Philippines/France/Germany/Netherlands, Drama/Experimental, 2009, 77min. Dir: Raya Martin. Japan Premiere!
Synopsis & UPAF Memo:
Early 20th century Philippines. Sounds of war signal the arrival of the Americans. A mother and son flee to the mountains, hoping for a quiet life. One day, the son discovers a wounded woman in the middle of the forest, and brings her home. Years pass. Man, woman and child live in isolation from the country’s growing chaos. But a storm soon threatens their existence, and American troops draw nearer. The boy has to make an ultimate decision.
This film is the 2nd of Martin’s highly acclaimed trilogy depicting the history of the Philippines told from the bottom up not recorded by the Western cinema. He does this by recreating the technology of each era. Made up, but so real, the woods remind us of early Filipino films as well as of the mysterious woods of Kurosawa, Mizoguchi, and Thai’s Apichatpong Weerasethakul.
Winner of Best Project, Cinemart 2008, and premiered in Cannes Film Festival, Un Certain Regard 2009 (the first Filipino film in Un Certain Regard).
Viewing alert for children: Overall, it is a rather quiet film, not particularly suited for young audiences (teens above 15, or matured middle school students will be fine). Violence is depicted in scenes that suggest rape incidents (one visual, the other aural) and scenes in which people die including a little boy being shot.
Raya Martin (Director)
Born in 1984 in Manila, Philippines. Graduated from the University of the Philippines Film Institute in 2005. Worked as writer and researcher in local television, newspaper, radio and online magazines. His short film “Bakasyon” won the Ishmael Bernal Award for Young Cinema at the 2004 Cinemanila International Film Festival, and his documentary “The Island at the End of the World” won Best Documentary at the 2005 .mov International Digital Film Festival. “A Short Film about the Indio Nacional (Or The Prolonged Sorrow of the Filipinos)”, his first feature film, won Best Film at the 2006 Pesaro Film Festival. His second feature “Autohystoria” was awarded Best Film and Best Director (Digital Lokal) at the 2007 Cinemanila International Film Festival. It also received a Special Mention at the Festival International du Documentaire de Marseille. He is the first Filipino filmmaker to be accepted in the Cinéfondation Résidence of the Cannes Film Festival. A retrospective of his works have been featured in Paris, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and Las Palmas de Gran Canarias. His previous work, “Now Showing”, is part of the 40th Directors’ Fortnight of the Cannes Film Festival 2008. Martin is also a recipient of the 13 Artists Awards of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Two of his films, namely Independencia and Manila are selected in the Cannes Film Festival, Official Selection 2009.
Cinematographica (Producer)
Cinematografica. Based in Manila, Philippines. Born under the partnership of director Raya Martin and producer Arleen Cuevas when they met in Berlinale Talent Campus in Berlin Film Festival 2005. Their first film feature, “A Short Film about the Indio Nacional (Or The Prolonged Sorrow of Filipinos)”, co-financed by the Hubert Bals Fund, is garnering critical acclaim from international film festivals and won the Lino Miccichè Award at Pesaro Film Festival 2006 in Italy. Their latest projects include, “Now Showing”, selected in the Director’s Fortnight, Cannes Film Festival 2008, “Next Attraction”, which won Grand Jury Prize at Cinemanila Film Festival in 2008 and “Independencia”, which is currently selected in Cannes Film Festival,
Official Selection, Un Certain Regard 2009. CIF’s vision is to create and promote Filipino independent films for the world.
Cast
Sid Lucero (Son) is a young Filipino actor gaining wide-acclaim for his off-beat character roles. He recently won Best Actor for the Urian Awards and Tanglaw Awards 2008 for the film “Selda”. He is also nominated in the Star Awards 2008 for Best Actor in “Tambolista (Drumbeat) ”. In 2007, he won Best Breakthrough Performance for the film “Donsol”, which starred him and Angel Aquino.
Tetchie Agbayani (Mother) is a film and television actress in the Philippines. Recently she has appeared on theTV shows, ESP, Super Twins and Love Spell. She was nominated as a Best Supporting Actress for the Famas Awards in 2007 for the film, Close to you.
Alessandra de Rossi (Stranger) is an awardwinning young filipina film and television actress. At 16, she won Best supporting actress for the film “Azucena” for the Famas Awards and Best Supporting Actress at the Metro Manila Film Festival for “Hubog” in 2001. She starred in the critically acclaimed films “Muntig Tinig (Silent Voice)” and “Homecoming”. She also starred in the Singaporean film, “The Maid”.
Cinematographer
Jeanne Lapoirie is one of the leading French cinematographers. She studied at the Louis Lumière french cinema school in 82-84. She then started working as a caméra assistant with Thierry Arbogast, and her first film as a DOP is, «Les Roseaux Sauvages”. She is best known as the Director of Photography of Francois Ozon’s films, including, 8 Femmes, Underthe Sand and Time to Leave. She was nominated for best cinematography for Cesar awards ,France for 8 Femmes. She has photographed over 50 films, and her most recent films in France include Possibility of an Island, Actresses, La Promenade and Parc.
Cast and Crew
Producer Arleen Cuevas
Delegate Producers Antoine Segovia, Christophe Gougeon
Production Company Arte France Cinema, Cinematografica (Philippines),
Atopic (France), Razor Film (Germany),
Volya Films (Netherlands)
Scripwriter Ramon Sarmiento, Raya Martin
Director of Photography Jeanne Lapoirie
Production Designe Digo Ricio
Assistant Director Armi Rae Cacanindin
Music Lutgardo Labad
Sound Ronald de Asis and Arnel Labayo
Editor Jay Halili
Cast Sid Lucero, Tetchie Agbayani, Alessandra de Rossi, Mika Aguilos
Awards Winner, Best Project, Cinemart 2008,
Recipient of the following film grants Prince Claus Film Fund,
Fonds Sud Cinema, World Cinema Fund,
Hubert Bals Fund, Global Film Initiative