PSHS-MC
ISSUE #001
ACTOR'S VISIT CELLULOID
INTERVIEW WI NEL ESTUYA
ALAB NG PISA
INTERVIEW WI PAULET REGID
I AM A PHILIP SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL SCHO
KANAKANBALINTAGOS: HUNTER OF TR EXCELLENCE, SERVICE
INTERVIEW WI KANAKANBALINTAGOS THE IMAGINAR OF LORE REYE
INTERVIEW WI LORE REYES
ALIPATO AT M ENDURING HO FIERY EMBERS
MANNY JACIN REDEFINING A MASCULINITY
RELEASE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
MANAGING DIRECTOR
CONTENT DIRECTOR
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
QUENSO TAMBALQUE
NICO TAN
BASTI SAN AGUSTIN
THANDIE ALIÑO
NICO HECHANOVA
FEATURE EDITOR
NEWS EDITOR
OPINION EDITOR
STAFF WRITERS
CONTRIBUTORS
AMARIS TOMAS
ART DELOS SANTOS
ALDRICH TY
MIKHAIL BAUTISTA
MICHAEL ESCOBIDO
STEPH NEBRES
KOV APURA
TEA JUAN
SOFIA REGAYA
JUN SALUTAN
EJ SANTIAGO
DESIGN EDITOR LEIF DIAZ
FINANCE HEAD AKI MAGPILY MANAGEMENT
FACEBOOK TWITTER TIKTOK
LETTERBOXD
LINKEDIN MEDIUM
CELLULOID MC
@SELYUMC
@SELYUMC
@SELYUMC
CELLULOIDMC
CELLULOID-MC
@CELLULOIDMC
there’snotalotIcansayinafirsteditor’s letterthatcansumupeverythingtheclub has accomplished since that very first Discordvoicechatthreetofouryearsago
What I can say, however, is I am immenselyproudandgratefulforhowfar we ’vecomeandthatwe’vebeengranted a space to bag the achievements and makethemistakesthatwedid.Thegoal has always been to make film more accessible to the Pisay community and allow a place for movie lovers to share their passions I spent my elementary years talking about movies, movies, moviesandhopingsomeonewouldcome uptomeandsaytheylovedthemlikeI did Goingfromthattoseeingpeoplein showingswe’veorganizedgasp,scream, andlaughatthescreen,aswellasexpress theirthoughtsonthemovieafterwards,is a deeply refreshing experience. If I hear thatbecauseofus,someonediscovereda movie that helped them enrich the way they think just the tiniest bit, we’ll have fulfilledwhatwesetouttodo.
That’s why this is the next step we ’ re taking It’smanyofourofficers’lastyear inPisay,sowewantedtogooutwitha bangandintroducetheSELYUZine,where we,alongwithafewclubmembersand outsiders, yap about the thing we love: movies,movies,movies.
There are some cool articles here about Pisay the movie and an important documentary about Filipino desaparecidos,reviewsofrecentreleases, recapsofafewrecentclubactivities,and best of all, two fascinating interviews conducted by yours truly with two legendary filmmakers and PSHS Main alumni:LoreReyesofMagicTempleand Shake,Rattle,andRollfame;andKanakanBalintagos a.k.a. Auraeus Solito, director ofTheBlossomingofMaximoOliverosand Pisay(!)
I’dliketoendbythankingpeople!Thank youtoourwonderfulofficers:Aki,Basti, Art, Aldrich and especially Amaris, the Vice President whose warmth has steadiedandanchoredusall.Thankyouto myco-founder,creativehead,andcreator ofthiszineQuenso,whoseworkhehas donetogetourclubtowhereitisnowI amincrediblythankfulfor ThankyoutoSir Arnie, for taking a chance on us as our adviser; we could not have asked for a kinderteachertoseeusthroughitall.
Finally,thankyoutothePisaycommunity Justbypickingupacopy,you’rehelping us and you ’ re learning a bit more about movieswitheverywordyouread:adouble whammy! We hope you enjoy what we haveinstore,notjusthere,butfortherest oftheyearandforever(ifwecanhelpit).
ThandieAliño President
QuensoTambalque
CreativeHead
Madaboutthemovies ifI’mnotascreenwriterbythirty,sendawellnesscheck.I don’thaveagenrepreference;justaslongasthemoviewillbringsomekindofvalue tomylife(orhasmyfavoritemiddle-agedactressofthemonth),I’llwatchanything.
Self-proclaimedmanicpixiedreamgirltrappedinanAsiantwink’sbody usually lurkingatGatewayCineplexor123movies.Styleoversubstancealways,suckerfor boringqueerfilmswithgoodcinematography.
AmarisTomas
VicePresident
Don’tknowhowIendedupwithaniche-likeappreciationforlocalcinemabuthereIam!I likewatchingeithersweet&sunshineromcomsoranimationorheavysocio-political documentaries&dramas(ormaybeamixofboth)
ItallstartedwithMarvel,reallyIhaveanenormoussoftspotforromcoms,anever endingamusementforaction&adventure,andalonglistofwatchedfilmsthatdonot fallunderhorror&thriller.
Asacasualenjoyerofmovies,Ilovecozyandbeautifulfilms.SpecificgenresIprefe aresci-fiandfantasy,astheyofferatemporaryescapefromtheboringandstressf reality.
ThemoviesIlikearereflectionsofmyself:veryqueer,veryopinionated,andvery emotionalEventhoughItendtogetquitebusy,it’salwaysniceformetositdown andwatchamoviefromtimetotime
I’msimple;Ilikeanimatedfilmsandalotofothermoviesbecausetheymakemesmile andlaugh.Ironically,Ihaven’ttouchedasinglemovieinawhilebutI’mslowlycoming backtolendingtimetowatchingnewshowsandrewatchingtheonesIlove
thetalkwithNelEstuyawasan enlighteningandimpassioning one,ashesharedwhatitwas like being an actor for the Philippine entertainment industry It all started with a showingofashortandtrippy short film (huhumcrediTT dir. Fea Fortuna) of a girl asking her dad to buy her a laptop. Thereweretimeswhenthevideofeltlikeitwas going one direction, but then it swerved to anotherwitheaseandfluidity.Thecatchyjingle, ardentactingandwell-madeeditingandfilming made for an enjoyable watch that caught all members’ attention to the end. Afterwards, we were asked to give our thoughts on it and everyonegaveglowingreviewsforthewonderful short.Itwasjustatasteofoneofthemanyfilms actors work on. Estuya then talked about how thereweretwotypesofactors:theoneswhoare the "bida" or main character and the ones who play the supporting cast, with him being in the latter.Itisunfortunatehowhardopportunitiesare tocomebyintheindustryastherearefactorslike looks, connections, and popularity that not everyonehas.Hesaidthatmanyworkjustashard but that it is very difficult to get a big break withoutatrumpcard.
an actor’s visit to celluloid written by steph nebres
However,thetalkwasn'tjustaboutthat,aswe alsotalkedaboutshowsandfilmsfromoverseas. Estuya mentioned enjoying shows from other countries and appreciating the different fortes theyhave,likehowKoreahasK-Dramas,Thailand hasmanygoodBLshows,andJapanhasanime. Speakingofanimation,helamentedthelackof originalPinoycartoonsandanimations,asitisan untapped market yet to be fulfilled. There are some indie animators who are taking it upon themselvestostartandgivethepeoplewhatthey want.Forexample,thereisTheLovers,anLGBT+ thrillerfeaturingPhilippinemythologyinamodern light;theKickstartercampaignhasraisedalittle over$400,000,showingnotonlythesupportof Filipinos for it, but people from all around the world.
TherewasalsoaQ&Asessionwhereheanswered questionsthatwehadforhim,amongthembeing howtoentertheindustry,whatisitlikebeinga full time actor, etc. He also talked about voice acting and gave us some insight on it, too. He gave the dubbed cartoons shown in morning programsasanexample,andtoldusthatitisjust ashardasregularactingbecausethereisalotof practice and trial and error to get the perfect voice Also,whenitcomestospecificscenes a tired character for example they'll also tire themselvesouttobeabletovoiceitbelievably.
All in all, it was a wonderful experience that was able to give us some insight on the film industry. He was able to showusthathardworkdoesn’t lead to nothing and that we should take a chance, no matter how small it is. I wish him all the best in his endeavors and am looking forwardtoseeingtheprogress of our entertainment industry inthecomingyears.
Interview: Thandie Aliño, Quenso Tambalque
Transcription: Art Delos Santos, Basti San Agustin
IN YOUR VARIED CAREER, YOU’VE PLAYED BIT PARTS IN MANY FAMOUS MOVIES AND TV SHOWS (E.G. DARNA, DIRTY LINEN, ANG PROBINSYANO). OUT OF ALL OF THEM, WHICH ONE WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE AND WHY?
Ofcourse,itwouldbeGoyo:AngBatangHeneral because it’s, to date, the most expensive historicalfilmevermadeinthePhilippines,and also my biggest break. I knew [that] to some extentIhititbigtimewhenIwascast[inthatfilm] because it’s a major production. Even if it was under an independent production, it still had a mainstreamdistributionandshowing.Ithinkit’s also a memorable moment, because my role in thatfilmwasnotmerelyasmallrole,butapivotal roleforthestory.
IN YOUR VARIED CAREER, YOU’VE PLAYED BIT PARTS IN MANY FAMOUS MOVIES AND TV SHOWS (E.G. DARNA, DIRTY LINEN, ANG PROBINSYANO). OUT OF ALL OF THEM, WHICH ONE WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE AND WHY?
That’s a good question, because playing a historical character comes with so much responsibility. You have to be really accurate. I mean, of course, there are some modifications made,butaccuracyisstillimportant.Sowhenit comes to playing historical characters, I make surethateverythingisexamined,fromcostumes tothelinesitself,becauseIhavetoreallystickby thebook.Sincethesearehistoricaldocuments, sometimeswhenyousaylines,itiswhatissaid verbatiminthehistoricaldocument Itsometimes involvesstudyingdeepTagalog notourTagalog today, pero ' yung arcane Tagalog. Sometimes, these are really long speeches na binigay ni BonifacioorniApolinarioMabini.Ihavetostick withthat;Icannotmakeanychanges,whichisa challenge And, the costumes we cannot be seen goofing around in those costumes behind the scenes or doing things that are not as dignified as the image of these heroes. Siguro, we’dmakewackyfacesinthecostumes.Pwede rinnaman,peroparangalmostsacredsila.These are really sacred figures when it comes to, not justhistory,pero'yungwholefilmandliterature. Youhavetobeextracarefulandresponsible.For regularandfictionalcharacters,youcantakeall thelibertyyouhave,assomedirectorswillletyou innovateaccordingtohowfaryoucanimagine thecharacter.It’sprobablymorerelaxedinthat sense
CAN YOU GIVE A QUICK RUNDOWN OF YOUR PREPARATION PROCESS FOR THE DIFFERENT MEDIUMS IN WHICH YOU ACT (E.G. COMMERCIALS, MUSEUM FIGURES, TV, FILM, THEATER)?
Essentiallythey’reallacting,sothepreparationis usual.Youhavetodoyourresearch.Youhaveto do physical preparation. You have to have a knowledgeoftheproject Ofcourse,thereisalso script reading, analyzing the script, and internalizingthecharacter.Now,whenitcomesto the medium-specific preparations, there’s no specialtechniqueforeachcharacterexceptthat you have to know that each medium requires different approaches to acting. In theatre, it shouldbebigger.Lahatnaman‘yanparangyou’re justtryingtoportraythetruth.Perowiththeatre, you have to amplify that truth. I mean it figurativelyandliterally,because'yungbosesmo kailanganumabotuntiltheendofthehallorthe stadiumnapinagpeperforman.Themostrealistic [approach to acting], based on my experience, [are]independentfilms.Theyallowyoutounfold thecharacterasis,likehowitwouldhappenin reallife That’swhymedyonagingcomfortzone kosiyatosomeextent'yungindiefilmskasithey allowyoutobetruthful.Intelevision,Ithinkyou havetojustbe 'yungbuildupkasingcharacter saTV,thepreparationtimeis[notthesamewith indiefilms],whereyou’regivenenoughtime.With TV,‘yanilalagaylangsayo'yungscript Kahitdimo alam ' yung story. You have to just act out that certain scene na binigay nila. Kailangan makaabsorbka[nang]mabiliskungano'yunglines.For commercials…my friends who do commercials wouldsayna,andbasedonexperience,theacting ismore…paranghyperversionngtruth,because you only get a few seconds to tell that story. Kapagnakapanoodkangcommercial,kailangan makita mo na agad. In voice acting, medyo iba because iba ' yung vocabulary ng voice acting comparedtoactingoncamera.It’saboutvarying pitches, accents, intonations, etc. Vocalizing is important
A
LOOK AT YOUR IMDB SHOWS THAT YOUR FILMOGRAPHY DATES BACK TO 2013. COULD YOU SHARE HOW YOU STARTED YOUR CAREER AND GOT INTO THE INDUSTRY?
Asyouknow,IMDbisonlyexclusiveformovies andtelevisionprojects Soofcourse,before2013 and even during college in UP Diliman, I was alreadydoingtheatre,butnotactively,sinceIwas stillstudying Afterthat,Iimmediatelyworkedfor thecorporateworld,soIwasn’tasactiveasIam now. This is a good question because andami kasingnagtatanong,“howdoIstart?”and“what doIdo?”Okaylang‘yunifpeople[ofhighschool age]ask.Nagsastartpalangdintalagakayo.But 'yungibakasingnagtatanong,theythink“whatifI act?”outoftheblue Parangfeelingnilamadali lang'yung[acting].“Aba,ganyanganyanlangsila andtheygetpaidforit.Akokayaganyandin.”
Maybeyoudonotknowhimbecauseyou’revery young; he passed away na hindi pa kayo pinapanganak.He’sacharacteractorinfilmand thedirectoroftheplaynaunangnag-appearako professionally as a theatre actor si sir Ogie JulianooftheUPDepartmentofTheatreArts.I swear,ifhedidn’tmakethecrazydecisiontocast meinthatplayinanimportantrole,Ithinkwala ako dito ngayon doing this craft as an actor. Because at that time, I was 18? Or 19? What happensinthatstagekasiisverycrucialsakung anongmangyayarisafuturemo [His]castingme in that role really determined my becoming an actor in the future because andami ko pang optionsnoon
Not immediately naman after they casted me dire-diretsonaakonag-act No,nasacorporate paakoforsevenyears.Pero,alwaysafternanagcorporateako,parangnandoonnabumabaliksa akinnanamissko[angacting].Ithankedhimfor casting me in that play, because that was the biggest reminder that I should be in this field. Afterthat,Iresignedfromcorporatework,and thenwentbacktoactinginplaysinUP.Parang contemporary[siJuliano]niTonyMabesa,whois aprominentactornanagpass-awayna.Kabatch niyarinsiEddieGarcia Kungnapanoodniyo'yung [Rainbow’s Sunset], siya ' yung nandun. Siya naman naging professor ko rin sa theatre. He’s anotherpersonnahindikomalilimutan
Magtatanongdinsilasa’yona,“paanobaatanong gagawin ko?” And, I find that question is sometime kapag a 50-year-old would ask you that…I’m not looking down on them, pero I’d compare them with my own development. The craftofacting,it’ssomethingnanag-developsa akininthemostorganicway.EvenwhenIwasan elementary student, I was already directing my classmates, playing make believe, doing role plays.So,itwasn’tfarfromrealitynaIwouldgo nextintolegitcampustheatreperformances,that eventually graduated to film and television. It’s somethingnagradualnanangyari Hindinaman siyapinilit,becausemyloveforitisreallythere. It’sdeepandIthinkhindimawawala[ito].So,yun 'yungmaaanswerkosakanila “Bakitnagtatanong kangganun?Isitbecausenaginginterestedka lang?”'Yungibakasi,gusto'yungraketlangeh.If youwanttobereallygood,startfromthepinakabasic(theatresaschoolorcommunitytheatre). Eventually, you’ll gather enough projects to get easily accepted into even more projects That’s howIstarted intheatre.
AT YOUR EXTENSIVE
WHAT ARE SOME PROJECTS OR ROLES THAT STAND OUT AS SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES FOR YOU?
IdidsayearlierthatmybiggestbreakisGoyo: Ang Batang Heneral. [Januario Galut] was [a character]Iresearchedheavilyfor,butironically, onlyafterthefilmwasreleased.Becausewhilewe wereshootingthat,walanamansilangbinibigay nainformation,so[Galut]wasmysterioustome, especially why he was considered a traitor to Filipinosduringthattime Hewasconsideredthe reasonbakitbumagsaksilasaTiradPass,enatalo angmgaPilipinosaPhilippine-AmericanWar.He mightjustbeafootnotesahistoryniGregoriodel Pilar, pero when I was given that role, hindi ko naman siya tatanggapin bilang, “okay masama siya,” or ganyan You have to really study kung anoangbothsidesniya thegoodsideandthe badside.Ialsogottomeetalotofhistoriansto talktomeabout[thehistory],whichledtoavery goodfriendshipwiththeBulaqueños.Parangako na 'yunghonorarycitizennilasaBulacanbecause I’malwaystheresamgaeventsnila,justbecause of that role Around December every year, sa deathanniversaryniGregoriodelPilar,umaakyat kamidoonsaTiradPass.Parasiyangpilgrimageto Mount Tirad as a thank you for giving me my biggestbreak.
So,Iguesswhenitcomestowhatrolestuckwith me,it’sthat,becauseitopenedsomanydoorsfor me.WhenitcomestorolesIgottolivewithna emotionallyinvestedakomaramiyane Sadami ngshortfilmsnaginawako,whichisIthink,close to 100 na. So, marami diyan, ' yung iba’t ibang roles of the common Filipino. My career is founded on portraying the common Filipino. Because, you know, look at me, I look like the commonFilipinosothat’sanotherthingnasiguro [I didn’t expect about acting], because when I started,Ithoughtactorsarereallycelebritieswho standoutinthecrowd.Like,kapaglalaki,usually [they’re]matikas,maputi,matangkad Youknow, thetypicalleadingman.Andforme,wholooks verycommon,parang‘di‘koinexpectnaIwouldenjoythiskindoflongevitysacareerko Ithink those kinds of small roles na…hindi pa siya distributed publicly, sa special screenings pa mapanood All of them [are] special to me, because I poured all my time and emotion on them.
SINCE LIWAY (WHEREIN YOU PLAYED THE RALLY HOST) IS A CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED FILM, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE AUDIENCE’S RESPONSE TO IT, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF ITS POLITICAL THEMES? HOW DID YOU COME TO PLAY THAT ROLE?
Ireallyloveyouforaskingthatquestion,because there’s a very special story behind this project. Firstofall,I’llanswerthatquestionna,“howwas the audience’s reception?” If you were there duringtheCinemalayafestivalin2018,Liwaywas the highest grosser and an audience favorite. Ilang minutes ang standing ovation sa initial screening,andevensaibangscreening.There’s really something about it na nagreresonate sa hearts during that time kasi, may threat na of historicalrecordrevisionism,andtheaimofthe filmwastofightthat,becauseittellstheactual story of what happened during that time Personally,Ihavemanystrongopinionswhenit comestovictimsofhumanrightviolations.Alam ko na during that time, maraming mga tao naviolate ang human rights nila because of the dictatorship.Samgaactorkasi,wehavethismass Cinemalayaauditionnamarami‘yannapumunta Usually,mahirapmakapasok,andaminiyoeand ilangminutolangkayongmagmomonologueand then'yungmgadirectorsnanasapanelwilljust pointikaw,ikaw,ikaw,ganyan,tomoveontothe nextpartnagagawinniyo,kungmapilikaornot. Siguro75%samgataodiyan,‘dimapipili.With Liway, nung time na when they were about to finish the film, nagkulang sila ng tao, especially this big rally scene na sinasabi ninyo. So, they needed volunteer extras Extras are different fromsupportingactors;Istartedasanextrana walang lines. Then eventually, ‘ pag naging supportingactorka,you’retrustedwithlines,like what
ARE THERE FUTURE PROJECTS THAT YOU ARE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
We’reattheendoftheyearwhereinnagsastart na ' yung preparations for the “grind” that’s whatwecallitsaindustry Thegrindpagdatingng JanuaryandFebruary[ofeveryyear].I’mgoingto doamainstreammoviebynextyear,onethatcan hopefullybeafollow-uptomybigbreakinGoyo, becausena-ano'yungmomentumbecauseofthe pandemic,twoyearsnanagstopsosayang.In 2024, there’s preparations for one mainstream movieandoneindependentfilm.Ofcourse,‘diko po malaman ' yung iba because sometimes tumatawag nalang ‘ yan na, “We need the appearance of ganyan. ” When it comes to my short films naman, my avenue for promoting themissasocialmedialangtalaga.SaFacebook page ko (Nel Estuya), nagkukwento ako doon, mahiligakomagkwento,it’snotjustposting.May mgastoriesbehindit,katuladng[kinuwento]ko sa inyo ngayon So doon siguro makikita ' yung mgacurrentandfutureprojectsko.
happenedtomethere.Nungnaghahanapsilang volunteer actors, wala ‘ yang talent fee or whatsoever. Nasa Facebook lang ‘ yun; nagpost sila, “kailangan na namin matapos ' yung eksena thisday,sokungsinoangmgainterested,please puntakayo[salocation],andwewouldbevery appreciative for you to be part of that rally scene.”Ofcourse,sinagotnamannila'yungfoodsowalangtalentfee Ako,Iwasalreadyaworking actor;Iwouldprobablyhavenotacceptedunpaid roles, pero I went there because it was my advocacykasi,andIknowthatthismoviewilltalk aboutthatperiodwhereinandaminghumanrights nana-violate,soIwantedtobeapartofthat, kahitnasacrowdlangako,kahitnagrarallylang ako. So, I signed up and I went there. ‘Yung assistantdirector,andsomeofhispeople,kilala naakobecauseI’vebeenworkingprofessionally.I wasgiventhescriptsuddenly,[evenif]Iwasthere langasavolunteerextra.Nagkaroonakongrole bigla,so'yungnapanoodniyosamovie,walasa plano‘yun.Nungnakitanilaako,naisipnila,“ah okay,ibigaynatin‘tongrolesakanya.”Sothat’s howithappened;suddenly,Iwastherallyleader.I thoughtitwasjustanextrarole,butitbecame oneofmyprominentrolessaCVkobecauseit wasabigexposureandwell,apparently,itmadea mark kasi ito pinag-uusapan natin ngayon, and sinasabi niyo sa’kin naalala niyo [ako] from the movie.That’swhyit’saverygoodexperiencena hindikoakalain[thatIwouldgetthat]role Andso that’sthestorybehindthat…I’llalwaysremember thestorybehindmyroleinLiway.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THE YOUTH, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO MIGHT BE INSPIRED BY YOUR WORKS?
Youareatthatpointinyourlifewhereeverything ispresentedtoyoulikeabuffet.Youcouldgothis wayorthatway,maramingpwedengmangyari, andI’mreallyactuallyveryexcitedforanyonenaI meetnakatuladniyonayouareatthispointin yourlife,becauseanythingcouldhappenbased [on]thedecisionsyoumakestartingnow.I’dlike foryoutoreallyknowyourself.Don’tbeafraidto tryeverything;ofcourse,keepyourselfsafe,‘wag naman ' yung may masasaktan in the process, peromasmagandangi-tatryniyolahatandthen give yourself that time you owe yourself that time.Theneventually,dadatingdinkayosatime naalamniyona,“thisisit,thisiswhatI’mgonna dowithmylife”Onceyouknowthat,trytostick to it. I know may mga distractions pa rin na mangyayari,perothinkthat‘pagtinanongkayo, “whatdidyouwithyourlife?”,ito'yungsasabihinniyo. Ito ' yung resume na ibibigay niyo. ‘Kung meronakongCVnaprinesentsainyo,‘yun‘yuneh becauseIstucktoit,parangpinakasalanmosiya, trytobefaithfultoit.Offthetopofmyhead,‘yun angmasasabiko:giveyourselfthetimetoknow yourself, and once you [do], enjoy! I think ‘ yun naman ' yung point doon eh, ' yung inaalam niyo sariliniyoforyoutobeabletoenjoythethings thatyouaremeanttodo.I’msureyou’llgetthere.
written by EJ SANTIAGO
Celluloidrecentlyheldascreeningofitduringour school’s annual opening fair, allowing me, my friends, and many others to finally watch this movie made about the very school which we studyin.Wewereabletowatchsomeofourown experiencesbeingshownonthebigscreen,while alsolookingbackatourschool’spastbeforethe K-12 implementation, and before many renovations and changes The school really transformedovertheyears,yetsomethingsstill seemed to stay the same. It was fun seeing familiar settings, familiar lessons being taught, andfamiliarexperiences.
Inthemovie,Euri,oneofthemaincharacters,has anobviouspassionforthearts,despitestudying inaSTEM-focusedschool.Despitestudentsbeing requiredtotakeupSTEMincollege,heultimately decidestodefythePisaycontract,pursuinghis passion by applying for a theater arts related course in college People often discover their passionsastheyprogressthroughhighschoolas growingadolescents,butforstudentsofPisay,it isprobablyalreadytoolate Beforetheyknowit, they’restuckinscience.Though,unlikeEuri,some choosetofollowthroughwithSTEMbecauseof thepossibleopportunitiesandtherepercussions of breaking the contract, even if that means leaving your passion behind. The segment with Euri and Mr. G was by far my favorite in the movie I loved how the movie featured two characters,bothwithaloveforthearts,butwho went down different paths because of Pisay. It feltverypersonalsomehow,especiallywhenyou thinkabouthowitwasdirectedbyAuraeusSolito, a Pisay alumnus-turned-director, who himself decidedtopursueacareerinfilmratherthanin STEM.
isay (2007) is a highly-regarded coming-ofagemovie
set towards the end of the Marcos regime in the Philippines. Directed by AuraeusSolito,itfollows several scholars of the esteemed Philippine Science High School as they navigate life in a challengingacademicenvironmentinhopesofa betterfutureforthemandtheirfamilies.
Apart from this, I appreciated how the movie incorporated the Marcos regime in its story. It addedalevelofmaturityandadeepermessage toalight-heartedandwholesomemovie Ittalked about Pisay’s history during the Marcos dictatorship in a way that showcased how the students and teachers were affected by the regime, with Liway fighting against injustices in andoutoftheschool,andMissCasas(Eugene Domingo) afraid of more Pisay students being martyred.
Overall,themoviewasenjoyable.Thewritingwas especiallyremarkable,withallofthecharacters seemingfullyrealizedandwell-written.Because of how the movie was structured, every main characterwasabletotelltheirstoryandtakethe spotlight, and everything seemed cohesive and thoughtout.Theirindividualexperienceswereall exploredwell,andwhenputtogetherformeda greatfilmwithendearingcharactersandafine plot. To this day, Pisay still is a must-watch, especially if you ’ re a Pisay student With its portrayaloflifeinPhilippineScienceHighSchool duringtheMarcosadministration,itactsasnot justatimecapsulewhichshouldbeexperienced byfuturegenerations,butalsoagemofFilipino cinema.
Pauline Regidor, our current schoolibrarian, iscreditedas “PSHS Librarian” in the IMDb pageofPisay(2007).Shehasa roughly 10-second cameo startingataround27:50inthe movie.Shehasnolinesexcept shushing the students Rom (Gammy Lopez) and Wena (AnnickaDolonius).
FIRST OF ALL, HOW DID YOU COME TO MAKE A CAMEO IN PISAY? WERE YOU PERSONALLY ASKED? DID YOU HAVE TO AUDITION FOR IT?
REGIDOR: The group requested whether we couldopenthelibrary,andtheywerelookingfor someonewhocouldactasalibrarian.Iagreedto thetworequests.Iwastoldtobeattheschoolat 8:00 p.m., so I was there, but the shoot was around2:30a.m.Thegroupwasinhighspirits;it was like daytime. It took just three takes, and I couldseeRomandWenastaringatme;theywere smiling.
WAS
AS A DIRECTOR? DID HE GIVE YOU ANY MEMORABLE TIPS OR PIECES OF DIRECTION?
REGIDOR:Hewasokay.Hejusttoldme,"Okay, ma ' am, " then he smiled He was intense when staring at the monitor. They had to move the locationtwice:firstatthecounter,thennearthe shelves I was acting as the traditional librarian, eventhoughIamnotusuallylikethat.Probablyit’s fortheoldergeneration.
WHAT DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE IMPACT OF PISAY? HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE PLAYED A PART, HOWEVER SMALL, IN THE MAKING OF A FILIPINO COMING-OF-AGE CLASSIC?
REGIDOR:Ijustfelthonoredwhenstudentscame tomeandsaid,"Ma'am,areyoutheonein'PISAY themovie'?"It’slikeplayingtheroleofmyworkas aschoollibrarian.
LASTLY, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE BEEN IF YOU WERE NOT A LIBRARIAN? PERHAPS, AN ACTOR ?
REGIDOR:Ireallywouldhavelikedtobeasocial worker,butitwasmymotherwhowantedmeto bealibrarian.Sonow,astheschoollibrarianof PSHS,Iwillbecelebratingmy30thnextyearhere atPSHS.
WRITTEN BY ALDRICH TY
A RETROSPECTIVE ESSAY ON PISAY (2007)
Pisay (2007) rebels against the preconceived notionsthatitissciencethatmakesPisayorthat Pisay is solely for the rich and the intellectual class.ItinsteadchoosestoshowthePisayscholar as being more than just their education and background. It shows how they can uplift and connect with others, how they can fight for valiant change both with science and without science,howbeingapartofPisaydoesnotend whenyoufailanddropout
It is a history of rebellion both present in the movieandpresentinreallife ManyPisayalumni intheyearsofmartiallawgaveuptheirlivesto fightforthefreedomofthenation,andinasense, thatiswhatbeingaPisayscholartrulymeans.
Morethantheroomsandpathsthateachbatch goesthrough,morethanthesimilarexperiences and challenges each scholar experiences from whentheygetintowhentheygraduate,andeven morethanthescienceeducationallstudentsof Pisaymustgothrough,themostsignificantthing that connects Pisay scholars is something that goesbeyondPisay:thesharedrebellionagainst injustice
Justasthecharactersofthefilmrebelagainst ideas of failure or the crushing restriction of authority and contracts, so too do we as Pisay scholarsrebelagainsttheinjusticespresentboth withincampusandoutsideinthenation Tobea Pisayscholardoesnotnecessarilymeantobethe bestatscienceortobethemostobedientofthe school’srules.
TobeaPisayscholaristoinhabitthevaluesmade andreinforcedbythosethathavecomebefore us,thosethatsimilarlyfoughtfortherightinthe Philippines
Inatimewherewearecurrentlybeingruledby another Marcos and where dozens of activists and innocents are killed by the state, it is important for us scholars to remember this revolutionaryspiritthatfightsforwhat’sright.
Intheeyesofmany,wearePhilippine SCIENCE High School first and foremost, but in truth, through the eyesofourheritageandthevalueswe foughtforandcontinuetofightfor,we are PHILIPPINE Science High School foreverandalways.
While watching the movie, One thing I found myselfdoingfrombeginningtoendwaslisting downalltheplacesIcouldrecognize.Fromthe firstflooroftheSHBtotheAVRattheASTB,I cannot help but be mesmerized There is that strange realization I feel when I see that the charactersofthefilmaresittinginplaceswhereI have sat and walking in places where I have walked.
Andyettherearemanylocationsinthefilmwhich are no longer part of Pisay’s campus. Whether because of renovation, disaster, or complete reconstruction,thesepartsofPisay’shistoryare nowonlyreservedforthepast,preservedinthe film and in the memories of those that came before.
It dawned on me then how there are probably placesIhangoutinorpassthroughthatfuture batchesmaynotevengettoexperience.Places where I have my fondest memories may be replaced or destroyed Places which I go to everyday may just be forgotten except by the alumnithatgottogothere.
Theplacesshownineachscenearen’ttheonly thingsthatstrikemeashavingstayedthesame upuntiltoday.Theclassdividebetweenstudents, from well-off to getting-by, is still very much present here in Pisay. The plays, projects, and presentationsseenineachsubjectstillcontinue to today. The student publications and their articlesonthestateofthenationarestillwritten andreleasedforthestudentbodytoconsume.
This feeling of change, of new and old, is a sentimentthatpermeatesthroughtheentirefilm. Thecharactersinthefilmevolveoverthecourse ofthemovie’sruntimeinthesamewaythatPisay hasevolvedoverits60yearlife.Thisthemeof change is highlighted even more by the film’s setting:thelastfouryearsofMarcosSr.’sreign,a timeofgreatchangeandupheavalinthenation.
Fromyounglovetoheartbreaks,fromtriumphsto failures, and from hostilities to friendships, the characters in Pisay (2007) grow from naive juniorstoexperiencedseniorswhilestillkeeping thosefundamentalpiecesoftheircharacter.Itisa journeyIcanpersonallyrelateto,ajourneystill ongoing.
Ifindmyselfresonatingwiththestrugglesshown inthemovie.InmyfiveyearshereinPisay,I’ve had to deal with balancing my academic responsibilities with my relationships, whether platonicorromantic.I’vealsoseenfriendsleave Pisayovertheyears,whetherbecauseoffailing grades or personal reasons. I’ve even found myself losing my love for STEM, with my true passion lying in the humanities, though I would havetopaybackPisayifeverIchoseanon-STEM courseincollege.
Alltheseandmorearehardshipsandsituations experiencedbythemanycharactersshowninthe film.Thesedifficultiesareoftenintrinsicallybuilt intotheexperienceofPisay,challengeseachand everyoneofushastoface.
Behind these hardships, both mine and of the characters, is that very same question I asked myselfatthestart:Whatdoesitmeantobeapart ofPisay?
How do you balance your human needs and relationships with the pressure of a science highschool? How do you recover and deal with failureinsuchaprestigiousplace?Whathappens when your dreams go against what the school requiresofyou?
Ironically,Pisay(2007)verysparinglydelvesinto scienceandinsteadfocusesonthesequestions thecharactershavetoaskthemselvesagainand again. Solito himself has decided to pursue a careerinfilmratherthansciencedespitebeingan alumni,andthroughthisfilmheaskstheviewer whether or not it is the science education that makesPisaywhatitis.
Kanakan-Balintagos,formerlyknownasAuraeus Solito,lovestoshare It’sevidentfromthesecond Quenso and I hopped on to Google Meet to interviewhimsynchronously,arequestpostedby himsincehereasoneditwouldbefasterthanjust writinghisanswersdownthroughemail.
I asked him what the assortment of “things” behind him are turns out, they make up a handsomecollectionofhisvariousfilmawards,all of which he points out by name: his Berlinale Teddy Award (for outstanding films on LGBT+ topics)forTheBlossomingofMaximoOliveros, his Dekada Award from Gawad Urian, his Best DirectorattheCinemaOneDigitalFilmFestival fordirectingEspritdeCorps,andmanymore.He also quickly showed us around his Sampaloc home,tellingusaboutitsbeingusedasalocation fortheEraserheads’AngHulingElBimbomusic video, which he also directed. Finally, in our interview proper itself, he sometimes answered with detours to personal anecdotes about his career that he would suddenly remember or insightsheprecededwith“don’tquotethis,but ” andendedwith“didthatmakesense?”
TheexcitementKanakan-Balintagosshowswhen talkingaboutfilmmakingisaplausiblefeelingthat canbechalkeduptothestorytellinginhisvery blood. He comes from a line of indigenous shaman-kingsfromthePalaw’antribeandoften creditshismotherwithinstillinginhimaloveof tale-weaving with her recounting of Palawanon epicsandlegendshereflectsinhisownworkson screen(BusongandBaybayin,thefirsttwoparts ofhistrilogyonPalawan)andonstage(Paraanng Paglipad, about the Calamian Tagbanua in northernPalawan).Hisindigenousidentityisalso presentinhisname,whichwasdreamtupbyhis shamanuncle,who“ sawmeinthemiddleofa sandbar holding a camera that turned into a blowgun,” he said in a Philippine Daily Inquirer interview.Hehascomeintohisname:aHunterof Truth, meant to reveal the issues of the world throughhiscinema.
His firm place in local independent cinema has allowed him the freedom to explore ideas and direct scripts that have something to say. Arguablyhismostacclaimedfilm,TheBlossoming ofMaximoOliveros(thePhilippinesubmissionto InternationalFeatureFilmatthe79thOscarsand firstFilipinofeatureatSundance),isaboutagay boy’s coming-of-age in the Sampaloc slums amidst crime and corruption Basal Banar, his little-seen documentary about rituals of the Palawanons,showstheintrusionofmultinational corporationsonindigenoussoil ThePisaymovie itself,aboutthelivesofhighschoolstudentsin PhilippineScienceHigh,displaysartasameansof student protest, especially against Martial Law andtheMarcosadministration.
HisothermovieslikeBoy,Tuli,EspritdeCorps, Busong, Baybayin, and even his early shorts Impeng Negro and Suring and the Kuk-ok, all encompass similar themes unapologetically indigenous stories, the LGBT+ experience, the pangs of adolescence, the corruption of governments and authority figures. He also incorporates lyricism and poetry into the often experimental imagery he crafts. In short, you always know when you ’ re watching a KanakanBalintagosfilm
The best thing about him, though, is not the accolades or his international festival appearancesorthefactthathehasbeenlauded asoneoftheTake100oramongtheFutureof Film,butthathehaskepthiswarmthandgrace throughitall.Afterdecadesofacclaim,hehasstill kept his wide-eyed wonder for the world of cinema. His passion for stories has never wavered.Heagreedtoaninterviewfromabunch of students with no prior experience and entertainedallourquestionswithopennessand amiability. His willingness to share his insights shines in the following interview, the Q&A conductedduringtheAlabclosingceremony,and wehope,infutureprojectswherehewillcontinue tospeaktruthtopowerandbecomeacreative channelforthestoryofthecommonFilipino.
HOW DID YOU DISCOVER THE ART OF FILMMAKING AS AN ARTICULATE TOOL FOR A KEEN STORYTELLER?
AsanindigenousPalaw'an,we have traditional storytelling. Like when I was a kid and I couldn'tsleep,mymothertold mestoriesaboutherpeopleto putmetosleep.Iguessthat's whyIbecameafilmmakerora theater artist or a storyteller, because my mother told me thestoriesandIpassed[down] the stories in whatever medium I could find. When I was in Pisay, most of my classmateswerefascinatedby my Palaw'an stories kasi nobody knows about them. You know, we ’ re in an indigenous area in the southern tip of Palawan my mother always said we come fromtheendsoftheearth.
I also started out as a playwright before I became a director. In the writers’ workshop in the evening, we told each other ghost stories. When I started telling them abouttheKuk-okshapeshifter who can transform into anything, except their fingers which will always be stuck together, everybody was like, “OMG,I’veneverheardofthat before!”.
ThenwhenIwenthometomy triballandinSouthPalawan,I experienced the rituals of my peopleandotherstoriesfrom my other relatives. Suddenly my mind changed, suddenly I couldseetheworldinframes… and that’s what cinema is made of I was seeing their storiesinframes.Hindinasiya parangteatro angteatrokasi, it's alive and happening. Nagtransformyungworldview ko, suddenly everything I saw wasinframes.Luckily,pagbalik ko sa Manila, I was offered a scholarshipsaMowelfundFilm InstituteandIgotfirstchoice there, to make a long story short.
SINCE THEY ARE TWO PURSUITS OFTEN CONSIDERED TO BE EXTREMELY CONTRADICTORY, HOW HAVE YOU RECONCILED YOUR LOVE FOR SCIENCE AND THE ARTS IN YOUR FILMMAKING?
Ithinkthemagicofsciencein Philippine Science is how I discovered my art. In Filipino class, we started staging Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
Doon ko nadiscover yung directing talent ko; even my teachers were in awe My classmateswerelike,“doonka lang nagkaka-uno!”, when I stagedachapterfromNoliand Fili.
Whenitwasmyturninclassto do a chapter from Rizal's novels,theteacherwouldcall other teachers to watch my direction, so it was quite the spectacle.ItwasamazingkasiI had the best challenge: you know what they say, “Pisay kids are the most intelligent”, soIhadanintelligentaudience. Soyeah,that'showIfoundit.
Even when I was asked in Sundanceafterascreeningof Maximo Oliveros, “how many daysdidyoutaketofilm?”“13 days” “30 days?” “No, 13 days.”YouknowhowIdidit? Cinacalculate ko yung space andtimesautakkosoIwould direct scenes na ma-achieve ko in a day. I divided the screenplayintoscenes.Iwould separateitintoeasy,medium, and difficult; I would do the easy ones first and difficult ones last. The medium parts aretheshotsthatareone-shot langwhichisvery[muchlike] theater ang ginawa ko ay nagpractice kami ng cast ko. Actually, I did a workshop a fewweeksagoandtheyasked, "do [you] rehearse?" I do rehearse,becauseIcamefrom thetheater
Nagrerehearsekamingactors ko kaya madalas ginagawa [angscene]inoneortwotakes kasiprinapracticenaminyung dialogue. We discuss metaphorical characterization, andevenanimalmetaphors.So yun, I combined different stylesandmademyown.
BESIDES THE VIRTUE OF TRUTH, WHAT ARE OTHER THINGS YOU ALWAYS INCORPORATE INTO YOUR MOVIES, AND HOW DO THESE COME TOGETHER TO MAKE A WORK OF ART THAT IS UNIQUELY YOU?
Iapproachmyartasaritual.I trained with a shaman who said,“youhavetowearthisto ask for the sun, you have to wear this to ask for the rain. Youaskforthesunwhenyou wanttoplantcrops,thenyou ask for the rain when you ' ve finished planting crops ” . Ironically enough, there was someonewhomentionedthat Maximoislikearitualwherea tribeisinacertainspace It's alsolikemagickasimydream screenplay that I wrote in Amsterdam, it's about the magicalShamanChiefandthe magic he passes to his children
[In a way] parallel to Shakespeare’s King Lear, because in that story, he separatedhiskingdomamong his children. In our mythical history, the Shaman King separatedhismagicamonghis children which was what caused the downfall of his people.Ialsohadatalkbefore in Pisay where I talked about the existence of science in magic. For example, there's a spellwheretheytakeacicadalike insect which stops the flightofcockatoos,whichflyin flocks through fields and eat crops like palay There's a screenplay actually about the cockatooseatingthecropsso theShamanKing,whodreamt of this incident, figured out how the birds stop in their flight.Thesciencebehinditis, whatifthenavigationofbirds issound-based?
What if the sounds that the cicada-like insects make disrupt[thecockatoos’]senses andmakethemallfalldown? Naturegivesyouthesolution, likehowtheydiditinancient times In fact, recently, we ’ re rediscovering the wisdom of the indigenous people, right? It's modern man ' s need to encroach on it: that's why we 'relosingallofit,ournaturalworld.
WHEN CHOOSING/WRITING A SCRIPT TO DIRECT, DO YOU ACTIVELY SEEK OUT STORIES WITH THESE THEMES OR DO YOU JUST "GO WITH THE FLOW" AS YOU ARE JUST NATURALLY DRAWN TO THESE TYPES OF STORIES?
When I got to do Maximo Oliveros,IwasintheBoracay co-productionfundandIwas pitchingmydreamfilmabout theShamanKingandtheorigin of the universe. One of the panelists who later became a producer of Maximo said, "I watched your play in UP and your Ang Huling El Bimbo musicvideoandthey’regood I submitted something to Cinemalaya, and if it gets in, you’ll direct it." And that film was Maximo. Sometimes it findsyoue.WhenIdidMaximo in the Netherlands, I got an email from a batchmate that said, "hi, I'm Ludy, I'm living now in the Netherlands and I wanttowatchyourfilm"Isaid sure,I'llgetfiveticketsforhim. I came from Sundance in the US, then I flew to the Netherlands. I landed right before the screening of my film,soIdroppedmybagandI rantothecinemaandIdon't even remember who my classmate was but she soundedfamiliar.
Sherandownandwesaweach other on the steps to the cinema,thenshescreamedto her family "I got the tickets!" Anyway,afterthescreeningof Maximo, they invited me to dinner.Theywereleftistexiles fromMartialLaw Theytoldme theirstoryandIgotinspiredto do the Pisay movie at that moment WethenhadaYahoo group with my classmates. Someonesecretlyemailedme that he was kicked out [of Pisay] and he told me the details about it. He described nadalawasila,isasiyasagitna [intheprincipal'soffice].Nung dinescribe niya, nakikita ko yung shots for the scene [in themovie].Again,asIsaid,the storyfoundme.
Thenformysecondfilm,Tuli,I wasaskedbyVivaFilms Yung batchmate ko from an animationworkshop,hisscript won in a Viva Films competition.WhenIarrivedin the Philippines, I got a call askingifIwantedtodohisfilm andsabiko,“sige,basahinko". ItwasoneofthefirstHDfilms. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time, as it wasjustthebeginningofthe digital age. I deduced that sinceadigitalvideois30FPS (framespersecond)andfilmis 34FPS,weshouldchangethe frame rate Mga kalaban ko lahat gamit ng film or celluloid lahat sila, they thoughtmyworkwasfilmkasi nakuhakoyungtamangframe rateandIalsoplayedwiththe texture
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE THE JOYS AND STRUGGLES OF BEING AN INDEPENDENT FILMMAKER, ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF OUR LOCAL FILM INDUSTRY?
Thedifficultthingis,anoe,the speed of ideas is not directly proportional to the speed of financing My5thfilm[Busong] —Ithoughtofitin1995butI only got to do it in 2011. I wantedtodoitasmyfirstfilm butittooktimeandtechnology becausefilmwassoexpensive then.Alotofusweretryingto be purists na film lang gusto naming gamitin. We then realizedthatfilmisdead,that it's the digital age na After transitioning [to digital], I got to make Busong, and it was evenwell-receivedinCannes I thinkit’samongmybestwork. The magic too, of works like Ang Huling El Bimbo and Maximo is the masses at the time,anduptonow,whohave seenthemcanrelatetothem Maybe because I grew up in Sampaloc [where they were set], I got the Filipino rhythm andspirit.
Thejoy[ofindiefilm]isfinding kindredspirits;youfindfriends who are filmmakers who love your work. And I guess, the applause as well. Because I came from the theater, so sanay ako na may applause para malaman kung maganda yung show or hindi. Nagulat akonamaachievepalayunsa film. Nakakagulat pag nagpapalakpakan yung mga tao WhenitwasshownsaUP, people were stomping their feet at may mga kakaibang reaksyon ang mga tao In theaterkasi,theysayna,"you direct the audience". I was happy na sometimes people reactthewayyouwishpeople would react. You know, I was surprised; I didn't even know Maximo was a comedy, I was just taking it seriously, going truetothescript.Peoplewere laughing and then they were crying, it was a crazy time. I guessyeah,ganunnga,[indie film]hasthatmasaspirit
WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS THE “HIDDEN GEM” OF YOUR CAREER, SOMETHING IN YOUR BACK CATALOG THAT YOU WISH MORE PEOPLE WOULD SEE?
One is Basal Banar, my fulllengthdocumentaryshoton16 mmfilm,kasinaabutankopa yung film before we went digital.BasalBanar,orSacred Ritual of Truth, is actually the lastFilipinofilmthatcompeted inYamagata,averyprestigious documentaryfestivalinJapan I remember I didn't win but I got close to it. I actually saw my favorite film of all time there by Takamine Gō [Untamagiru],whowaspartof thejuryinthefestival.Hetold me after the awarding ceremony, "I was rooting for yourfilm,buttheirmindswere closed" That'swhywebecame close.Wegotsoclosethathe invited me to Okinawa, and I evenhadafellowshiptherefor afewmonths.He'soneofmy mentors,actually.
Anyway,that’smyunderrated work: Basal Banar. I have unfinished business regarding it.BasalBanarwasastagein mylifewhereIwasfightingfor my ancestral domain. I was documenting the mapping of ourancestraldomain,wehada GPS and we got an NGO to mapit,weshotarounditframe byframeandshowedthemap ofmytribe'sancestraldomain, because there are some islands that were stolen by [Eduardo] Cojuangco, Jr. during Martial Law, that still haven’tbeengivenbackupto now.
And like a ghost, suddenly, fineature two weeks ago ni Jessica Soho yung issue sa tribal land ko so the NGO’s askingmenow,“ituloynatin”. Becausenow,they'retryingto get another island again [in southernPalawan].Soyun,it’s unfinishedbusiness.
NOW TURNING TO THE FUTURE, WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR YOU AS A FILMMAKER? WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO NEXT? WHAT ARE YOU DOING NEXT? IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS GOING TO BE SUMBANG, THE FINAL PIECE OF THE PALAW'AN TRILOGY?
Right now, I'm developing a series for Sumbang, the final partofthePalaw'anTrilogy.It’s a screenplay that I developed in Amsterdam and which people found mesmerizing. We'retryingtoextenditnow into a stronger, longer series Hopefully by 2025, we will [enter]principalphotography.
In January to February 2020, wealsoshotfootageaboutthe issues in my ancestral land because the chieftain, my uncle, just died. I went home and shot some footage, but I haven't edited it. I'm also editing a new documentary rightnowsoparangeverything is[comingtogether].NowI'm justwaitingfortheuniverseto give me that magic again, be bewilderedagainbylife.
WHAT ARE OTHER INDIGENOUS FAVORITES OF YOURS — FILMS AND/OR FILMMAKERS THAT HAVE INSPIRED YOU TO TELL YOUR OWN INDIGENOUS STORIES?
One of the first indigenous films I saw was Once Were Warriors by Lee Tamahori. I wasblownaway.Itopenedmy mind kasi ang galing ng performances,evenuptonow. Then, Atanarjuat by Zacharias Kunuk. I met him at the imagiNATIVE Festival in Canada. He won the Caméra d’Or with [Atarnajuat] sa CannesFilmFestival.Actually, in[thatLetterboxdinterview],I wascaughtbetweenchoosing Atanarjuat, Once Were Warriors, and Untamagiru for my favorite indigenous film ForFilipinofilmsnaman:Kidlat Tahimik's work. My most favorite of his works are Perfumed Nightmare and Turumba.
Did you know that the boy acting[inTurumba]isaPisay graduate?PamangkinniKidlat ‘ yan Nagulatdinakonanauna palatayosamgaIranianfilms in the style of films na may simpleng tao tapos may encroachment of [something foreign] then maaffect yung buhaynilaandsuch
FINALLY, SINCE THIS WILL BE READ BY MEMBERS OF THE PISAY STUDENT BODY, WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO ALL OF US, ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHO ASPIRE TO BE FILMMAKERS LIKE YOU?
I'llpassthisontoyou,thenext generation. Sinabi sa’kin ‘to from one of my mentors, Rogelio Sikat, who [wrote] ImpengNegro(whichIalsodid ashortfilmon).Whathesaidis to go back to your roots; it's what you have that nobody else has. ‘Wag kang mag-aral abroad, ‘ wag sa Amerika That'swhatIdid:Iwentbackto my roots, I found myself, I found science in magic, the magic in science, I found the ritual of truth and the aesthetics of the heart in general
BATCH 1986
LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? AKRON.
THE MOVIE YOU HAVE SEEN THE MOST NUMBER OF TIMES? RAN BY AKIRA KUROSAWA. THIS IS MY FAVORITE FILM [SINCE] I SAW IT IN THE 90S. IT’S LIKE KING LEAR IN A JAPANESE SAMURAI SETTING.
A MOVIE YOU WOULD ALWAYS RECOMMEND TO PEOPLE GETTING INTO FILIPINO CINEMA? TURUMBA AND NUNAL SA TUBIG.
WHAT'S YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT AS A PISAY STUDENT? NUNG PANAHON NAMIN, NAUSO YUNG BAGETS FILM. I REMEMBER I EVEN WON BAGETS OF THE YEAR, BECAUSE OF WHAT I WAS WEARING. I USED MY ALLOWANCE TO BUY CLOTHES THAT NOBODY HAD EVER SEEN BEFORE.
Before being a critically acclaimed director, to us in Pisay, you are a notable alumnus of Batch 1969.
Could you paint a picture for us of your time as a member of the first batch of Pisay students? Were you passionate about science or did you already feel a pull to the arts by then?
Entering Pisay at zero-year, I wasscared[expletive]tofind out that all my classmates were valedictorians and salutatorians in their schools
My first remembered inclination towards the arts was playing the piano and begging to be given formal lessons before I was of school age. As far as the sciences and myself, in my primary grades up to high school, I remember being passionately curious about astronomy and the magic of photography(artparinyan,I realize) IassiduouslycollectedPopular Science and Popular Mechanicsmagazines.
Filmmakers have different approaches to their craft. Some prioritize the actors, others pay attention to the technicals more. There are directors who want to convey a message, and there are those who only wish to entertain.
How would you describe the cinema of Lore Reyes? What is it that you prioritize in your filmmaking that you think makes you unique?
I started out being extremely intimidatedbybignamestars. My first directorial job had DolphyandGloriaRomeroand RichardGomezandJanicede Belen in it. My coping mechanisms, I guess, initially drove me to hide behind the technicals. Which wasn’t half bad since early on I gained a masteryoftoolsIwouldendup usingandfoolingaroundwith all my life. I was well into my thirdorfourthfilmbeforeIgot the confidence to routinely direct and give directorial notestoactorswhowerebig andfamous andthereforein reality more powerful and havingmorecloutthanIhad My partnership with Peque Gallaga introduced me to the studyofactingasateachable talent (in some ways). As a result, for the rest of my professionalcareer,Ipaid
close attention to my actors’ acting.Ofcourse,therearea number of actors who are so naturally gifted and full of talent that they needed little tweaking. I never willfully stayed away from addressing politicaltruthsandproblemsin mywritingandinmyfilms.But I was seriously wary about aggressively pushing for an agenda. I am instantly turned off by films that proselytize instead of aiming to tell a meaningful story. Full disclosure: I was an antiMarcos pro-democracy activist from the first day I steppedintoUP Diliman the summer of my freshman year, and that’s where my heart still lies to date.
If the UK has Powell and Pressburger and the US has the Coen Brothers, the Philippines has Lore Reyes and Peque Gallaga. In interviews, Gallaga is described as an “actors’ director”, while you are the “scientist” overseeing VFX and action, even if you do venture into each others’ creative territories often.
Is there a specific moment in your directorial career that you felt a sudden synergy with Direk Gallaga as a creative partner? Or was it a slow and steady process where you didn’t even notice how in sync you were?
Directing partnerships in teleseryes,likewhatIhadwith DomZapatainMulawin,Sugo, and many other soaps, are a totally different animal than thepartnershipthatPequeand I had. In television I never literally “directed” alongside a partner; i.e., in our case, Dominic and I would only be togetherinpre-productionand writers’ meetings, and very rarelyinediting(soapdirectors do not edit as a rule, apart fromthepilotweek).Directing partnersinteleseryesroutinely nevergettoseeeachotherfor months and months, because weworkinseparatelocations with a different set of actors onanytapingday
Themostsignificantdifference whendirectingsololiesinthe planningandprepwork.When Peque and I shoot together, we have each other as sounding boards, ideas get instantaneous feedback, and thisoftenresultsinexhilaration when we find ourselves in sync.
This is what I sorely missed in the few solo filmswemade.
They’re not as welldocumented as your career in directing, but you have also written scripts, acted, been production manager on “Misteryo sa Tuwa” and “Scorpio Nights”, and have even contributed to lyrics to songs featured in “Magic Temple”, “Gangland”, etc.
Of your filmmaking contributions besides directing, which are you the proudest of? And how did all of these strengthen your overall artistic craft?
The most ego-boosting of all my non-directorial accomplishments, kidding aside,ismyhavingwrittenthe lyricsof“ButoKalansay”from Magic Temple. We would be out in the boondocks as sponsors to some stuntman’s wedding,andthemomentthe tambaykidsrecognizePeque, they start singing the whole song, sometimes with choreography. Moments like that are a pure delight. I am especiallyproudoftheTagalog dialogue in the scripts I have writtenandco-written.Ihave gottenpositivefeedback,most inspiringlyfromnativesofthe Tagalog provinces Rizal, Laguna,Batangas,Bulacanand such,praisingmydialoguefor being distinctly contemporary“ManilaTagalog”.
Though much of your career has been defined by your creative partnership with Mr. Gallaga, you’ve also undergone solo directorial efforts in “Ate” and “Litsonero”, and have even been credited alongside other directors (especially Dominic Zapata) for teleseryes like “Marimar” and “Captain Barbell”.
What were the differences you experienced between all three circumstances (i.e. your regular partnership with Direk Gallaga, solo direction, direction alongside other collaborators), and what is your personal preference of the three?
Directing partnerships in TV teleseryes,likewhatIhadwith DomZapatainMulawin,Sugo, and many other soaps, are a totally different animal than thepartnershipthatPequeand I had. In television I never literally “directed” alongside a partner; ie, in our case, Dominic and I would only be togetherinpre-productionand writers’ meetings, and very rarelyinediting(soapdirectors do not edit as a rule, apart fromthepilotweek) Directing partnersinteleseryesroutinely nevergettoseeeachotherfor months and months, because weworkinseparatelocations with a different set of actors onanytapingday.
Solo direction is not much different from directing in tandem in the execution, on the set. The most significant differencewhendirectingsolo liesintheplanningandindoing prepwork.WhenPequeandI do shooting homework together,wehaveeachother assoundingboards,ideasget instantaneous feedback, and thisoftenresultsinexhilaration when we find ourselves in sync. That is what I sorely missedinthefewsolofilmsI made.
You are one of the directors of the Philippines who can safely say their work has spanned decades and genres, who has worked with several iconic actors and filmmakers, and has cemented a legacy in Pinoy cinema.
From your unique vantage
point, how exactly has the Philippine film industry changed from then to now? What do you think has gotten better? What do you think has gotten worse?
Rapidtechnicaladvanceshave been a boon to the industry, undeniably. But that progress has made it “too easy ” for millennials and Gen Zs to becomeadirector,oraDOP, or whatever What many current filmmakers miss experiencingisthecrucibleof apprenticeship, of being mentored, of going through theoftenpainfulpracticalfailand-fail-again learning phases that those of my generation (andolder)hadtogothrough before attaining any level of accomplishment or success. On the plus side, I think diversity of film subjects and storytelling styles in the work of young filmmakers have becomeimmenselybetter.
Concerningcinemaasawhole, onethingIfeelthathasgotten worse and this is a global thing isthatwehavelostthe joy of seeing films as a community of humans. Streaming on demand in the comfortofourhomeshascost us the loss of the collective experienceofenjoyingafilmin the company of a captive audience in the confines of a dark theater. What a glorious experience it is to be in the middleofagatheringlikethat, each and everyonemesmerizedbyagoodfilm
Speaking of your work spanning genres, you always seem to go back to the fantastical, with action adventures such as “Magic Temple”, horror films such as “Shake, Rattle, & Roll” and “Tiyanak”, and even superhero media like “Darna: Ang Pagbabalik” and the “Captain Barbell” show.
Speaking of your work spanning genres, you always seem to go back to the fantastical, with action adventures such as “Magic Temple”, horror films such as “Shake, Rattle, & Roll” and “Tiyanak”, and even superhero media like “Darna: Ang Pagbabalik” and the “Captain Barbell” show.
What is it exactly about the fantasy genre that keeps you coming back for more? Do you choose projects that lean more into fantasy or do they always somehow fall into your lap?
Notwithstanding the scope anddepthofOroPlataMata, the success of Peque’s Manananggal in the original Shake, Rattle & Roll sort of stereotypedhimasamasterof horror, and therefore a bankable bet for producers Thesubsequentsuccessofour Shakefilms(movies2,3and4) in the immensely lucrative Metro Manila Film Festival cementedthatnotion.
We certainly did not mind beingplacedinthefantasyand horrorbox itgaveusleverage (andmoneyLOL)todomore films many of them outside thefantasyandhorrorgenres. Peque and I both had an intuitivefascinationforFilipino mythologyandfolkbeliefs.At the same time, we found so much delight in inventing creatures and dreadful or otherwise deeply human circumstances,andthisiswhat spurred us on to consciously cultivate fantasy as our specialtygenre.
What do you feel is the “hidden gem” of your career, something in your back catalog that you wish more people would see?
IwishtheywouldrestoreIsang Araw Walang Diyos, whose originaltitleisWakwak.When wewroteit,wewereplanning tomakeitthesecondpartofa trilogy along with Oro, Plata, MataandthethirdisHacienda Olympia,whichIhavewritten alreadyandplantosubmitto Palancanextyear.
Maganda yung Wakwak it’s so deep at tsaka may magpakatimeless siya, and it has a very patriotic message, but it doesn’t get the usual knee-jerkreactionfrompeople onthe[political]right,because
ang bida namin ay isang sundalo.Ithasalotofviolence. It’s about a cult in Mindanao; whenwewroteit,therewasa realcultwhichthemilitarywas usingasmercenaries
Itwaswrittenduringthetime whentheeldestsonofPeque [Gallaga] had just graduated fromPisay,and[theson]kept it a secret from his parents [the Gallagas] that he had taken the PMA (Philippine MilitaryAcademy)exams.The first time that Peque learned thathissonhadbeenaccepted was nagpahatidsiyasadriver andthenthedriverkinuwento kay Peque, “inihatid ko po sa physical exam niya”. Peque wasaverynationalisticperson, perowhenhelearnedthathis sonwasgoingtothePMA,he was really sad At the time, people there became officers and died in Mindanao. When hissongraduated,that’swhen we started writing Wakwak, which Regal Entertainment retitledintoIsangArawWalang Diyos.
Now turning to the future, what is on the horizon for you as a filmmaker? What would you like to do next? What ARE you doing next?
Ihavenothingactivethathas medirectinginthenearfuture, butofcourse,Imissdirecting so much. The pitch deck of BatangX,whichwaspassedon byanInternationalProducerto one of those Europe/US streamingservices
kung matutuloy yun, I’ll be directingthepilotseason But, pitch work in international streaming, oh my God, ang bagal. But you’d be surprised howbigthebudget ditokasi, mgaisanglinggosateleserye, mga 4.5 million ginagastos namine.Doonsainternational [streaming],they’dgiveme60 millionperweek.KayawhenI submittedthedraftbudgetof BatangX,feedbackkaagadng InternationalProducer:it’stoo low Theysentmealist,“lagay nito,lagaynghealthinsurance anglahat;yungDOP(director of photography) mo, lagyan mo ng backup; lagyan mo ng understudyyungkids,theycan get sick anytime”...so, yun. I hopethatitgetsgreenlitandI candirectit,peropagna-2026 pa ‘yan...IhopeI’mstillalivebythen.
Finally, since this will be read by members of the Pisay student body, what is your advice to all of us, especially to those who aspire to be filmmakers like you?
Unang-una, of course, try to getintoalltheavailableclasses orseminarsorworkshopsthat are available to you And whatever field you ’ re in I alwaystellthistofilmmakers studyacting Evenifyoudon’t plan to be an actor, study acting, because a basic understandingofactingisvery important in whatever job [in thefilmcrew]youhave.Pero ang pinakamabigat na advice nabinigaykowheneverItalkto students, if you ever want to bearelevantfilmmaker,keep reading Of course, it applies to any profession, but especially for filmmakers. It’s sadthatalotof[filmstudents] ang education nila, 50% galingsapelikula.That’snota real education; what a filmmakerneedsisacomplete basis sa Humanities, whether artsorphilosophy Magbasaka lang. I mean it. Anything that interests you. A filmmaker shouldbereadingwhenheis not doing anything. It frees your mind, it keeps you curious, you keep learning withoutgoingoutofyourway tostudyanything.
Taposewankokungempathy canbelearned?Kasi,Ifindthat alotofthefilmmakersIdon’t admire or whose work I find kulang, when I meet them in person, they lack empathy. Yungmagagalingaretheexact opposite; they have a lot of empathy, kaya naiintindihan nila yung problema ng mga tao.Theirkindnesscomesout inthemoviestheyrelease.
BATCH 1969
LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? THE REVENANT.
THE MOVIE YOU HAVE SEEN THE MOST NUMBER OF TIMES?
AMONG MY FILMS, PUSO NG PASKO. FOR OTHER FILMS, ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA.
A MOVIE YOU WOULD ALWAYS RECOMMEND TO PEOPLE GETTING INTO FILIPINO CINEMA? PAGDATING SA DULO, MANILA BY NIGHT AND TINIMBANG KA NGUNIT KULANG.
WHAT'S YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT AS A PISAY STUDENT?
PAG PASOK SA ZERO-YEAR, NUNG NAREALIZE KO NA SECTION 1 AKO, DURING INTRODUCTIONS, PURO VALEDICTORIAN ANG CLASSMATES KO TSAKA [I WAS LIKE] “OH MY GOD, ANO BA ‘TONG PINASUKAN KO?” IT WAS REALLY SCARY.
AtnoonofApril28,2007,the bustling Ever Gotesco Mall would witness five civilians (four men and a woman), supposedlypartofthemilitary, draggingamanbythenameof Jonas Burgos out of a restaurantandintoavan.
Nooneknewitwouldbe thelastdayhewouldbe seenalive.
This is the major story featuredinAlipatoatMuog,a 90-minute documentary film scrutinizing the Philippines’ history of enforced disappearances and the impending search for justice. DirectedbyJLBurgos,Jonas’ younger brother, first-hand footageandseveralkeypeople drivethefilmforwardtorelay amessageeternallyimportant: surface all desaparecidos and surfacethetruth,NOW.
I didn’t know how harrowing thisdocumentarywouldbe.In fact, I only learned it existed until Thandie, Celluloid’s president, invited the club’s memberstowatchitaspartof the recently-concluded 20th Cinemalaya Film Festival. And so a mere invitation sparked curiosityinmetosearchupits synopsis. From there, I instantly picked up the heavy natureofthefilm.
THE FIGHT CONTINUES
17 long years have passed sinceJonas’abduction.Atthe forefront stands his family, particularly his mother, Edita Burgos,hisbrother,JLBurgos, andhiswife,MaryAnn Friends and other people whom he’d helped all say that he was a kind and protective soul, providingaidinwaysheknew best.Afterall,heconsistently didhisbestincontributingto the welfare of farmers and indigenouspeople.
The film touches on these experiencestocreateabigger picture behind a question seemingly unanswered until now: what reason would the military have to utilize inhumane means in ensuing Jonas’ disappearance? The answer seems obvious, but even then, those who hold power would go to greater lengthstopaintanantithesisof the aspirations Filipinos like Jonas have for his fellow countrymen.Ironic,isn’tit?
Suchactionshaveexistedway back. Activist censorship always meant putting out the burning fires of reform and change.Thisiswhythenotion of desaparecidos as well as other associated keywords including ‘freedom’ and ‘oppression’ feel very much aliveinthePhilippines
Butitdoesnotendthere.The mission for truth now carries ontotherelativeswhoremain Theyremainsteadfastintheir hopes of facing and experiencingbettertimes
Onethingthatstruckmewas thehugechunkofinformation spilling throughout the film. Several names like Eduardo Año and Harry Baliaga, Jr were discussed as military officers in power during Burgos’ disappearance. Screenshots of conversations andathen-recentimageofthe victim surfaced. Eyewitnesses and organizational heads provided reports to try and make sense of what went down and why there seemed to be no progress at all. All thesewereshown,andyetnot a single suspect has been thrown into jail. What makes the situation worse is that most,ifnotalloftheassailants wereevenpromotedtohigher ranks.Theywereandaregiven protection to this day by the very governing bodies who have sworn to protect the people.
There’salsoamomentwhere my screening gave an extended round of applause when Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano shone in their respectivescenes
Known as the student environmental activists who “supposedly surrendered” to the military, they were prominently featured on several news channels due to their revelations of a false narrative pushed by the military forces. It was a brief moment of triumph; how it went down confirms a cliche, albeit timely concept in our country: the truth will always prevail.
Ifeltbothrelievedandworried for them for what they did. Their lives are at an even biggerriskbutuntilnow,they remain firm and continue the causes they have always foughtfor
MAtthetimeofthiswriting,the TRCBhasgiventhefilmanX rating;accordingtothem,the documentaryisanattemptto “undermine the faith and confidence of the people in theirgovernment.”
Lost Sabungeros, an investigative documentary surrounding more than 30 cockfighters’ sudden disappearances, faced cancellations due to certain “security concerns. ” It was originallyslatedtopremierlast August8.
I like to believe that despite everything,itisthefilmmakers whoareatanadvantage They mayfacedirechallengesatthe moment but in the greater scheme of things, there is somethinggloriouswaitingfor themattheendofthebattle. Byexposingthepublictothe cold truths of happenstances in the world, they are fueling the spark that seeks to shift the power dynamics in the country. By standing their grounddotheycarveacertain kind of message towards the vile perpetrators who think they are untouchable. By keepingaflamethepursuitfor their loved ones, for their people, they are upholding justice for the people of the Philippines.
Theywillnotandnever willbesilenced.
Ithasbeenmorethan50years since the first ever recorded caseofdesaparecidosandyet, it seems like society hasn’t changedonebitwhendealing with anything concerning the bettermentofhumanlives.But untilanyone’ssurethatthereis indeed no chance of light winning against the dark, we must continue to fight. We must keep speaking up. We mustcontinuebuildingasolid fortressoftruthandmaintaina ragingtorchofhope.
reshapingthelandscapeofthe entertainment industry, challenging long-standing stereotypes and redefining whatitmeanstobeanAsian actorinHollywood.
FROM VANCOUVER TO THE SPOTLIGHT
Manny Jacinto’s path to Hollywood was anything but typical.BorninthePhilippines and raised in Vancouver, Jacinto initially pursued a degree in civil engineering, a careerpaththatquicklyproved unfulfilling.
"I wasn’t passionate about it," Jacinto recalled. Driven by a desire for something more, he turned to acting a decision that wouldtransformhislife.
Jacinto’s early roles in shows likeSupernaturalandThe100 were small but significant, showcasing his potential. The true turning point came with hiscastingasJasonMendoza inNBC’sTheGoodPlace.Asa lovable yet dim-witted DJ, Jasoncouldhavebeenamere caricature,butJacintoinfused the character with depth and warmth,makinghimoneofthe show’smostbelovedfigures CHALLENGING STEREOTYPES
Jacinto’s portrayal of Jason Mendozawasmorethanjusta career milestone; it was a culturalshift ortoolong,Asian men in Hollywood had been confinedtostereotypes.
yes, but also charming, fun, andfullyrealized.Inanindustry that had long sidelined Asian men, Jacinto’s portrayal was groundbreaking.
“Jasonwasacharacter we hadn’t really seen before,” notes Nancy Wang Yuen, a sociologist who specializes in race and media.“Hehadhisown story, his own desires. That’s incredibly important for representation.”
Jacinto’ssuccessinTheGood Place not only showcased his versatility but also challenged the consensus around Asian masculinity in mainstream media, proving that Asian actorscouldbecentraltothe story’snarrative.
BREAKING INTO STAR WARS
MannyJacinto’srecentrolein TheAcolyte,aseriessetinthe Star Wars universe, marks another significant milestone in his career. Beyond all the TikTok thirst traps, his involvement in such a major franchise sends a powerful message. Historically, Star Wars has been dominated by white leads, so Jacinto’s inclusion signals a meaningful shift toward greater diversity in one of Hollywood’s most iconicfranchises.
Color. “It’s about time Asianactorsareseenas central figures in major franchises, not just in supportingroles.”
Jacinto’s casting in The Acolyte further challenges outdated stereotypes, demonstratingthatAsianmen can be complex, dynamic characters who drive the narrative forward and are equally capable of being portrayed as both attractive anddesirable.
SETTING A NEW STANDARD
MannyJacinto’scareerismore than just a series of personal achievements, his roles have redefinedhowAsianmenare portrayed in the media. Jacinto’ssuccessisnotonlya win for him but also a significantstepforwardforall Asian actors who have been historically overlooked in the industry.
As Hollywood evolves, Jacinto’s career stands as a blueprint for what meaningful representation can look like. He’s not just changing the industry he’s helping to createanewone,whereevery actor, regardless of background, has the opportunitytoshine Hisriseis areminderthatthestorieswe tell and the people we choose to tell them shape theworldthatwelivein.
101 MINS | DIRECTOR Osgood Perkins | GENRE horror, crime, thriller
REVIEW BY MIKHAIL BAUTISTA
Withthemysterysetbyitsoutstandingadvertising,youjoinLeeHarker(MaikaMonroe)asshetries to uncover the identity of the birthday murders killer, Longlegs (Nicolas Cage). It's wonderfully atmospheric, with beautiful cinematography and a great score to partner. The entire film is absolutelycrazy;it’salwayskeepingyoureeledin,andassomeonewhowentinblind,Iwasn'tableto predict absolutely anything. The ending leaves you puzzled, wondering whether Lee was truly successfulinhermission.I'dsaythatit'snotjustoneofthebesthorrormoviesof2024butofthis entiredecade.
119 MINS | DIRECTOR Fede Álvarez
GENRE sci-fi, horror
REVIEW BY THANDIE Aliño
Thoughboggeddownbyitsneedtomakeegregious callbacks whether through visuals, dialogue, or a baffling cameo to previous Alien movies, Romulus, whenallowedtobecomeitsownthing,issomeofthe most thrilling cinema you’ll see this year A group of youngspacecolonizersbandtogethertoseizetheirown destinyandmaketheirwayacrossthecosmostoanew home butfirst,theymustscavengetheremainsofa shipownedbythecompanywho’sexploitedthemall theirlives.There,they’llhappenuponhorrorslikethey’ve never seen before. Director Fede Álvarez moves the camera through the interior of the ship smoothly, steadily,andalmostlikeavideogame,especiallyinthe film’smosthair-raisingsequences.Thesounddesignis scarilyevocative,chillinginthefilm’squietermoments, andexcitingduringsceneslikethoseinthecrazythird act. Finally, although the lead Cailee Spaeny (who is having an amazing year) and the supporting Isabela Mercedarehighlights,nooneshinesbrighterthanDavid Jonsson,whoeffortlesslyembodiesthebodyandfacial language of a synthetic android, switching between naiveandheartlesslikeclockwork.
94 MINS | DIRECTOR Kelsey Mann | GENRE Animation, Family, Comedy
Review by Steph Nebres
InsideOut2isagreatsequeltothefirstmovie.Theintroductionofnewcharacters madeforagreatplotandAnxiety'seffectonRileywasveryfleshed-outandtrueto-life.Ithadasimilaritywiththepreviousfilm,astheyonceagainjourneythrough Riley'smindtogetbacktoheadquarters.Theconceptof
self was also introduced, a complex web madeofRiley'sbeliefsthatmakeherwho she is. It's a good addition, as when one getsolder,theydodevelopasapersonand theplotpointisagreatwaytointroduce theconcepttokidsonthebigscreen.In terms of the animation and voices, everyonedidagreatjob;thevoiceactors werespectacularandtheanimatorsreally puttheirallforthemovie Overall,itwasa wonderfulfilmthatwasjustasemotional asthefirst.
1979 / 94 mins
director Ingman Bergman
genre drama
Review by Thandie Aliño
Thisisthepeakofthechamberpiecedrama, the simmering tension between neglectful motherandresentfuldaughterbubblingup untiltheycan’tholditinanymore,andtheir gripeswitheachotherexplodeinatearful geyserofregretsandruin “AutumnSonata” is Ingmar Bergman’s late-career opus, encased in warm fall colors that evoke its title and a somber atmosphere that permeatesthroughoutthewholefilm.Ifyou lovethetragicerosionofafamilyorcan’tget enough of plumbing the mother-daughter dynamicinfilm,thenthismovieisforyou. Thismovieisbeautifullyscathing,tragically honest, and just a step over extremely painful. The best way to come out of this movieiswithnaryadryeye.
1948 / 113 mins
director Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell
genre drama, Romance
Review by Thandie Aliño
Martin Scorsese has this to say about The Red Shoes, “it’s cinema as music…the way the film’s edited, the movement within the frameandthemovementoftheframe,the dialogue,themilieu.”Andhe’sright.Almost everyfilmnowadaysisfullofcolor,butthey do not worship the medium, not quite like how this movie does with its Technicolor visualbanquetofvividtexturesandhuesthat embrace and swarm the eyes like an explosion of beauty. Its haunting story is a timelessone;ayoungballerinaiscaughtina poeticlovetriangle,onebetweenherlovefor amanandherlovefordance.Herconflicting desires crash and burn into each other, culminating in an indelible finale that will imprint itself in your mind and leave you wondering how far you’ll go to achieve perfectioninyourpassions.
105 MINS | DIRECTOR M. Night Shyamalaman GENRE horror, mystery
REVIEW BY THANDIE Aliño
Withthisand“KnockattheCabin”(even“Old”hasits merits), the 2020s are shaping up to be M. Night Shyamalan’smostexcitingdecadesincethe90s.The idiosyncrasiesofhisfilms hisuncannydialogueand zigzaggingnarrative thatwereoncethesourcesof irefromcritics,arenowmasterfullywieldedtocraft offbeat worlds that mirror our own, but also aren’t quite like it. Josh Hartnett is singular as a killer seemingly at an impasse: every entrance to the concerthetookhisdaughtertoislinedwitharmed officerslookingforhim.Beyondbeingahair-raising thriller chock-full of twist-and-turns, Trap is an exaggerateddisplayofthedifficultiesinmaintaininga work-lifebalance,ofjugglingtwofaces onefitfor theall-Americansuburbanitefamily,andonecatering to your dark inner desires. If you ’ re watching Trap, buckleup;you’reinfortherideofyourlife.
104 MINS | DIRECTOR Ti West | GENRE horror, crime, mystery
REVIEW BY MIKHAIL BAUTISTA
MaXXXine follows Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) as shepursuesherdreamtobecomethestarshe knowssheisin1985-eraHollywooduntilaserial killer and her past come back to haunt her. While it is beautiful with great contemporary costumesandastellarperformancebyGoth,it justfeelsquitemessy.Thedeathscenesrange fromgreattojustnonexistent,andsomeofthe acting feels half-done, with an accent from Halseythatwasdifferentineveryscene.
The 1980s setting, while not unique for the genre,isn’tjustabackdrop,butisintegralto the plot, showing the real-life satanic panic during that time and featuring the Night Stalker.Overall,I’dstillhavetorecommendthis ifyouareafanof“X”or“Pearl,”aswhileitis theweakestinthetrilogy,ithandlesMaxine’s character with great care and has a fun first twoactsthatIliked.
94 MINS | DIRECTOR Chris
Renaud | GENRE
comedy, family
REVIEW BY MICHAEL
ESCOBIDO
Despicable Me 4 feels like the most stereotypical children's corporate slop that couldbereleasedbyabigcompany:themovie juggleswithseveraldifferentplotpointsand subplots throughout the first two-thirds, leadingtoasmorgasbordofhalf-bakedideas withbarelyANYdevelopmentwhatsoever.This feels like the writing room ' s first-ever foray intoset-upandpay-off,withcharactersbeing introduced,forgottenabout,andbroughtback again for the "final showdown." They also somehowintroducedthefirst-everantagonist thatdoesNOTHINGevilforalmosttheentirety of the movie! For the first two-thirds of the film,hemeandersaround,attemptingtolook forGruwhilehavingNOsortofmethodologyinsleuthing;hesimplytravelsblindlyacrossthe country,prayingtowhateverdeitythathejustlucksuponhisnemesis.Theonlyreasonwhymy opinionofthismovieisn’tlowerisbecauseatleasttheanimationwasactuallyappealingand Pharrellmadeadamngoodsongforit.
2022 / 147 mins
director Harshavardhan Kulkarni genre drama, comedy
Review
by
Thandie Aliño
One glance of the premise and already,itintrigues:agaycopanda lesbianteacherenteramarriageof conveniencetogettheirfamilyoff their backs. This Bollywood film may seem to exist partly as an education for straight people on theplightsofLGBTQ+people,but forthemostofitsexistenceasa full-fledgedfilm,itistheperfect
dramedy.Itleavesyoufeelingevery single emotion during its runtime, developing the characters and their burgeoning friendship enough to keep you invested in them, as we followtheirmomentsspanningboth laughterandtears.Italsoaddresses almost every queer issue under the sun: intersectional solidarity, ostracization by family and society, gaymarriageandadoption,andeven the sexism that can occur between members of the queer community. Sometimes corny, always heartwarming and well-meaning Badhaai Do is a great gateway into the increasing diversity in modern Indiancinema.
127 MINS | DIRECTOR Shawn Levy
GENRE action, comedy, and sci-fi
REVIEW BY Art Delos Santos
Deadpool&Wolverinewasoneofmymostawaited movies of the year, and safe to say, it did not disappoint.Itwasahilariousandaction-packedride, combining the irreverent humor of Ryan Reynolds' wisecrackingDeadpoolandthegruffcharmofHugh Jackman's iconic Wolverine in marvelous ways. The storywillsurpriseyouwithmomentsofgenuineheart, making you care about these characters even as they'reslicinganddicingtheirwaythrough.Reynold and Jackman's chemistry also makes them such an unexpected legendary pairing. While the film leans heavily on fan service, it does so with such selfawarenessthatitbecomespartofthefun.Thefilmis awild,entertainingridethatnotonlysatisfieslongtimefansbutalsosetsthestageforexcitingfuture developments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It’s a movie that doesn’t just entertain it leavesyougrinninglongafterthecreditsroll Overall, this is a must-see for fans, blending humor, action, andnostalgiainasatisfyingadditiontotheMCU.
8 seasons
creator David Shore
genre Medical, Comedy, Mystery, Thriller
Review by Leif Diaz
HouseM.D.isamedicalshow,butit offers more than just medical storylines. The show revolves around a flawed yet brilliant diagnostician, Dr. Gregory House (HughLaurie)whoworksattheonly hospital that puts up with his eccentricitiesbecauseofhissharp
personality, Dr House often finds himself in disagreements with his colleagues while trying to solve intricatemedicalmysteries Withits unique approach and script so carefullytailoredtothecharacters andtheircomplexitiesthroughout, the show redefines the medical genre.Thetensionthatbuildswith every episode until the final diagnosis is something “House M.D.”consistentlydoeswell,which is what has kept the show so captivatingovertheyears
127 MINS | DIRECTOR Pat Boonnitipat | GENRE drama, family
Review by Sofia Regaya
How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies is a simple family drama that highlights both the meaningfulandinconsequentialmomentsinourlives Deathispresentedfrombothperspectives: thosewhogrieveandthosewhoyearntobegrieved.Throughabeautifullywovennarrative,thefilm thoughtfullyexploresthemesoflanguageandculturewithinfamilywhilealsolightlytouchingon feminismandgenderdynamics Asenseofnostalgiaandsentimentisdrawnoutoftheaudienceas thefilmrevisitsscenesthatechomemoriesmanywillfindfamiliarfromtheirownchildhoods.For some,itevokesalongingforatimethathassincefleetinglypassed,alongwiththepeoplewhohave gonewithit Forothers,thefilmactsasapoignantremindertocherishthepresentwiththeirlovedonesandrecognizethatthemostvaluablegiftwecaneverofferthemisourtime.
4 seasons | DIRECTOR Steve Blackman
GENRE Fantasy, Adventure
Review by Nico Tan
TheUmbrellaAcademylostitscharminitsfinalseason Itslifewastakenawaybyawkwardpacingand,mostof all, awful mischaracterizations. It seemed that the writersforgotwhothecharactersreallywere,especially withFiveHargreeves.It'soutofcharacterforanimplied asexual man who always puts his family first, to be romanticallypairedwithLila,hisbrother'swife,whose actressRituAryametAidanGallagher(Five)whenhe wasachild.Additionally,thegloomycolorgradingand generaldramaticatmospheremadeallthejokesfallflat. Italsolackedtheexcitingneedledropsthattheseriesis iconic for. When fun songs were played, they would oftenbeplayedatthewrongtime;whenactionscenes arose,theupbeatmusicwasmissing Unfortunately,this isnotmy“UmbrellaAcademy.”
4 seasons | DIRECTOR Eric Kripke
GENRE action, comedy
Review by Steph Nebres
This season of The Boys thrusts the viewers into a new landscapewithhigherstakes,asitisthepenultimateouting asitisthepenultimateoutingsettingeverythingupforthe end Theflowofthisseasonisdifferentfromothersasthis sometimeshasmomentswherethingsseemslow,butwith theexplosiveendingleavingyouimpatientandhungryfor more Itstillretainsitstop-notchcomedicvalue,andeven excitedfanswiththeawaitedcouplingoftwofanfavorites. Redemption, loss, and identity are tackled in the various backstories and journeys undertaken, immersing the audience in the story with the help of some skillful performances, particularly a surprising double act by Erin Moriartyandaheart-twistingturnbyAnthonyStarr.Ithada bumpy start, but redeemed itself in the last episode,showinguswhyweshouldseeitthroughtotheend.
1 season | DIRECTOR Suzette Doctolero | GENRE drama, history, war
Review by Tea Juan
In a world where stories about the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines are sparse, “Pulang Araw” offers an in-depth portrayal of the Filipino struggle to come to terms and reclaim our identities, break free from the shadow of the United States, and develop a senseofpatriotism.Asyouwatchitsfirstfew episodes,theseriespaintsapictureofsiblings thrustintoadulthoodbydirecircumstances,
losing a comrade in war and pursuing one ' s dreamsinvaudeville.Asmuchasitdealswith heavy themes, the series doesn't forget to includethespiceoftheFilipinosenseofhumor. Beyondfeedingyourmindsandhearts,Pulang Araw is a feast for your eyes, with its enchanting cinematography that frequently echoes the Philippine flag and the elegantcostumesthattakeusbacktotheearly1930s.
127 MINS | DIRECTOR Ryan Condal, George
R. R. Martin | GENRE action, comedy, and sci-fi
Review by Jun Salutan
For a show that had everything it needed to be great, House of the Dragon Season 2 fell frustratinglyshort.Thisseason’sfocusoncharacter arcs is its own undoing, as the writers couldn’t properly execute the character-building and political tension the same way earlier seasons of GameofThroneshad;instead,theworldfeelsat rest even at the crux of a major civil war that promisestobringruintotherealm.Thechoiceto sacrificescreentimeforbattlesinfavorofmore dialoguewould’vebeenexcellentifthewritingwas stronger.Thataspectoftheshowismostlysaved by the talented cast, who gave incredible performances for their respective roles It didn’t helpthatthewritersseemedtonotcareaboutthe characterization from both the book and the previous season itself, which made so many characterdecisionsmakenosensebytheendofit. Hopefully,withmyexpectationstempered,Season 3willbemuchbetter
11 seasons
creator Christopher Lloyd, Steven Levitan genre mockumentary, sitcom
Review by Kov Apura and Nico Hechanova
Thereisanindelible'something'inthewaythis seriesdepictsthe21st-centuryfamilyunit,inallits quirks and moles Despite being in completely differentshoes,andhavingcompletelydifferent crossestocarry,thereseemstobethisinvisible string tying these people together - rendering them inseparable despite being completely different. But there's really nothing much to it. That'sjustwhatfamilyis It'stheforcethatpulls ustodifferentcolorsofpeople,andit'stheforce thatthisshowever-so-subtly,butheartwarmingly expressesinallits11seasons
6 seasons
creator Justin Spitzer genre satire, sitcom
Review by Thandie Aliño
There are workplace sitcoms and then there is Superstore.SetinaMissouribranchofafictional big-boxchainstorecalledCloud9,thiszanyyet true-to-life sitcom is in a league of its own, trumping all others like it with its radical consistency It’sconsistentlyfunny,alaugh-per- minute affair packed with wry humor, hilarious cutawaygags,andinsanehijinksakintothatofan old Sunday cartoon It’s consistent in characterization;noneofitscharactersundergo anunbelievablepersonalityshift,buteaseintothe gradual development of their arcs as the show progresses. Lastly, it’s consistent in its social awareness; it tackles the hardships of working under a megacorporation and is surprisingly soundinitsdepictionoffailedunionizationand deniedmaternityleave,allwithoutsacrificingthe potentnessofitscomedy.Ifyou’relookingfora sitcomthat’llliftyourspiritsbutwon’tsugarcoat thetrialsoflife,thenyoucan’tgetanybetterthan this.
