Mylene Dizon and Jodi Sta. Maria in Aparisyon
NEW YORK– Here’s what’s happening Filipino-wise in the Big Apple until early August. Enjoy my listing of cultural news.
APARISYON AT MOMA: Vince Sandoval’ Aparisyon at The Museum of Modern Art July 10-15, 2013. Aparisyon is a historical drama about cloistered nuns during the Marcos era. The chaos leading up to Ferdinand Marcos’s 1972 declaration of martial law is palpable even within the cloistered walls of Adoration—a convent nestled in a lush forest outside of Manila. Eluding the careful watch of Mother Superior, doe-eyed newcomer Sister Lourdes begins attending political rallies in secret with Sister Remy, a young nun suffering a crisis of faith in the wake of her brother’s protest-related disappearance. Pitting prayer against political action, guilt against sin, Apparition explores the repercussions of (mis)interpreting the actions of men as the will of God. Sandoval will be introducing the film and doing a Q&A on Opening Night, Wednesday, July 10, at 7 p.m. MoMA is located at 11 West 53rd Street in Manhattan. For more info, visit https://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/film_screenings/18585.
Aparisyon, starring Jodi Sta. Maria as a young nun with Mylene Dizon, Fides Cuyugan-Asensio and Raquel Villavicencio (who bagged nominations from the Gawad and the Young Critics Circle for their performances), has won the NetPAC Award at the 32nd Hawaii International Film Festival and the Audience Award at the 15th Deauville Asian Film Festival. Sandoval won the Best Emerging Director Award from the Asian-American International Film Festival in New York last year for his debut film Señorita. Easily the best-reviewed Philippine commercial release so far of 2013, Aparisyon also received a rave review from Variety: “Religion, morality and politics combine powerfully in Apparition…This intelligently scripted and deeply moving mood-piece asks hard questions about the reconciliation of spiritual beliefs and physical realities.”
ASIAN INTL FILM FEST:
MONA LISA ON MARILOU: You are invited to the Asia Cine Vision Film Festival’s New York premiere of the documentary, Marilou Diaz-Abaya: Filmmaker on a Voyage on Friday, July 26, 2013, at the Philippine Consulate at 556 Fifth Avenue, New York. Reception starts at 6:30 p.m. Screening starts promptly at 7 p.m. The film runs 1 hour and 20 minutes. The director will be available to answer questions after the screening. Seating is limited. RSVPs required at events@newyorkpcg.org.
In this endearing documentary tribute to her friend, Mona Lisa Yuchengco recounts the achievements of Marilou Diaz-Abaya (1955-2012), the “first lady” of Philippine cinema. Marilou made unflinching efforts to make films for the underclass, who struggled to survive harsh societal and political conditions. It resulted in some of the most daring films that brought the Philippine cinema to the world’s attention, with works such as BRUTAL (1980), KARNAL (1983), BABY TSINA (1984) and later JOSE RIZAL (1998) and REEF HUNTERS (1999).
ARCENAS FILM AT AFA: After the Philippine Center, I plan to rush over on Wednesday, July 10, downtown to the Anthology Film Archives to catch at 9 p.m. Loy Arcenas’ adroitly layered REQUIEME! riffs off the Gianni VERSACE – Andrew CUNANAN case from, literally, the Other side. Ambitious local politician Swanie holds a wake for a distant relative who has become an instant celebrity after killing a famous American designer; all while her dressmaker-transgender son sacrifices her breast transplant money to help bury a neighbor. With its absurd veneer and colorful characters, ARCENAS paints a picaresque yet emotionally complex tale of a small Philippine town as it reacts to a faraway incident through its own haze of desire, ambition and estrangement.The Anthology Film Archives is located at 32 Second Avenue in NYC. For tickets, visit: https://www.showclix.com/event/3762412/listing.
KARNAL: Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s KARNAL can be seen on Sunday, July 28, 8 p.m. at the Anthology Film Archives. With the solemnity of a Greek tragedy, yet with an intimacy in storytelling, KARNAL follows a prodigal son Narcing’s return to his family’s isolated hacienda with his urban wife Puring. Shocked at her resemblance to his late wife, Narcing’s father lusts after his daughter-in-law. Passionate encounters—from parricide to infanticide and suicide—flare up against the continued feudal repression. Set in the ’30s, the grisly story simultaneously alludes to the oppressive Marcos era and stands out as unique in DIAZ-ABAYA’s early collaborations with writer Ricky LEE. The Anthology Film Archives is located at 32 Second Avenue in NYC.
HARANA: Harana, directed by Benito Bautista, will be screened on Wednesday, July 31, 630 p.m. at the Anthology Film Archives. Harana is a long-abandoned Filipino courtship serenade, which originated in the Spanish colonial period. In this award-winning documentary, guitarist Florante AGUILAR returns to the Philippines from the US for the first time in 12 years to discover three of the last remaining harana masters: a farmer, a fisherman and a tricycle driver. HARANA emotively weaves their performances to exemplify the past and present, the here and there, and the rural and urban. The Anthology Film Archives is located at 32 Second Avenue in NYC.
The 2013 Asian American International Film Festival (July 24-Aug. 3) opens with our very own New York story—LINSANITY. The film not only brings back the unforgettable frenzy caused by Jeremy Lin in 2012, but also shows his perseverance through it all. SOONGAVA – DANCE OF THE ORCHIDS is the AAIFF’s Centerpiece Presentation. A tender and heartbreaking tale about two young women who stand up against the traditions and morality of Nepali society, OUR HOMELAND ends the festival as the closing night presentation. Sent decades ago as a child to North Korea under a repatriation program, Sungho returns to Japan for a temporary medical visit. For more info, visit https://www.asiancinevision.org/aaiff/. For tickets, visit
https://www.asiancinevision.org/box-office/.