MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The 15th edition of Cinemalaya opened last Friday, despite the heavy rainfall all over Metro Manila. The independent film festival held its opening at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, introducing the various activities the public can enjoy from August 2 – 13 nationwide as a renewal of its commitment to support the local film industry.
Cinemalaya opened this season with the much anticipated film from Lav Diaz, “Ang Hupa” (The Halt) starring Piolo Pascual, Joel Lamangan and Shaina Magdayao, which made its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival during the Director’s Fortnight just last May. Notorious for his long films, Ang Hupa ran for almost five hours, but was still relatively shorter compared to his past works. Though some may find the running time to be too extreme, his works have maintained a fanbase eager to find out what he’s up to next.
The film is set in 2034, when a series of massive volcanic eruptions have left Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, in perpetual darkness. The country is currently run by a dictator – President Nirvano Reyes Navarra (Joel Lamangan) with the help of Lt. Martha Oficio (Hazel Oriencoo) and Marissa Ventura (Mara Lopez). The story follows the lives of Hook Torollo, Sr. (Piolo Pascual) a former soldier working against the Navarra government; and Hammy Rios (Shania Magdayao), a high class escort plagued with personal tragedies.
Lav’s film, although a speculative fiction, is said to be a commentary and reflection on the Philippine’s current government under the Duterte regime. Audiences have found the film to be chilling, while others admittedly said they had to do their best to stay on and finish the film. A five-hour film, after all, may be too long for casual watchers to appreciate. Nonetheless, scenes, including ones that lingered on what would seem mundane, were powerful enough to spark imagination and curiosity, perhaps even ignite stronger emotions.
The film, unfortunately, won’t be screened for the rest of the festival. But if you get the chance to watch it at a different venue, we say “Why not?” Just keep in mind, you’ll spend a quarter of the day for the film, most likely in a cold cinema like we did.
Apart from the opening film, Cinemalaya will be screening 10 featured full-length films and 10 short films nationwide from August 2 – 13. The awarding ceremony will be held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines this coming August 10.
Full CCP schedule here.
