Working Girls (1984, Ishmael Bernal)

In 1984, the big guns of local cinema exploited the loosening hold of the Board of Censors, a fascistic arm of the Marcos regime. Their movies begin hinting of the burgeoning yellow movement. Lino Brocka collaborated with Pete Lacaba on their long-delayed film project, Kapit sa Patalim, which dealt with striking factory workers. Mike de Leon’s Sister Stella L broke the fourth wall with an enlightened nun exhorting the people to go out on the streets and fight for their rights and freedom.

Ishmael Bernal’s Working Girls has a trio of small scenes that may be seen as a nod to the yellow fever engulfing the country. A friend of a sexy lady shopping for clothes gently approves of her color choice (yellow), which he says is just right for the times. The second scene shows another character alighting from a tricycle. Prominently plastered in the vehicle’s windshield is a yellow sticker with the words ‘Hindi Ka Nag-Iisa,’ a slogan coined by people seeking justice for the death of former Senator Ninoy Aquino. The third scene shows a secretary stripping pages from a telephone directory. The yellow pages will be shredded and used as rally confetti. Those scenes may be too tame compared to the heavily politicized scenes and in-your-face rally footages featured in the films of Brocka and de Leon.

However, the hilarious, blockbuster hit Working Girls is notable for espousing the idea that a woman can go places where no woman has gone before. The new Filipina can rise to become a chairperson of a large bank or even assume the leadership of our country. What a man can do, a woman can also do. As the film shows, women can do it better.

The women of Working Girls are all denizens of Makati’s central business district. Carla Asuncion, Isabel, and Suzanne work for Premium Bank. Amanda de Luna, Ann Concio, and Rose belong to a professional management company. Nimfa is a jewelry seller plying her wares to employees of the two offices. Most of them are assertive and know what they want. They achieve their goals with dogged determination and lots of cunning.

The film is recommended to people thinking of getting a job in Makati. It basically says 'no weaklings' allowed here. The searing portrayal of office politics is still spot on even today. Transport fare for airconditioned buses and dollar exchange rates may have changed but the dreams, needs, and idiosyncracies of Makati-based female workers haven't changed. Seductive secretaries prey on top male executives, who gamely go along for the ride. These powerful executives utilize their money to hide problems such as unwanted pregnancies and affairs with subordinates. Married women are not immune from these playboys. Sometimes, lack of appreciation from husbands lead these married women to have affairs.

Office gossip is not entirely a women's pastime and social weapon. Jealous and envious men also indulge in gossips and backstabbing. A jilted suitor of Isabel connives with his friends to spread unsavory rumors about Isabel. The pregnant girl, given advice by her boss Carla, eventually learns to fight back. Her restaurant vengeance act draws applause from fellow women employees.

Carla Asuncion has a hard time getting her objections taken seriously by the male-dominated board of Premium Bank. The male directors laugh at her female intuition. She gets downright dirty in getting evidence to support her objections. In the end, she has the last laugh as she gets promoted as chairwoman of the bank. It is interesting to note that Carla Asuncion's initials are C.A., which can be an allusion to Corazon Aquino.

The viewers back then must have begun entertaining the possibility of Cory Aquino's ascension as the country's president. It is not an 'Impossible Dream,' as what Nimfa is humming at the start of the film. There is no such thing as an unbeatable foe. The Filipino people can win if they join forces to fight the enemy. The 1984 films of Brocka, de Leon, and Bernal show that they are lots of people (eg. striking workers, enlightened nuns, Makati girls) fighting the system. Two years later, they did win by kicking out the Marcos regime in the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution.

Temptation Island (1980, Joey Gosiengfiao)

The original version of Temptation Island is one of the craziest and funniest local movies ever. The dialogues are truly hilarious. Here's a sampling of memorable lines:

Suzanne: 20/20 yata ang vision ko
Bambi: Sorry ha. I thought that was your bustline

Ship stowaway: I'm a latecomer
Azenith: Latecomer?!? Sa gitna ng dagat? Ano'ng sinakyan mo, taxi?

Suzanne: So what else is new? Everybody needs a shipwreck once in a while.

Can't get enough of these delectable lines? Watch the film and you'll get lots and lots of similar sumptuous dialogues. What makes them doubly funny is the way they were delivered by the superb ensemble. Aside from the witty comic quips, the movie also boasts of memorable blazing hot visual images such as Suzanne’s lotion scene with her girl Friday and the mouth-watering ice cream/chicken fantasy scenes.

The film does a neat job of introducing the colorful characters. A plethora of promotional spots for the Miss Manila Sunshine contest convinces several ladies to join in the hunt for the title. Four beauties get selected in the pre-finals night of the contest. Miss Body Beautiful is the innocent Dina Espinola (Dina Bonnevie). Miss Photogenic is the social climbing crybaby Bambi Belisario (Bambi Arambulo). Miss Friendship is the bitchy burgis Suzanne Reyes (Jennifer Cortez). Miss Talent is the self-confessed con artist Azenith Tobias (Azenith Briones). The four finalists are then whisked off to a yacht to start their month-long interaction with the beauty pageant judges.

As fate would have it, a fire breaks out in the yacht. The occupants jump overboard for safety. The four lovely ladies end up in a desert island devoid of potable water, food, and shelter. The hot summer season compounded the woes of the ladies.

Five other people also share their misfortune as castaways. Joshua is the gay coordinator of the beauty contest. Ricardo is the current flame of Joshua. Stowaway Alfredo is an ardent admirer of Dina. Umberto is a hunky cruise ship waiter. Maria is the loyal girl Friday of Suzanne. Their interactions with the finalists spell out who will survive and who will not survive the horrendous ordeal. The castaways get to throw away their petty quarrels, biases, material riches, and even their panties.

I adored the performances of Azenith Briones and Jennifer Cortez. The scheming Azenith Tobias is a joy to watch. When she confesses to being a crook, she did it with style. Briones’ cool delivery of her spiel is sheer delight. Her natural confidence is also seen in her wonderful speech at the coronation night. I also enjoyed her 'shit' moment with the hunky waiter. Wow! Those are excellent, profound dialogues from Umberto.

However, it is Cortez’s Suzanne Reyes who ends up with the lion’s share of memorable dialogues. From ‘Komunista!’ to ‘My panty stays right here’ to ‘Hindi nga, eh. Parang nag-jogging lang,’ her retorts are outrageously funny. Her outspoken character always gets downright dirty in the ground due to a series of catfights but her optimism and sunny attitude helps her to stand tall at the end of the film.

The movie’s legion of cult followers put a lot of pressure over the hotly-anticipated film remake by Chris Martinez. The new version seems to be fun and yummy. It features five of the prettiest, sexiest, and funniest stars in the movie industry, namely Marian Rivera, Heart Evangelista, Lovi Poe, Solenn Heussaff, and Rufa Mae Quinto. Award-winning director Martinez is a self-confessed fan of the original film and creator of the wacky hit Here Comes the Bride. If Rivera ends up playing the Reyes character, then this film promises to be a wild riot. But, before watching the new version, do try your best to catch the original film. There might still be VCD copies of it in video stores.

In the Name of Love (2011, Olivia Lamasan)

Aga Muhlach. Angel Locsin.

With huge stars like that, film buffs naturally expect Star Cinema to bring in its top people for the project. Olivia Lamasan is an award-winning director and scriptwriter. Enrico Santos has been a script and creative consultant for dozens of Star Cinema blockbusters. Both filmmakers have been semi-regular fixtures of the committee that has molded the slick, dazzling, but trite Star Cinema stories loved (and hated) by viewers for years. I enter the movie theater expecting to be treated to the same old cinematic formula but with a tinge of hope for something out of the box. Lamasan and Santos in tandem? This film must be…

Different. That’s what struck me in the initial, nerve-wracking minutes of the film. A Pinoy hosto named Garry Fernandez (Aga Muhlach) gets the jitters while queuing at the immigration checkout in a Japanese airport. The tense situation makes the viewer imagine all possible misdeeds of Garry. Is he holding a fake passport? Or maybe a luggage filled with drugs? The recent news about a Filipina hoodwinked into using a drug-filled luggage plus the suave direction and editing makes the viewer on the edge of his seat. A thorough search of Garry’s luggage reveals wads of dollar bills. He undergoes a humiliating strip search and ultimately languishes behind bars. And, then the film cuts to a Seven Years Later still. It was a great start for the movie although the arrest inexplicably reminds me of James Bond’s arrest in North Korea in Die Another Day. Same blocking? I need to watch the Bond film again.

Meanwhile, Garry has a brief reunion with his son, who is set to fly to New Zealand along with his new father. Garry decides to open a dance studio because he can’t get a decent, nice-paying job due to his criminal record. His first client is a sexy, sultry lady named Mercedes Fernandez (Angel Locsin). The film then flashes back to the past to reveal the star-crossed love affair between Garry and Mercedes.

Flashbacks are well utilized by the filmmakers. They add enthralling, important layers to the story of a passionate romance. In the name of love, the couple, Garry and Cedes, do stupid things and sometimes, heroic deeds.

Garry, in a tear-drenched monologue, castigates Cedes for leaving him after his incarceration. The first few seconds of the monologue were tolerable but then it become somewhat of an eternity of wailing. My mind was churning out thought bubbles at a fast rate. Gago ka pala, eh! Ikaw ang umako sa kalokohan ng girlfriend mo tapos ngangawa-ngawa ka diyan.

Cedes has a startling revelation as well. She says ‘Mahal kita’ or something like that. Thought bubbles begin forming again. And, as if on cue, what I was thinking coincided with what Garry is blurting out: ‘Mahal? Iba ang katabi mo sa kama…Tapos, mahal?’ Any viewer can relate to it by coming up with dialogues such as ‘Iba ang kasayaw mo… Tapos, mahal?’ or ‘Iba ang kasama mo sa FB profile pic mo… Tapos, mahal?’

The film is clearly made to induce strong reactions from the viewers. While Aga Muhlach was overly-directed in his monologue, slick editing helped Angel Locsin shone through in the ‘mahal kita’ scene. The flashbacks showing the pain and hurts borne by Cedes makes her more sympathetic to the viewers. Totoo pala! Minahal at minamahal ni Cedes si Garry.

The flashbacks show how Cedes took extreme steps to help liberate Garry. She sold her body to politicians and people with enough influence to pull strings for Garry's release. Lamasan and Santos had me hooked completely after those flashbacks. I became one of the viewers wishing for a happy ending for Cedes.

The movie reminds us to hear the side of people who in our opinion deeply hurt us by their disappearance, absence, or lack of communication. What seems to be a despicable deed may in fact be a worthy sacrifice done in the name of love. So before you judge other people, make sure to at least get their side.

The notable film have several flaws such as the idiocy of the assassination plan and the awkward action fight scene atop a factory platform. I can't fathom why the masterminds will allow the assassination to take place during a dance number between Cedes and her beau. It is dangerous as the target keeps moving. And, why would the assassin place himself in an awkward position with obstacles hindering his view? Lamasan is still not adept in plotting action scenes. The escape of Garry is made possible by crafting clumsy goons.

There seems to be a bit of cheating during a flashback scene. I am referring to the initial meeting of Garry and Cedes in Japan. Cedes correctly guesses Garry's name through an embroidered towel curled up in Garry's shoulder. When did Emman Toledo originally assume Garry's persona? There's a runaround that flaw by having Garry as stage name of Emman in Japan.

Isn't it odd that with all the hurts and pain inflicted on the characters, we don't hear a single person say 'I'm sorry'? Not from Garry, Cedes, or Emily. The filmmakers seem to take their cue on the tagline of Love Story: Love means never having to say you're sorry. They even appropriated the film's theme. The dance montage set to the theme song with lyrics is not effective.

Despite the inept action scenes, corny theme song, and unmemorable dance scenes, the film is a nice farewell present for Aga Muhlach, who is leaving Channel 2 and Star Cinema. He may no longer be young (as Garry says 'Matanda na ako') but he still shows what it takes to be one of the best actors of his generation. He allows himself to be deglamorized with shots showing him with a potbelly and enduring a strip-search.

Angel Locsin does a wonderful, excellent take on a difficult character, Cedes. That she was able to make me root for her character shows Locsin's growth as a fine actress.

With this film, Lamasan and Santos clearly shows why they are Star Cinema's top script/creative consultants. It is hard to get an audience to empathize with movie characters but they did it with flourish. This film may end up as one of the best mainstream movies of the year.

Sana Maulit Muli (1995, Olivia Lamasan)

25 years ago, three films about Overseas Filipino Workers fought it out for the top plum at the 19th Gawad Urian. Two films, Bagong Bayani and The Flor Contemplacion Story, dealt with the case of a Filipina domestic servant sentenced to death in Singapore. I haven’t seen both films although reviews suggest that they are really deserving of their Best Picture nominations. The third film Sana Maulit Muli may or may not have benefitted from split votes for the Contemplacion films but viewed on its own it is a worthy Best Picture winner.

Director Olivia Lamasan collaborated with two other scriptwriters on the award-winning script. The plight of illegal aliens working in the United States of America (USA) and the difficulty of maintaining a long distance romance were effectively shown in the film.

Immigrant Agnes Sarmiento (Lea Salonga) is having a hard time adjusting to life in the USA. She misses her boyfriend, Jerry Morales (Aga Muhlach), a big-shot advertising executive in the Philippines. The two struggle to keep their relationship afloat despite being thousands of miles away from each other.

Agnes’ early days in San Francisco, California, are extremely tough on her. She struggles to fit in with her mother’s new family. A simple errand takes her nearly the whole day to fulfill because she can't properly read a map. To make matters worse, her desperate calls to her boyfriend end up in futility. She can't seem to catch her ever-busy boyfriend, Jerry. The film shows how hard it was for couples to be worlds apart during the mid-1990s. There was no Twitter and FB back then that can instantly hook up the pair. Internet social networks were still years away and the founders of Twitter and FB were still in their teens and early twenties. Making phone calls is the way couples communicate. Sending letters via post office is an inexpensive albeit non-real time alternative.

Agnes eventually gets tired of making expensive overseas calls. Slowly, she tries to forget Jerry. Agnes takes on the job of a caregiver. A Filipina friend, Karen, guides and shows her the ropes to being successful in the USA. Agnes becomes more assertive and eventually nabs a job with a realty company. She rises from the ranks to become a top realtor. Her boss is so smitten with her lovely face and good character that he proposes to her. Agnes rejects it because she realizes that she still loves Jerry.

The jerk of a boyfriend, Jerry, wakes up from his stupor. He gets to fly to the USA because of a work-related seminar. He decides to stay as a TNT (illegal alien) and tries to revive his sagging relationship with Agnes. He takes on different odd jobs such as selling second-hand cars and working in a restaurant.

First-hand encounters of abuses against illegal aliens become a big issue for Jerry. He contemplates returning to the Philippines. His decision is made easier by Agnes’ closeness to her boss. He goes back to the Philippines alone and heart-broken.

I loved the open-ended finale of the film. Agnes returns to the Philippines and meets up with Jerry. The romantic viewers may see it as a happy reunion for the two former lovers. On the other hand, career-oriented viewers may look upon Agnes’ return as just a vacation for the hardworking lady. Lamasan said she and her fellow colleagues had a hard time thinking of an ending for the film. It took them months before settling on the finale.

One more thing I adored with the film was the inclusion of the song Walang Hanggang Paalam. The film shows Joey Ayala playing the song in a bar filled with Filipinos. The classic indie song talks about a couple’s love growing strong despite the distance separating the lovers. This love ultimately serves to bring out the full potential in the other person. Agnes blossomed into a powerful executive.

Lea Salonga floundered in the early part of the film but made up for it with a solid performance in the latter part. She wasn't effective playing a wimpy girl. She was better essaying the role of Agnes as a strong, cosmopolitan lady. Aga Muhlach won a second Gawad Urian for his vivid portrayal of an executive bruised by his experiences as a TNT in the land of honey. Muhlach was not overly-directed in his scenes. It is a good thing that Lamasan was not big then on having her actors cry. Nowadays, Star Cinema films have male characters crying their hearts out. Lamasan teams up once more with Muhlach in the 2011 film In the Name of Love. Will Lamasan make Muhlach’s character cry?

34th Gawad Urian: Best Picture Nominees

Three award-winning regional films from the southern part of the Philippines emerged as frontrunners for the top plums at the 34th edition of the Urian Awards. The Mindanaoan films, Halaw and Sheika, won major awards at the Cinemalaya 2010. The Cebuano film Ang Damgo ni Eleuteria picked up the Jury Prize at the Cinema One Originals 2010 and the Best Southeast Asian Film award at the Cinemanila 2010. The trio of films nabbed 9 nominations each from the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino.

Trying to steal some thunder from the purely local movies is the American co-production Amigo, directed by John Sayles. It deals with the seldom told story of the Filipinos’ bloody war against the Americans. The film also got a total of 9 nominations including a best direction nom for Sayles.

The 34th Gawad Urian will be held in May 2011.

Click here for complete list of nominees

*****

Best Picture nominees:

Amigo – Brown monkeys. Indians. These are some of the epithets hurled by Americans against the Filipinos during their bloody war with one another at the turn of the 20th century. Sayles’ movie was co-produced by Joel Torre. The searing script is fiery enough although I found the film slow-paced.

Ang Damgo ni Eleuteria - 'Ang Damgo ni Eleuteria exceeded all my expectations. The phenomenal film is a knockout combination of adept filmmaking and caustic portrait of a Filipina mail-order bride and her debt-ridden family.' (Nel)

Ang Mundo sa Panahon ng Yelo – 'The first ten minutes or so of the film are presented in an almost documentary fashion, with a warm narration that lures audience to the chilly, dangerous world of the mangangabogs/fish herders and tripulantes/boat workers in southern Philippines.' (Nel)

Chassis – 'Everything about Chassis is grim and dreary. Depicted in ominous tones of black-and-white, it seems forever set in a twilight hour… But what stays with us, more crucially, is the film’s chiaroscuro portrait of a woman with nowhere to go: Nora, with her funereal mask of a face, her sleep-walking steps, her lifeless stance – the shorthand of wretched resignation.' (Northern Portrait)

Halaw – 'Sheron Dayoc’s feature debut, Halaw, is a story of the dangerous, daily diaspora from Mindanao to immediate foreign territories, a story of risky human traffic we have for far too long turned a blind eye to. From a native Mindanaoan director, it is a welcome corrective to the lack of films about the region in general. Hopefully, it isn’t the last.' (Northern Portrait)

Limbunan – 'Whether he intended it or not, Mangansakan has forwarded sociocultural conservatism through his latest film. Limbunan may on the surface be a picture about one forced betrothal of a 16-year-old Maguindanaoan girl named Ayesah, but it is unequivocally a film about resignation and reconciliation to traditions, ultimately redounding to the practice of arranged marriages.' (Northern Portrait)

Noy – 'The movie Noy is not a great film although believers of President Benigno Aquino III will undoubtedly adore it while non-fans may find it worthwhile for various reasons. It combines the gritty realism of a Brillante Mendoza film, the acidic wit of Francis Xavier Pasion's Jay and images of a compelling TV documentary.' (Nel)

Sheika – 'The bittersweet movie boasts of a brave, gripping script and lovely soundtrack. It is the first indie film to deal directly with the notorious Death Squad in Davao City. Previous films, such as the excellent Imburnal and Engkwentro, only allude to extra-judicial killings by nameless death squads. Sheika takes the issue head on.' (Nel)

Tsardyer – A surprise inclusion in the list is Sigfreid Barros Sanchez’s haphazard take on the Ces Drilon kidnapping. The film though has potent sub plots dealing with child warriors and war’s effect on education.

Also-rans (Films without Best Picture nom but with Best Director or Best Screenplay nomination/s):

Ang Mundo sa Panahon ng Bato – A grim portrait of a miner’s descent into the hellish pit reserved for greedy people. This is the second film of Mes de Guzman’s fascinating Earth trilogy.

Balangay – A film festival collaboration between Sherad Anthony Sanchez and Robin Färdig. The free-flowing style of Sanchez gets mashed up with the short film devices of Färdig.

Maynila sa Mga Pangil ng Dilim – A 2008 movie that wasn’t featured at all at the four major local festivals last year. The closest I got to this Khavn de la Cruz’s creation is seeing DVD copies of it on sale at CCP.

Presa - 'The fantastic finale elevates the fine film into a great film. Amidst the bevy of memorable performances, the artistry of Anita Linda shines brightly during the breakdown scene and the shooting segment.' (Nel)

*****

If you missed most of the nominated films, then do catch up with them at the Cinemalaya 2011. The film festival's Ani section will re-screen last year’s notable films.

Here are 3 more films that might pique your curiosity:

Ang Ninanais - 'Refrains Happen Like Revolutions In A Song is a film of ever-changing, protean forms and guises. One is never too sure where he or she stands as realities interpenetrate. John Torres just manages to weave together an epistemic quilt that reveals the complexity of Filipino identity and psyche, while remaining true to his experimental nature.' (Northern Portrait)

Ang Paglilitis ni Andres Bonifacio - Mario O'Hara weaved his magic and creativity on this faithful recreation of the trial of the founder of the Katipunan. Theatrical elements bring home the message that the trial is a moro-moro. Angeli Kanapi steals scenes as Ibong Adarna and narrator. (Nel)

Emir - The impressive musical epic, about a Filipina nanny working in a palatial home in the Middle East, is a showcase for the country's talented singers, songwriters, and dancers. It eerily foreshadows the turmoil in the region and the subsequent return of our OFWs. (Nel)

Pisay (2007, Auraeus Solito)

High school pics and youth-oriented movies were hugely popular in the 1980s. The teen angst movies of John Hughes made a big star of Molly Ringwald. In this part of the world, the local Brat Pack headed by William Martinez and Aga Muhlach thrilled fans with their own version of adventures and misadventures. The films, booming with generation-defining songs, dealt mostly with common adolescent problems such as fitting in, identity crisis, unrequited love, and strained relationship with parents. However, most of the films are mere teen fantasies. Plain-looking Andie (Ringwald) nabs a date with a rich and good-looking playboy in the cult classic Pretty in Pink. The young lads from Bagets get to drive fancy cars and bed sultry women. The films make it look like it was a good time to be in high school.

But, what is high school life really like during the tumultuous, waning years of the corrupt Marcos regime? Auraeus Solito’s Pisay is probably the definitive high school movie on the era. The production design, slang, and music are spot on. It captured perfectly the spirit of the times. President Ferdinand Marcos lifted martial law in 1981 but the political repression and corruption continue to flourish. Former Senator Benigno Aquino was assassinated in 1983. Yellow fever swept the people until its zenith in February 1986. The zeitgeist molded patriotic students and created courageous young heroes.

The film Pisay takes a look at how the 80s affected eight bright students of the Philippine Science High School. They are part of the so-called cream of the crop. Several of these gifted students have competed, and will compete, in local Quiz Bee contests and international academic competitions. The award-winning script by Henry Grajeda presented a vivid account of student life in a highly competitive national science high school. Important lessons were imparted via science and math themes that are easily understood by ordinary high school students. However, it is the film’s handling of political themes that makes it more memorable and accessible.

Episodic in nature, the movie starts with a ‘love story.’ Rom and Wena’s growing affection for one another gets smothered by their teacher, Ms. Casas. They are likened to planets veering away from their orbits and wrecking havoc on outer space. Ms. Casas reminds them to focus on their studies. The wordless meeting between the two along the hallway is beautifully filmed. The alternate student Rom barges into the honors roll but loses the girl. Parting is sweet sorrow indeed.

Mateo seems to be one of those who cannot focus on their studies. He is a bullied dormer who still yearns for his family in the province. This homesickness takes its toll on his grades. The chubby student gets dropped from the school rolls for failing a college-level math subject. He shares a valuable lesson to others like him who got kicked out. A Bell Curve diagram identifies them as winners who just happen to pale beside more diligent scholars. Mateo returns two years later to tell his teacher that he is taking up Mathematics in college.

There are more stories of other students who did not graduate with the batch. Liway, a student more attuned with social sciences than natural sciences, fights for better school facilities and repeal of the school’s segregation plan. Her courage stems from exposure to the works of her activist parents. The whole family had to go abruptly to Netherlands to escape political persecution. On the other hand, Minggoy is a budding astronomer whose life is cut short by an illness. His early death may be an allusion to numerous students killed by Marcos’ henchmen.

The stench of the crimes of the Marcos regime can not be isolated even from a government-funded high school. I’m not sure whether there was a strong student movement against Marcos in Pisay (Ms. Casas plaintively recalls a rally gone wrong) but surely, the students must have had strong opinion against Marcos after the Edsa Revolution. They will learn that among other hideous things, his crony was responsible for the cancellation of their dearly beloved anime show, Voltes V. Nowadays; graduating students barely have a clue about the legacy of Marcos. There is even an absurd movement to have his remains buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Solito and Grajeda, both members of their school's Silver Jubilarian batch this year, have made their alma mater proud with this excellent film. Solito made a courageous decision to shun science courses by taking up Theatre Arts in college (yes, the character Euri is based on him). He went on to create movies with markedly Filipino sensibilities. I still have a hard time choosing the best film of Solito. My answer usually is the last film I’ve recently seen from among these three movies: Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros, Tuli, and Pisay. The latter film though is still his best directed film.

Congratulations to those graduating this year. Remember you are all winners even if you belong to the left side of the Bell curve’s right half.

Dung-Aw (1975, Lino Brocka)

The month of March is commemorated every year in the Philippines as Women’s Month. This week’s highlights seem to be unrelated at first glance…

March 16. Two days ago, Armida Siguion-Reyna, the feisty, octogenarian actress and movie personality, became the sole recipient of the Diwata award at the 20th International Women’s Film Festival.

March 19. On that day 280 years ago, a baby girl was born named Maria Josefa Gabriela Cariño in Santa, Ilocos Sur. She will later be known as Henerala Gabriela Silang.

What else bind both ladies aside from being Ilocana firebrands and, lower your eyebrows, Women’s Month role models?

Both figure in the historical/musical film Dung-Aw. The title refers to an Ilocano traditional verbal practice of highlighting a deceased person’s accomplishments. If you have seen the film Ang Paglilitis ni Andres Bonifacio, then you’ve heard of the Dung-aw chanted by the Ilocana shaman. The Ilocano word also means ‘to look (or peek) out of the window. ‘

Dung-Aw is a glimpse into the heroism of 18th century revolutionary leader Gabriela Silang (Armida Siguion-Reyna). There is an early magnificent shot that captures perfectly the dung-aw concept. With a dirge playing in the background, we see the corpse of Gabriela lying atop a horse. A superimposed image of a black-clad lady makes it appear as if Gabriela has risen from the death. For nearly three seconds, the powerful image it presents is that of a victorious Gabriela. The extolling of a dead person’s achievements is ultimately what a dung-aw is all about.

The accompanying dirge is somewhat similar to the Lenten songs of the progressive singing group Patatag. There seems to be not so much difference between a dung-aw and the pasyon. Both lamentations narrate life stories.

Scriptwriter Mario O’Hara makes do with limited information about Gabriela. He gets straight to the point with regards the reason behind the revolution of the Ilocano peasants. The Spaniards usurp the indulto de comercio to their advantage. They allow Ilocanos to trade but only at prices set by them. The landowning couple, Diego and Gabriela, resorts to bypassing the Spaniards. However, a Judas Iscariot betrays them for a pouch of money. The assassination of her husband Diego prompts Gabriela to lead the rebels despite overwhelming odds. She was eventually arrested and, just like Jesus Christ, was executed publicly. A young revolutionary named Pablo waits for the second coming of Gabriela.

I admire the filmmakers for their courageous artistic decision of shaping the film into a dung-aw. The film is informative and instructive just like a dung-aw or a pasyon. But, it is not satisfying and doesn’t peak. It stays monotonous just like the droning sound emanating from the Pasyon. The songs and performances are not memorable. Siguion-Reyna has a beautiful voice but is simply too mature to play the fiery Gabriela.

O’Hara takes another crack at retelling the life of Gabriela Silang by directing his own film. That project, with the working title of Henerala, is on my list of must-see films at the Cinemalaya 2011. Is this the second coming of Gabriela bruited about in the film?

Another thing that whets my appetite is a dream project of Siguion-Reyna. The Diwata awardee revealed that she wants to make a no-holds-barred account of the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao. She doesn't care about possible repercussions. To paraphrase Siguion-Reyna, true courage is fighting even when death stares at you. Spoken like a true Gabriela.