Tag: Cinemalaya 2022

by FRANCINE GAEBRIELE GUTIERREZ  VILLAINS, TOO, have a story to tell. Whether or not people choose to sympathize with them, their own narrative is essential to understanding the root of the conflict. The local film industry is already home to social and political commentaries which expose former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs and how it propagates the brutality of uniformed men. Respeto (2017), Buy Bust (2018), and Watch List (2019) are a few titles that have gained public interest over the years.  Ma-an Asuncion-Dagnalan’s 18th Cinemalaya entry Blue Room is not new to the category though it still manages to stand out from the rest. Blue Room resembles the grim reality of how money and power play a key role in tweaking the justice system according to one’...

by TRIXCY ANNE B. LOSERIAGA  MOTHERHOOD IS never an easy feat. There are challenges a mother must face to perform her expected role which makes her detestable in the perspective of others.  This is captured in the full-length film Kaluskos (2022), directed by Roman S. Perez Jr. It is a horror film entry for Cinemalaya 2022, a Philippine independent film festival.  Kaluskos focuses on Rebekah (Coleen Garcia) as she struggles to mend her relationship with her daughter while being seen as a “bad mother.” The film begins with a dreadful tone, which sets the mood for Rebekah’s mental state throughout the film. As the battle between Rebekah and her husband Jay (Karl Medina) to win over Amaya’s (Queenzy Calma) sole custody continues, Rebekah struggles to keep herself gr...

by ABIGAIL M. ADRIATICO  SA MUNDONG patriyarkal, madalas naririnig ang samu’t saring kaso ng karahasan ng mga lalaki na ang direktang biktima ay mga kababaihan. Pangkaraniwan na ang lubos na paninisi sa mga babae. Matagal nang nakadikit sa ating kultura ang mga stereotypical na paniniwala tungkol sa kasarian—ang mga babae ay mahina at ang mga lalaki ay malakas. Mula sa direksyon ni TM Malones at sa panulat ni Joseph Israel Laban, ang pelikulang Kargo ay isa sa mga pelikulang tampok sa ika-18 taon ng Cinemalaya. Matapos ang dalawang taong pagdiriwang nito online, nagbalik na muli sa sinehan ang film festival kasabay ng temang “Breaking Through The Noise.”  Nasungkit ng Kargo ang Audience Choice Award para sa kategorya ng mga Full Length Feature Films.  Umiikot ang kwen...