After watching my friends’ films - Michiko Yamamoto’s Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros and Emman de la Cruz’ Sarong Banggi - last Thursday at the UP Film Center (sorry, I still have to adjust calling it Cine Adarna), my passion to write and direct my own film came back again. I had this urge when I was in college and forgot about it when I got sucked into the mainstream system. Watching my friends’ films though, I couldn’t help but envy them. I mean they can finally say that they did it. They made a movie that they want to do - without the intervention of a creative committee and without directors and producers reminding them about Aling Bebang. So what if Sarong Banggi was like it or hate it (I belong to the former few), at least Emman got to share his vision with everyone. Michiko’s film, I only had a few apprehensions (mostly editing and acting direction of some scenes), but overall the film is a classic. What I love about it is that it’s indie in nature but it did not alienate the mainstream audience. The screenplay was also very good. I was telling Michiko had I written the material, it would have been just a simple gay story but Michiko wrote more than just that. (And that’s for you to see coz I didn’t intend to write a film critique here. :D) The director’s documentary background also gave the film an authentic look of a typical lower-class metro neighborhood.
I just find it funny that some artsy fartsy snobs are now labeling Michiko and Emman as “staunch indie filmmakers” not knowing that Michiko used to write for teenybopper SCQ Reload and teleserye Pangako sa ‘Yo and currently writes for the soap Anghel na Walang Langit, and Emman used to be a part of the same mainstream studio creative committee these artsy farts love to pinpoint as the cause of Philippine Cinema’s death. Hehe. :) La lang! Who says that mainstream peeps can’t do indies? Or maybe it’s more of; a good film is a good film whether it’s indie or not.
*****
I’m now going to the gym, yahoo! Hehe.:) I enrolled in Fitness First ABS-CBN yesterday. The pay was quite hefty but I just want to think of it as a challenge (or an inspiration, haha :D) to have a good and healthy bod. I have this wrong notion that when I finally have a good bod, I will gain more confidence and with more confidence, I can finally get a lovelife. Hoy, kidding! :D
