The films that comprise Cinemalaya 2021’s Set B are from a wide-range of films that lean more towards the comedic, the inspirational, and, dare I say it, with a stronger middle class sensibility. It has going for it, though, a biopic that is asking for a full-length treatment and a documentary that will make your mouth water as much as it will galvanize you to get out and help.
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Cinemalaya 2021 Set A: an eclectic mix of great concepts and stories and refreshing filmmaking
After seeing both Set A and Set B, I’m very much happy to see more regional films now — seeing parts of the country I’ve never visited, hearing their languages, and seeing their culture in full display — and this is a very welcome push from one of the country’s most established film festivals that is, thankfully, now available online.
My Rating:
Namnama en Lolang (Grandmother’s Hope)
a film by Jonnie Lyn Pasalla
What plays out first as a glimpse into the day-to-day life of a grandmother taking care of infant grandson as she narrates her musings about life during the pandemic in Baguio, there is a juxtaposition made here between the past and the present and the uncertain future of the baby of her children. The interplay between the absent parents who the grandmother and grandchild cannot visit due to the lockdown.
Other than the simple joys of Baguio living — the beautiful and lush scenery, the Baguio fog that leaves a chill on your skin from just seeing it on screen — there is a longing here that pushes the narrative forward.
‘Namnama en Lolang,’ though, is not without its surprises. It’s unexpected ending blindsides you and the idyllic meditation on longing and life during the pandemic becomes a powerful message to the country. Only with such elegant filmmaking could have landed that ending.
Kids on Fire
Directed by Kyle Nieva
Setting the sexual awakening of a kid on the cusp of puberty in a religious camp is just pure genius. But to connect the kid’s sexual awakening to the end of the world? It’s the sort of irreverent humor that makes for the most enjoyable satire when done with great ambition. Kyle Nieva’s ‘Kids on Fire’ doesn’t just bring in the laughs, it has a huge dose of social commentary against religion and religious hypocrisy that makes the film so much fun. It’s pushing the boundaries and even when it crosses a line, it throws in a punchline that prevents anyone from calling ‘foul.’
The film works so well because of the pitch perfect performances by lead actor Alexis Negrite, who plays JC, a young boy whose sexual awakening is connected to the sudden earthquakes that happen when he gets aroused and the camp facilitator Sister Evelyn, played by a very delightful Mystica. Their interplay is set at the exact same frequency as the film’s overall tone.
The film’s script is as clever as it is irreverent, the camera work and editing is executed wonderfully, the acting hits all the right beats making ‘Kids on Fire’ an unforgettable romp and easily the most fun in both sets.
Beauty Queen
a film by Myra Aquino
Halfway through Myra Aquino’s ‘Beauty Queen,’ you begin to get the feeling that this actually happened, and it is no surprise that as the credits roll, you discover that it is based on real World War II heroine, Remedios Gomez, from the book ‘Kumander Liwayway: Joan of Ark of the Philippines’ by Andrew G Gomez. Set in Pampanga during World War II, a young beauty queen and her brother flee to the mountains to join the Huk and in the process finds her voice and her strength.
The cinematography is brilliant and while Carina Febie Agustin, who plays Remedios, can still learn to be more in the moment, she has the gravitas and the strength to portray this amazing person. There’s a self-awareness to the film that manages to make the film feel big; ‘Beauty Queen’ is begging for a full-length treatment and I’m all for it.
If this short film is proof of concept, please give these filmmakers their big break.
