ANINO SA LIKOD NG BUWAN (SHADOW BEHIND THE MOON)
Welcome to the ideologies and romance of Jun Lana. In this film called Anino sa Likod ng Buwan, Lana explores the politics of the countryside, where militarization has pushed pushed people out of their homes into settlements. The “rebels,” for that is how we still call them, remain in the periphery, out there in the dense forests or at uncharted and hostile farms.
Tito Genova Valiente
ARI: MY LIFE WITH A KING
Nagtitila alpombrang pula at may makapal na lamukot ang alon-along abo at lahar na isinuka ng Bulkang Pinatubo sa ilalim ng makapangyarihang yapak ng isang Hari ng mga Poeta. Iyan si Conrado “Kong Dadong” Guinto, Francisco Guinto sa tunay na buhay, makatang Kapampangan sa tradisyon ng crissotan (o balagtasan sa Katalugan)…
Benilda Santos
BAMBANTI (SCARECROW)
Bambanti is a scarecrow in Ilocano. This story is set in Luna, Isabela with the backdrop of a town that celebrates good harvest and the guardians of the fields through the bambanti festival. A good location where one can see the folks’ dedication and pride in the annual fiesta. This is a story of a mother, a widow of an alleged member of the NPA, with three children.
Gigi Javier Alfonso
DA DOG SHOW
Jover’s use of the dog show as metaphor for the survival of the marginalized could have been communicated in a strident and brash manner but Jover wisely gives the concept a distinct treatment. Rather than prop up his premise with a didactic and polemical tirade against an ineffectual social welfare system, Jover delivers a thoughtful and engaging character-driven film. He infuses his characters with a palpable and refreshing humanism.
Mike Rapatan
HENERAL LUNA
Which brings us to the question: If Luna’s concept of patriotism is questionable and his military leadership seriously flawed, why does the audience still root for him in the film as a hero par excellence and condiment all his enemies as villains? Precisely because the film, unconsciously perhaps and unwittingly, allowed the narrative to degenerate into a popular genre – the action film – where the hero is the bida and the villains the kontrabida.
Nicanor Tiongson
HONOR THY FATHER
Ang heist film ay ang pagplano, paggawa at kinalabasan ng kalunos lunos pero henyong krimen ng abang uri o trahedyang bayani dahil nawalan na ito ng rekurso sa kanyang kinasasadlakan. Kaiba sa pelikulang bakbakan, ang grabidad ng naratibo ay tungo sa iisang krimen sa heist film. Kaya natatangi ang Honor Thy Father sa pagtatampok sa heist film bilang idioma ng pelikula at sityo ng pambansang pelikula.
Rolando B. Tolentino
IMBISIBOL (INVISIBLE)
Aakalain natin na isang salaysay sa komiks ang nilalaman nito, magaang naratibo tungkol sa pakikipagsapalaran ng mga tauhang mawala-lumitaw, parang magic. Pero, kung panonoorin ang likha ni Fajardo, mahaharap tayo sa mga taong nagghahanap-buhay sa ibang kultura upang kumite ng perang maipapadala sa gipit na pamilya. Hindi kababalaghan na sila’y mawala-lumitaw, tulak sila ng illegal na pandarayuhan bilang OFW sa Japan kaya’t nabubuhay sila na hindi “nakikita” dahil ayaw nilang magpakita sa mga tauhan ng Immigration.
Bienvenido Lumbera
TAKLUB (TRAP)
But on another level, the film’s problem has less to do with environmental degradation than government inertia. As the title suggests, “taklub” amy refer to the role of government as a safe haven or shelter in times of collective disaster. But the film takes on the darker meaning of the title, characterizing government as an entropic institution unable to render timely humanitarian aid and responsive social services (numerous reports say that official government approval for Tacloban’s rehabilitation was given days before Haiyan’s first anniversary).
Mike Rapatan
The aforementioned films were the nominees for the Best Picture Category at the 39th Gawad Urian in 2016.
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