intended but the erratic editing gives the viewers a detached view of the two volunteers. It is not entirely a bad thing because the focus shifts towards the development projects, which are the fruits of the volunteers’ sacrifices.

The documentary gives a no-frills portrait of how ordinary people can make a big difference. Every development initiative, no matter how small, is a big step toward making the world a little less unfortunate and a little less troubling. To learn more about the VSO Bahaginan, visit http://www.vsobahaginan.org.ph/