Elling
Petter Næss, Norway, 2001.
89 minutes.

Elling (Per Christian Ellefsen) is a neurotic middle-aged man who has led an extremely sheltered life and is institutionalized after his mother's death triggers a nervous breakdown. Upon being discharged, he is given a flat in Oslo to share with his friend and fellow patient Kjell Bjarne (Sven Nordin), a food-loving would-be womanizer whose loutish behavior occasionally proves taxing to the fastidious Elling. At first both men are paralyzed by separation anxiety and fear of the outside world, and simple tasks like grocery shopping or making a phone call present major challenges. Once Kjell Bjarne decides to venture beyond the confines of their home, however, his unlikely infatuation with a lonely pregnant woman (Marit Pia Jacobsen) causes a rift between the two friends, prompting Elling to start forging social contacts and seek a calling of his own.

Cast: Per Christian Ellefsen, Sven Nordin, Marit Pia Jacobsen, Jørgen Langhelle, Per Christensen.

2001 AFI Fest - Nominated, Grand Jury Prize; 2002 Oscar Awards - Nominated, Best Foreign Language Film; 2001 Amanda Awards, Norway - Nominated, Best Actor (Per Christian Ellefsen); 2001 Lübeck Nordic Film Days - Winner, Audience Prize of the "Lübecker Nachrichten", Prize of the Ecumenical Jury; 2002 Peñíscola Comedy Film Festival - Winner, Best Film; 2002 Rouen Nordic Film Festival - Winner, Audience Award, Best Actor; 2001 San Sebastián International Film Festival - Winner, Best New Director - Special Mention, Youth Jury Award; 2002 Seattle International Film Festival - Winner, Golden Space Needle Award Best Film; 2002 Selb Film Festival - Winner, Audience Award, Best Film; 2001 Stockholm Film Festival - Winner, Best Screenplay, FIPRESCI Prize Northern Lights Section. For its outstanding performances, literate script and detailed setting which depict with humor and compassion the plight of marginal people. Nominated, Bronze Horse; 2002 Warsaw International Film Festival - Winner, Audience Award; 2002 Würzburg International Filmweekend - Winner, Audience Award

The Guests / Ha-Ushpizin
Giddi Dar, Israel, 2004.
90 minutes.

Cast: Shuli Rand, Michal Bat-Sheva Rand, Shaul Mizrahi, Ilan Ganani, Avraham Abutboul

In Jerusalem's orthodox neighborhoods, it's Succoth, seven days celebrating life's essentials in a sukkot, a temporary shack of both deprivation and hospitality. A devout couple, Moshe and Mali, married nearly five years and childless, are broke and praying for a miracle. Suddenly, miracles abound: a friend finds Moshe a sukkot he says is abandoned, Moshe is the beneficiary of local charitable fundraising, and two escaped convicts arrive on Moshe and Mali's doorstep in time to be their ushpizin - their guests. The miracles then become trials. Rabbinical advice, absolution, an effort to avoid anger, and a 1000-shekel citron figure in Moshe's dark night of the soul.

2004 Awards of the Israeli Film Academy - Winner, Best Actor (Shuli Rand). Nominated, Best Screenplay, Supporting Actor (Shaul Mizrahi)

The Mad Cage / Birds of a Feather / La Cage aux folles
Edouard Molinaro, France/Italy, 1978.
87 minutes.

The film title is the name of a nightclub run by a pair of homosexuals, one of whom has a son who wants to marry the daughter of a high official. His parents--gay nightclub owner Renato and effeminate transvestite Zaza--must meet his pompous and conservative in-laws. For the sake of their son, the gay couple decide not only to act straight, but to pose as husband and wife! On the night of the party however, insanity reigns when "mom" and "dad" fail to adhere to the "straight" and narrow. This French art house smash was remade in the US as THE BIRDCAGE with Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, and Gene Hackman.

1980 Oscar Awards - Nominated, Best Costume Design, Director, Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium; 1979 César Awards, France - Winner, Best Actor (Michel Serrault); 1979 David di Donatello Awards - Winner, Best Foreign Actor (Michel Serrault). Tied with Richard Gere for Days of Heaven (1978); 1980 Golden Globes, USA - Winner, Best Foreign Film; 1979 National Board of Review, USA - Winner, Best Foreign Language Film

The Trip to Bontiful
Peter Masterson, USA, 1985.
108 minutes.

Cast: Geraldine Page, John Heard, Carlin Glynn, Richard Bradford, Rebecca De Mornay

Adapted by Horton Foote from his own television play, A Trip to Bountiful is set in 1947 Houston. Carrie Watts is living the twilight of her life trapped in an apartment in 1940's Houston, Texas with a controlling daughter-in-law and a hen-pecked son. Her fondest wish -- just once before she dies -- is to revisit Bountiful, the small Texas town of her youth which she still refers to as "home." The trouble is her son, Ludie, is too concerned for her health to allow her to travel alone and her petty daughter-in-law, Jessie Mae, insists they don't have money to squander on bus tickets. This prompts "escape" attempts each month which coincide with the arrival of Mrs. Watts' Social Security check. With writing by Horton Foote ("To Kill a Mockingbird," "Tender Mercies"), this is the touching story of Mrs. Watts successful escape and last trip home.

1986 Oscar Awards - Winner, Best Actress in a Leading Role (Geraldine Page). Nominated, Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium; 1986 Boston Society of Film Critics Awards - Winner, Best Actress; 1986 Golden Globes, USA - Nominated, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama; 1986 Independent Spirit Awards - Winner, Best Female Lead, Screenplay. Nominated, Best Director, Feature; 1988 Mainichi Film Concours - Winner, Best Foreign Language Film; 1987 Retirement Research Foundation, USA - Winner, Wise Owl Award Television and Theatrical Film Fiction; 1986 Writers Guild of America, USA - Nominated, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium

Pauline and Paulette / Pauline et Paulette
Lieven Debrauwe, Belgium/France/Netherlands, 2001.
78 minutes.

Cast: Dora van der Groen, Ann Petersen, Rosemarie Bergmans, Julienne De Bruyn, Idwig Stephane

Pauline is a 'little girl of 66 years old'. She is mentally retarded and been cared after by her sister Martha. When Martha dies, her two younger sisters, Paulette and Cecile have to make a decision on the best place for Pauline to be looked after. Neither of them is ready to take care of her. Paulette has a shop to look after and Cecile has her Albert. But according to Martha's last will, her fortune will only be divided in three equal parts if one of the sisters looks after Pauline. If they decide to take her to an institution, Pauline will be the only heir.

2001 AFI Fest - Nominated, Grand Jury Prize; 2001 Cairo International Film Festival - Winner, Golden Pyramid; 2001 Cannes Film Festival - Winner, Prize of the Ecumenical Jury - Special Mention; 2002 Flaiano Film Festival - Winner, Best Actress (Ann Petersen), Costume Design; 2001 Gardanne Film Festival - Winner, Audience Award; 2001 Joseph Plateau Awards - Winner, Box Office Award, Best Belgian Actress (Dora van der Groen), Belgian Director, Belgian Film, Belgian Screenplay. Nominated, Best Belgian Actress (Ann Petersen); 2001 World Soundtrack Awards - Nominated, Best Original Score of the Year Not Released on an Album

The Mirror / Ayneh
Japar Panahi, Iran, 1997.
95 minutes.

Cast: Mina Mohammad Khani, Kazem Mojdehi, Naser Omuni

A girl in traditional female clothing, and her arm in plaster, comes out of school one day and doesn't find her mother meeting her. She decides to travel home her self though she doesn't know her address and remembers the road only visually.

1998 Istanbul International Film Festival - Winner, Golden Tulip; 1997 Locarno International Film Festival - Winner, Golden Leopard; 1996 New York Film Critics Circle Awards - Winner, Best Foreign Language Film; 1998 Singapore International Film Festival - Winner, Silver Screen Award Best Asian Director; 1997 Valladolid International Film Festival - Nominated, Golden Spike

In celebration of the month of love, watch three films that show how people react to unrequited love.

Pelikula@Titus Brandsma is a free monthly film screening with dialogue that features fine samples of world cinema. It's an offering of the Titus Brandsma Center-Media Program under the auspices of the Carmelites in the Philippines. This monthly event is aimed at giving a meaningful experience for film enthusiasts.

Divorce Italian Style
Pierto Germi, Italy, 1962.
105 minutes.

Ferdinando Cefalú (Marcello Mastroianni) would love to unload his demanding, sex-starved, monumentally unappealing wife, Rosalia (Daniela Rocca), but he can't take the legal means open to his American counterparts. Ferdinando can, however, kill off his wife and receive a light sentence...provided he catches the lady committing adultery. The trick now is to make his plate-of-potatoes spouse attractive enough so that some other man will accommodate Ferdinando by cuckolding him.

Cast: Marcello Mastroianni, Daniela Rocca, Stefania Sandrelli, Leopoldo Trieste, Odoardo Spadaro

Winner, 1963 Oscar Awards - Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen. Nominated, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Marcello Mastroianni),Director; Winner, 1964 BAFTA Awards - Best Foreign Actor. Nominated, Best Film from any Source, Best Foreign Actress (Daniela Rocca); Winner, 1962 Cannes Film Festival - Best Comedy (Prix de la meilleure comédie). Nominated, Golden Palm; Nominated, 1963 Directors Guild of America, USA - Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures; Winner, 1963 Golden Globes, USA - Best Motion Picture Actor - Musical/Comedy, Foreign-Language Foreign Film. Tied with The Best of Enemies (1962).; Winner, Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists - Silver Ribbon Best Actor, Best Original Story

The Sunflower
Bor G. Ocampo, Philippines, 2006.
5 minutes.

The Sunflower is about a man who has an eternal yearning to grow old with the woman of his dream or that manna from heaven to whom he will unleash his reservoir of affection. The film says that there's is glory after pain. or is there really?

About the Filmmaker: Bor believes that philosophy like art is life. He is pretentious. Bor does what just pops in his mind. He is whimsical. He is a BA philo and theater arts grad from the University of the Philippines Diliman. He is a starving and budding filmmaker and will stop at nothing in order to realize his dream of making it big in the industry. He took up digital filmmaking at the CCP and took up subjects at UP Film Institute. He is busy acting in various film and tv projects and teaching koreans how to speak proper english. he hates this job but does it anyway because he could always use the money for his next film and could also scout a nice korean ass for his future porno movies. Sometimes he tries to be funny but he is still corny. Currently he is on his pre-production stage for his next film.

Cast: Julia Clarete, Bor Ocampo

Two for the Road
Stanley Donen, UK, 1967.
111 minutes.

On their third identical voyage from London to the Riviera, Joanna Wallace (Audrey Hepburn) and husband Mark (Albert Finney) explore their 12-year marriage in a series of wry and illuminating flashbacks. They reminisce about the glorious beginning of their love affair, the early years of marriage and the events that led to their subsequent infidelities. As they try to understand their relationship, they must accept how they have changed if they are to rekindle their original love.

Cast: Audrey Hepburn, Albert Finney, Eleanor Bron, William Daniels, Gabrielle Middleton

Nominated, 1968 Oscar Awards - Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen; Nominated, 1968 BAFTA Awards - Best British Screenplay; Winner, 1968 Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain - Best Foreign Film; Nominated, 1968 Directors Guild of America, USA - Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures; Nominated, 1968 Golden Globes, USA - Best Motion Picture Actress - Musical/Comedy, Original Score; Winner, 1967 San Sebastián International Film Festival - Golden Seashell; Winner, 1968 Writers' Guild of Great Britain - Merit Scroll Best British Comedy Screenplay, British Original Screenplay

Keulraesik / The Classic
Jae-Youn Kwak, South Korea, 2003.
127 minutes.

Ji-hyae (Son Ye-jin of Chihwaseon) is a shy college student who has a crush on theater student Sang-min (Jo In-seong). Unfortunately, her friend Soo-gyung (Lee Sang-in) has already begun dating the guy. Ji-hyae helps her friend compose romantic e-mails to Sang-min and sometimes socializes with them, but feels like a third wheel. Sang-min seems to like her, but Soo-gyung insists that it's only because Ji-hyae is her friend. Ji-hyae is clearing out her family's home when she finds a box of love letters and an old journal and begins reading about her mother, Sung Joon-hee (also played by Son), the granddaughter of a wealthy politician, and her forbidden dalliance with Oh Joon-ha (Cho Seung-woo of Chunhyang), a poor boy from the same hometown. The two developed a romantic infatuation, but Joon-hee's father had already planned for her to marry Tae-soo (Lee Gi-woo), the son of a business associate. The situation grew more complicated when Tae-soo befriended Joon-ha at school, and asked his help in winning over Joon-hee. This tale is intercut with Ji-hyae's story, set in the present day.

Cast: Son Ye-Jin, Cho Seung-Woo, Cho In-Sung

Nominated, 2004 Hong Kong Film Awards - Best Asian Film

8 1/2
Federico Fellini, Italy/France, 1963.
138 minutes.

One of the greatest films about film ever made, Federico Fellini's 8 1/2 turns one man's artistic crisis into a grand epic of the cinema.

Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni) is a film director trying to relax after his last big hit. However, he is bothered by the fact that people who have worked with him in the past are now looking for more work. He wrestles with his conscience, but is unable to come up with a new idea. While thinking, he starts to recall major happenings in his life, and all the women he has loved and left. This autobiographical film of Fellini showcases the trials and tribulations of filmmaking.

8 1/2 is included in the book 1001 Movies You Should See Before You Die.

Making Group Sex or How to Make Something out of Nothing
Jerrod Tarog, Philippines, 2005.
13 minutes.

This short film documents the failure of a group of filmmakers to shoot a comedy called Group Sex when key production members start disappearing for reasons that vary from the mundane to the bizarre.

Day for Night / La Nuit américaine
François Truffaut, France/Italy, 1973.
115 minutes.

La nuit américaine was director François Truffaut's loving and humorous tribute to the communal insanity of making a movie. The film details the making of a family drama called Meet Pamela, which is about the tragedy that follows when a young French man introduces his parents to his new British wife.

Truffaut gently satirizes his own films with Meet Pamela's overwrought storyline, but the real focus is on the chaos behind the scenes. In addition to all the personal drama, the film is besieged by technical problems, from difficult tracking shots to stubborn animal actors.

Day for Night is included in the book 1001 Movies You Should See Before You Die.

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse
Fax Bahr, George Hickenlooper, Eleanor Coppola, USA, 1991.
96 minutes.

This documentary takes an intimate look at the making of Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 classic Apocalypse Now, which was shot in part in the Philippines. Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse combines the usual documentary interviews with outtakes from the film and rare documentary footage, some shot on the set by Eleanor Coppola.

Not long after the arrival of Coppola and crew in the Philippines, the shooting schedule begins spiraling out of control; the film's cost has soon far surpassed the original budget, with the ending still unwritten. As the problems mount, from lead Martin Sheen's heart attack to the disappearance of several helicopters needed for a scene (because they went to fight in a nearby war), the making of the film begins to frighteningly resemble its subject-an unending tale of madness and obsession in the jungle.

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse is included in the book 1001 Movies You Should See Before You Die.

For many of us, Christmas is the time of the year where families are gathered once again. For Filipinos, this is an occasion for renewing family ties and catching up with the latest family anecdotes and chismis (rumor). But what Filipino holiday celebration would be complete without the traditional Noche Buena or salu-salo? As the year comes to an end, the Pelikula@Titusbrandsma invites you to share with us this special season with films that not only celebrates the gastronomic delights that the holiday season brings but also remembers the beauty and spirit of the Christmas season.

This isn't compulsory but we would appreciate if anyone would be generous enough to bring any kind of food to our December potluck treat in between screenings.

Eat, Drink, Man, Woman / Yin shi nan nu
Ang Lee, Taiwan/USA, 1994.
123 minutes.

Senior Master Chef Chu lives in a large house in Taipei with his three unmarried daughters, Jia-Jen, a chemistry teacher converted to Christianity, Jia-Chien, an airline executive, and Jia-Ning, a student who also works in a fast food restaurant. Life in the house revolves around the ritual of an elaborate dinner each Sunday, and the love lives of all the family members.

Awards/Nominations: Nominated, 1995 Oscar Awards, USA - Best Foreign Language Film; Winner, 1994 Asia-Pacific Film Festival - Best Editing and Best Film; Nominated, 1995 BAFTA Film Award - Best Film not in the English Language; Nomianted, 1995 Golden Globes, USA - Best Foreign Language Film; Nominated, 1995 Independent Spirit Awards - Best Cinematography (Jong Lin), Director, Feature, Female Lead (Chien-lien Wu), Male Lead (Sihung Lung), Screenplay (Hui-Ling Wang, James Schamus, Ang Lee); Winner, 1995 Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards - Best Foreign Film; Winner, 1994 National Board of Review, USA - Best Foreign Language Film.

Beginning / Simula
Ruelo Lozenzo, Philippines, 2005.
10 minutes.

A worm enters a man's ear and lives inside his body. As the worm's metamorphosis unfolds, the man experiences his own transformation. Subsequently, a butterfly comes out of his ear, thus marking the "beginning" of his new being.

Festival Screenings: 2006 V.C. Film Fest, The Los Angeles Pacific Film Festival, 19th Singapore International Film festival, 2006 Pinoy Visions Online Movie Festival

Babette's Feast / Babettes gæstebud
Gabriel Axel, Denmark, 1987.
102 minutes.

In 19th century Denmark, two adult sisters live in an isolated village with their father, who is the honored pastor of a small Protestant church that is almost a sect unto itself. Although they each are presented with a real opportunity to leave the village, the sisters choose to stay with their father, to serve to him and their church. After some years, a French woman refugee, Babette, arrives at their door, begs them to take her in, and commits herself to work for them as maid/housekeeper/cook. Sometime after their father dies, the sisters decide to hold a dinner to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his birth. Babette experiences unexpected good fortune and implores the sisters to allow her to take charge of the preparation of the meal. Although they are secretly concerned about what Babette, a Catholic and a foreigner, might do, the sisters allow her to go ahead. Babette then prepares the feast of a lifetime for the members of the tiny church and an important gentleman related to one of them.

Babette's Feast is included in the book 1001 Movies You Should See Before You Die.

Awards/Nominations: Winner 1988 Oscar Awards, USA - Best Foreign Language Film; Winner, 1989 BAFTA Awards - Best Film not in the English Language; Nominated, BAFTA Film Award - Best Actress (Stéphane Audran), Cinematography (Henning Kristiansen), Direction, Film, Screenplay - Adapted; Winner, 1987 Cannes Film Festival - Prize of the Ecumenical Jury - Special Mention; Nominated 1989 Golden Globes, USA - Best Foreign Language Film; Winner, 1988 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists - Silver Ribbon Award for Best Actress - Foreign Film (Migliore Attrice Straniera) Tied with 'Cher' in Moonstruck (1987). Winner, 1989 Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards - Best Foreign Film; Winner, 1989 London Critics Circle Film Awards - Actor of the Year (Stéphane Audran) Tied with Leo McKern for Travelling North (1987), Foreign Language Film of the Year. Winner, 1988 Robert Festival - Best Actress (Årets kvindelige hovedrolle); Winner, 1988 Rouen Nordic Film Festival - Audience Award, Grand Jury Prize.

Pieces of April
Peter Hedges, USA, 2003.
80 minutes.

April Burns (Holmes) invites her family to Thanksgiving dinner at her teeny apartment on New York's Lower East Side. As they make their way to the city from suburban Pennsylvania, April must endure a comedy of errors - like finding out her oven doesn't work - in order to pull off the big event.

Awards/Nominations: Nominated 2004 Oscar Awards, USA - Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Patricia Clarkson); Winner 2003 Boston Society of Film Critics Awards - Best Supporting Actress (Patricia Clarkson) Also for The Station Agent (2003); Nominated, 2004 British Independent Film Awards - Best Foreign Film; Nominated, 2004 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards - Best Supporting Actress; Nominated, 2004 Casting Society of America, USA - Artios Best Casting for Feature Film, Independent (Bernard Telsey, William Cantler); Winner 2004 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards - Best Supporting Actress; Winner, 2003 Chicago International Film Festival - Audience Choice Award Gold, FIPRESCI Prize - Special Mention (Peter Hedges) For its innovative, affectionate, witty and rueful observations of a family's final attempt to reconcile in the face of seemingly intractable difficulties. Nominated, Chlotrudis Awards -Best Supporting Actress; Winner, 2004 Florida Film Critics Circle Awards - Best Supporting Actress (Patricia Clarkson) Also for The Station Agent (2003); Nominated, 2004 Golden Globes, USA - Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture; Nominated, 2003 Gotham Awards - Open Palm Award; Nominated, 2004 Independent Spirit Awards - Best Screenplay (Peter Hedges), Supporting Female, John Cassavetes Award for Peter Hedges (writer/director), Alexis Alexanian (producer), John S. Lyons (producer) , Gary Winick (producer); Winner, 2003 National Board of Review, USA - Best Supporting Actress (Patricia Clarkson) Also for The Station Agent (2003); Winner, 2004 National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA - Best Supporting Actress (Patricia Clarkson) Also for The Station Agent (2003); Nominated, 2004 Online Film Critics Society Awards - Best Supporting Actress; Winner, 2003 San Francisco Film Critics Circle - Best Supporting Actress; Winner, 2004 Satellite Awards - Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Comedy or Musical; Nominated, 2004 Golden Satellite Award Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical (Katie Holmes); Nominated, 2004 Screen Actors Guild Awards - Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role; Winner, 2003 Sundance Film Festival - Special Jury Prize Dramatic (Patricia Clarkson) For outstanding performance. Also for The Station Agent (2003) and All the Real Girls (2003); Nominated, Grand Jury Prize Dramatic; Winner, 2004 Vancouver Film Critics Circle - Best Supporting Actress

The following film lineup unreels starting 1:00 pm:

1. Wild Strawberries
2. The Funeral
3. After Life

For its monthly film dialogue on November 18, 2006 (3rd Saturday), Pelikula@Titusbrandsma presents

Wild Strawberries / Smultronstället
Ingmar Bergman, Sweden, 1957.
91 minutes.

The film that catapulted Bergman to the forefront of world cinema is the director's richest, most humane movie. Traveling to receive an honorary degree, Professor Isak Borg (masterfully played by the veteran Swedish director Victor Sjöström), is forced to face his past, come to terms with his faults, and accept the inevitability of his approaching death. Through flashbacks and fantasies, dreams and nightmares, Wild Strawberries captures a startling voyage of self-discovery and renewed belief in mankind. “Wild Strawberries” is included in the book “1001 Movies You Should See Before You Die”.

1960 Oscar Awards for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen Ingmar Bergman (nom.). 1959 BAFTA Awards - Best Film from any Source (Sweden) (won), Best Foreign Actor Victor Sjöström (Sweden) (nom.). 1958 Berlin International Film Festival - Golden Berlin Bear (won) and FIPRESCI Prize - Victor Sjöström for the body of his works and his performance in the movie (won). 1959 Bodil Awards -Bodil Best European Film (Bedste europæiske film) (won). 1960 Golden Globes, USA - Best Foreign Film, Together with Orfeu Negro (1959), Kagi (1959), Brücke, Die (1959) and Wir Wunderkinder (1958). (won). 1960 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists - Silver Ribbon Best Director - Foreign Film (Regista del Miglior Film Straniero) (won). 1963 Kinema Junpo Awards - Best Foreign Language Film (won). 1959 Mar del Plata Film Festival - Best Actor (won), Best Film (won). 1959 National Board of Review, USA - Best Actor (won), Best Foreign Film (won). 1958 Venice Film Festival -Italian Film Critics Awards Parallel Sections (won)

The Funeral a.k.a. Death, Japanese Style / Ososhiki
Juzo Itami, Japan, 1984.
127 minutes.

The directorial debut of Juzo Itami, this irreverent black comedy satirizes death and burial customs in a surprising manner for a Japanese film. Trendy film actress Chizuko (Nobuko Miyamoto) and her actor husband Wabisuke (Tsutomu Yamazaki) must rush from a movie set to mourn Chizuko's honored elderly father. The three-day wake is dramatized with rich comic detail and a funny supporting cast including Shuji Otaki, Kin Sugai, and Chishu Ryu as a greedy priest.

1985 Awards of the Japanese Academy Winner for Best Actor (Tsutomu Yamazaki0) Also for Saraba hakobune (1984), Director, Film, Screenplay (Juzo Itami), Supporting Actress (Kin Sugai). Also for Hissatsu! (1984) Nominated for Best Actress (Nobuko Miyamoto), Cinematography (Yonezo Maeda), Lighting (Shosaku Kato), Sound (Minoru Nobuoka), Supporting Actor (Ichirô Zaitsu). 1985 Blue Ribbon Awards - Best Actor (won). Also for Saraba hakobune (1984), Director (won). 1984 Hochi Film Awards - Best Film (won), Best Supporting Actress (Kin Sugai) (won), Special Award (Nobuko Miyamoto) (won). 1985 Kinema Junpo Awards - Best Actor (won). Also for Saraba hakobune (1984), Director (won), Film (won). 1985 Mainichi Film Concours - Best Actor (won). Also for Saraba hakobune (1984), Director (won). 1985 Yokohama Film Festival - Festival Prize for Best Cinematography (Yonezo Maeda) (won). Also for Ningyo densetsu (1984), Tokimeki ni shisu (1984) and Mein têma (1984), Screenplay (won), Supporting Actress (won)

After Life / Wandâfuru raifu
Hirokazu Koreeda, Japan, 1998.
118 minutes.

What is the one memory you would take with you?

After people die, they spend a week with counselors, also dead, who help them pick one memory, the only memory they can take to eternity. They describe the memory to the staff who work with a crew to film it and screen it at week's end; eternity follows. 22 dead arrive that week, assigned to three counselors and a trainee. One old man cannot find a memory, so he watches videotape of his life. Others pick their memory quickly, and the film crew gets right to work. The trainee, 18-year-old Shiori, helps a teenage girl choose a memory other than Disneyland. The youthful staff have a secret and feelings, too, which play out, especially Shiori's affection for her mentor, Mochizuki

1999 Brothers Manaki International Film Festival - Bronze Camera 300 (Yutaka Yamasaki) (won). 1999 Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema - Best Film (won), Screenplay (Hirokazu Koreeda) (won). 2000 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards - Best Foreign Language Film (nom). 2000 Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards - Sierra Award for Best Foreign Film (nom). 2000 Mainichi Film Concours - Best Art Direction (Toshihiro Isomi, Hideo Gunji) (won). 1998 Nantes Three Continents Festival - Golden Montgolfiere (won) Tied with Xiao Wu (1997). 1999 Newport International Film Festival - Jury Award for Best Film (nom). 1998 San Sebastián International Film Festival - FIPRESCI Prize (won), For its universal theme, its empathy for nostalgia and its homage to cinema as transcending life. Golden Seashell (nom). 1998 Torino International Festival of Young Cinema - Holden Award for the Best Script (won), Prize of the City of Torino Best Film - International Feature Film Competition (nom)

Raining Cats and Frogs / La Prophetie des grenouilles
Jacques-Remy Girerd, France, 2003.
90 minutes.

It's a catastrophe! A flood has hit our planet and an unusual group of people are all that remains. Led by Ferdinand, a modern day Noah, this little group have managed to defy the furiously raging elements. People and animals alike are dragged through this incredible whirlpool of an adventure.

2005 Ale Kino! - International Young Audience Film Festival - Golden Poznan Goat (nom.). 2004 Berlin International Film Festival - Glass Bear - Special Mention Best Feature Film (won). 2004 Chicago International Children's Film Festival - Adult's Jury Award Animated Feature Film or Video (won). 2004 Ottawa International Animation Festival - Grand Prize Feature Film (won).

Doggy Poo!
Oh-Sung Kwon, South Korea, 2003.
30 minutes.

Once upon a time, a little doggy poo lived on the side of a road. He felt all alone in the world. He believed that nobody needed him for anything, and that he had no purpose in life. If only Doggy Poo had a reason for being, then he wouldn't give up on his dream to be useful to the world.

2003 Tokyo International Anime Fair - Best Pilot (won); 2003 Big Apple Anime - Viewer's Choice Award (won)

Vampires in Havana / Vampiros en la Habana
Juan Padrón, Cuba/Spain/West Germany, 1986.
80 minutes.

The setting is 1933, and a convention of vampire-gangsters is meeting in Havana to get their hands on a fabulous new potion called "Vampisol" that at last lets vampires out into the sun without the harmful effects of UV rays. Living proof is a young vampire who was raised so normally that he has no idea he is a vampire — though that will soon change. His father is a carefree trumpet player who invented "Vampisol" in the first place. The problem now is to control the wild bunch of vampires who are after the stuff.

Howl's Moving Castle / Hauru no ugoku shiro
Hayao Miyazaki, Japan, 2004.
119 minutes.

Hayao Miyazaki, the Japanese animation director who wowed audiences worldwide with his award-winning film Spirited Away, brings another visually spectacular tale of imagination to the screen. Sophie is an 18-year-old girl who toils in the hat shop opened years ago by her late father. Often harassed by local boys, one day Sophie is unexpectedly befriended by Howl, a strange but flamboyant wizard whose large home can travel under its own power. However, the Witch of the Waste is displeased with Sophie and Howl's budding friendship, and turns the pretty young woman into an ugly and aged hag. Sophie takes shelter in Howl's castle, and attempts to find a way to reverse the witch's spell with the help of Calcifer, a subdued but powerful demon who exists in the form of fire, and Markl, who protects the four-way door which can instantly take visitors to other lands and dimensions.

2006 Oscar Awards - Best Animated Feature Film of the Year (nom.) 2006 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA - Saturn Award Best Animated Film (nom.). 2006 Annie Awards - Annie Best Animated Feature - Best Directing in an Animated Feature Production (Hayao Miyazaki), Best Writing in an Animated Feature Production (Hayao Miyazaki, Donald H. Hewitt, Cindy Davis Hewitt) (nom.). 2006 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards - Best Animated Feature (nom.). 2005 Hollywood Film Festival - Animation of the Year (won). 2006 Hong Kong Film Awards - Best Asian Film Japan (nom.). 2006 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists - Silver Ribbon Best Director - Foreign Film (Regista del Miglior Film Straniero) (nom.). 2005 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards - Best Music Score (Joe Hisaishi, Youmi Kimura) (won). 2005 Mainichi Film Concours - Reader's Choice Award Best Film (won). 2006 Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA - Golden Reel Award/Best Sound Editing in Feature Film - Animated (Petra Bach (supervising adr editor), Toru Noguchi (sound editor), Yukio Hokari (foley artist), Mizuki Itou (foley artist), Masaya Kitada (foley artist), Akihiko Okase (foley artist) (nom.). 2005 New York Film Critics Circle Awards - Best Animated Film (won.). 2006 Online Film Critics Society Awards - Best Animated Feature (nom.). 2005 San Diego Film Critics Society Awards - Best Animated Film (won). 2005 Satellite Awards - Outstanding Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media (nom.). 2004 Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival - Audience Award Best Feature Film (won), Best Film (nom.). 2004 Venice Film Festival- Golden Osella (won), Golden Lion (nom.). 2006 Young Artist Awards - Best Family Feature Film - Animation (nom.)

The Titus Brandsma Media Center together with the family and friends of Ka Elmo Redrico invites you to an afternoon of celebrating the memory of Ka Elmo - his passing from this life to life eternal. A glimpse from the life of Elmo will be presented through video and movie stills prepared by his friends from the pelikula core group. You will be treated to an afternoon of reminiscing the life and passion of Elmo - his past movies will be shown and friends will share their how this simple yet gregarious man touched their lives. Program starts at 2:30 in the afternoon until 7:00 in the evening.

PROGRAM

A. Welcome Remarks - Fr. Christian B. Buenafe, O.Carm.
Executive Director, TBCMedia

B. Bio Ko 'To (Video and Stills Presentation)

C. Film Viewing

D. Sharing/Testimonies

E. Candle Lighting

..........

ELMO ABAYA REDRICO FILMOGRAPHY:

2002

1. "Stressful X" (Short Film) by Nerissa Picadizo
   Actor, Associate Producer
2. "Piso 2 Piso" (Full-length Film) by Dennis Empalmado
   Actor, Assistant Director

2003

1. "Awit Ni Orpeyos" (Short Film) by James Flores
   Actor, Art Director, Photographer
2. "El Inferñaculo" (Short Film) by Ana Gonzales
   Actor
3. "The Life of Saint Ignatius" (AVP) by Nerissa Picadizo
   Actor, Art Director
4. "Shaman" (Short Film) by Ruel "Tahimik" Lozendo
   Actor, Crowd Director
5. "In Loving Memory" (Short Film) by Ruel "Tahimik" Lozendo
   Actor, 2nd Production Manager, Art Director
6. "Juan Toga" (Short Film) by Rey Gibraltar
   Actor

2004

1. "The Search For Terrorism" & "O Sana Si Osama Na" (Performance Art) by Makabuluhang Kabalastugan
   Performance Artist
2. "LENTE: The Probe Team Documentaries" (Teledocumentaries) by James Flores
   Actor
3. "Salvage" (Short Film) by Ruel "Tahimik" Lozendo
   Actor, Photographer
4. "Buryong" by Khavn dela Cruz
   Actor

2005

1. "Sikyu" (Short Film) by Eric dela Cruz
   Actor, Producer, Assistant Director
2. "Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros" (Full-length Film) by Aureus Solito
   Actor
3. Tuli (Full-length Film) by Aureus Solito
   Actor
4. Dilim (Full-length Film) by Topel Lee
   Actor
5. Ang Pamilyang Kumakain ng Lupa (Full-length Film) by Khavn dela Cruz
   Actor
6. 20/20 (Short Film) by Analeah Recafranca
   Actor
7. The House of Sing (Short Film) by Roxlee
   Actor
8. Bahag Kings (Short Film) by Khavn dela Cruz
   Actor
9. Imutation (Short Film) by Tad Ermitaño
   Actor
10. The Launching (Short Film) by Khavn dela Cruz
    Actor
11. Ang Una't Huling Araw (Short Film) by Tey Clamor
    Actor, Assistant Director
12. Food Trip (Short Film) by Elmo A. Redrico
    Actor, Director, Producer
13. Nice (Music Video, The Brockas) by Nerissa Picadizo
    Actor

2006

1. Coed Scandal (Full-length Film) by Robert Quebral
   Actor
2. Kapag Tumibok Ang Puso (Full-length Film) by Wen Deramas
   Actor
3. Paalam, Aking Bulalakaw (Short Film) by Khavn dela Cruz
   Actor
4. Green-Rocking Chair (Short Film) by Roxlee
   Actor
5. Kubrador (Full-length Film) by Jeffrey Jeturian
   Actor
6. Puwang (Short Film) by Anna Isabelle Matutina
   Actor
7. Parang Pelikula (Short Film) by Hubert Tibi
   Actor
8. Blackout (Full-length Film) by Ato Bautista
   Actor
9. Local Unit/ImageNasyon (Short Film) by Tad Ermitaño
   Actor
10. Seroks (Full-length Film) by Ed Lejano
    Actor

..........

ADMISSION IS FREE. pelikula@titusbrandsma is located at Titus Brandsma Center 24 Acacia St., Bgy. Mariana, New Manila, Quezon City. For more info about us, visit www.pelikula-titusbrandsma.ph, or call Bituin (726-6054), Nerissa (2953328), Maxie (751-1169, evenings only) or Eric (364-7955). Email pelikula.tbc@gmail.com

For its 9th anniversary, Pelikula@TitusBrandsma takes pride in presenting its second all-Filipino lineup in support of independent filmmaking. The film-screening and dialogue session is scheduled on Saturday, August 19, starting at 1:00pm.

ADMISSION IS FREE. Venue is at the Audio Visual Room (AVR), 2/F, Teresa of Avila Bldg, 28 Acacia St., Bgy. Mariana, New Manila, Quezon City (right beside Titus Brandsma Center at 24 Acacia Street). For more info, call Bituin (726-6054), Maxie (evenings only, 751-1169), Nerissa (295-3328) or Eric (364-7955). E-mail pelikula.tbc@gmail.com.

THE SHORT FILMS:

1. "THE WITNESS" (9 mins.) by Jurly Maloloy-on Jr.
A distraught student reports a crime to the police, leading them to a discovery.

2. "HAUNTED" (2004, 8 mins.) by Jerrold Tarog
Two siblings would rather go out and party than stay at home to look after their autistic sister. But avoiding this boring chore isn't the only reason why they want to get out of the house.

3. "CARPOOL" (2006, 10 mins.) by Jerrold Tarog
The film revolves around two girls, one guy and a referee -- a spinning love triangle with a Darwinian twist.

4. "TAWIDGUTOM" (2005, 3 mins.) by John Torres
Somber introspection and rapid fire editing of found and organized footage create one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful video poems about waiting for a loved one. [First episode of the "Otros Trilogy"; winner of Best Short Film, 2005 Cinemanila International Film Festival; official selection, various international festivals.]

5. "LOVE AND GLANCES" (2004, 4 mins.) by Jerrold Tarog
The film is a ditty on fickle hearts and the little games that people play.

6. "TIMBANG LATA" (2003, 15 mins.) by Herbert M. Navasca
While rehearsing at home, a gay entertainer uncovers a boy hiding inside a cabinet. [In competition, Best Short Feature Narrative, 2003 Eksperimento Film Festival.]

7. "METAMORPHOSIS" (2006, 9 mins.) by Lawrence Fajardo
A group of cross-dressers paint the town red in this latest video exercise from the 2006 Gawad Urian awardee for Best Short Film ("Kultado").

8. "NXT" (2006, 15 mins.) by Manny Montelibano
A student resorts to dire measures to ease her way through life, even as a blind cousin waits for her.

9. "KULANG" (2006, 9 mins.) by Rodolfo Paclibar Jr.
A man is a silent witness to a hot couple in bed.

10. "{PP1017} LISPONG TERORISTA" (2006, 8 mins.) by Fred L. Rebadulla II
Amid political unrest, a policeman's abused wife suffers from insanity and goes through her mundane routine.

11. "PUTOT" (2006, 20 mins.) by Jeck Cogama
A young boy takes care of his mentally ill father while struggling to make a living selling shellfish at a squatter colony by the sea. [Winner of Best Director/Short Feature Category, 2006 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.]

12. "THE BALLAD OF MIMIONG'S MINON" (2005, 35 mins.) by Jobin Ballesteros
A burnt out folk singer experiences the streets and its inhabitants when he is displaced from work and home. [Winner of Crystal Piaya Award, 2006 Negros Summer Workshops/Open Competition; in exhibition, 2006 ASEAN Film Festival.]

13. "ORASYON" (2006, 30 mins.) by Rommel 'Milo' Tolentino
A religious widow's vulnerabilities are stirred at the arrival of a nosy, meddling housemaid. [Winner of Best Short Feature, 2006 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.]

THE FEATURE FILM:

Sa Aking Pagkagising Mula sa Kamulatan / My Awakening from Consciousness
Ato M. Bautista, Philippines, 2005.
94 minutes.

What happens when dormant emotions explode into awakened brutality? Such is the theme of UNE BLOC's first independent film project, a full-length digital picture that takes a realistic glimpse of the Filipino youth in the gut of Manila's urban gullies. It tackles socially related-issues surrounding the intersecting lives of marginalized ordinary Manileños. Presented in a staggered vista of correlated events, the movie explores the day-to-day survival of the characters and their broken dreams, pent-up anger and abnormal sexuality. The film conveys its message powerfully in a daring and unapologetic way -- using street lingo to its fullest.

The main cast includes Carlo Aquino, Ketchup Eusebio, Cholo Barretto, Empoy Marquez and Luane Dy, with Lito Pimentel, Bodgie Pascua, Archie Alemania.

Released several months prior to the onslaught on the local film scene of digital features from Cinemalaya, Cinema One Originals, Cinemanila and other digital filmmakers last year, this film is the directorial debut of Ato M. Bautista from a screenplay by Shugo Praico, with cinematography by acclaimed director of photography Odyssey 'Odie' Flores (Magnifico, Naglalayag, Ilusyon, Dilim), editing by Richard Barnett and original score by Achilles Gonzales. These same people together with co-producers Jason Donato, Alfred Molo, David Buenaventura, Cedric Hornedo, Ivan Despi, Simon Malimban, Holland Lou Buela and Rosel Manahan-Cello are the young filmmakers behind UNE BLOC, the team that despite the odds decided to go for broke to independently produce what critics have called a "unique shock-cinema of international standards" that reminds us of the early works of Scorsese & Coppola.

2006 Urian Awards - (win) Best Supporting Actor-Ketchup Eusebio; (noms) Best Screenplay, Best Actor-Carlo Aquino. 2006 Golden Screen Awards (to be announced Aug 30) - (noms) Best Performance by an Actor/Drama-Carlo Aquino, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role/Drama, Musical or Comedy-Ketchup Eusebio, Breakthrough Performance by an Actor-Cholo Barretto.

Acknowlegments: The individual filmmakers; Sinebuano; Negros Summer Workshops.

For its monthly film dialogue on July 15, 2006 (3rd Saturday), pelikula@titusbrandsma presents films that explore unusual experiences or ways of looking at reality.

The Double Life of Véronique / La Doble Vie de Véronique
Krzysztof Kieslowski, France/Poland/Norway, 1991.
98 minutes.

Each of us is matched somewhere in the world, by our exact double -- someone who shares our thoughts and dreams.

Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski, creator of the masterful THREE COLORS TRILOGY and DECALOGUE, presents this enigmatic, philosophical drama about duality in the modern world. Weronika (Irène Jacob), a young Polish woman, embraces each aspect of her life with zeal. She has many friendships, sexual and platonic, and a variety of interests. A serious heart ailment, however, debilitates her periodically, but she refuses to let it hold her back. On her way to a singing contest, she sees a woman who is her spitting image. Weronika tries to catch the look-alike's attention, but fails. The second woman, the French Veronique (Jacob), is also a gifted singer yet she rejects this talent to teach at a primary school. Eventually she, too, senses the presence of another force in her life, but it isn’t until Alexandre (Philippe Volter), an artist, appears that she finally recognizes this for certain. Kieslowski’s superb film is a lyrical study of the divided but inextricably linked worlds of Eastern and Western Europe, featuring two remarkable, soul-bearing performances by the gorgeous Jacob.

1992 National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA – (win) Best Foreign Language Film. 1992 French Syndicate of Cinema Critics – (win) Best Foreign Film. 1991 Warsaw International Film Festival - (win) Audience Award. 1991 Cannes Film Festival – (win) Best Actress, FIPRESCI Prize of the Ecumenical Jury; (nom) Golden Palm. 1993 Sant Jordi Awards – (win) Best Foreign Actress. 1992 César Awards, France – (nom) Best Actress, Best Music Written for a Film (Zbigniew Preisner). 1992 Golden Globes, USA - (nom) Best Foreign Language Film. 1992 Independent Spirit Awards – (nom) Best Foreign Film. 1991 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards – (win) Best Music (tie with At Play in the Fields of the Lord and Europa Europa).

Il Mare / Siworae
Hyun-seung Lee, South Korea, 2000.
96 minutes.

This time-travel romance features My Sassy Girl's Jeon Ji Hyun in a starring role! The touching sci-fi love story centers on Han Seong Hyun (Lee Jung Jae, from Typhoon and Last Present), an accomplished architect who moves into his father's beach house, only to find himself put in a most extraordinary circumstance. After dubbing the place "Il Mare" ("The Sea" in Italian), Seong Hyun receives a mysterious letter from a woman named Kim Eun Joo (Jeon Ji Hyun). Strangely, the letter is addressed to the person who will live in Il Mare after Eun Joo leaves, a puzzling statement considering the fact that Seong Hyun is the very first person to ever live in the house!

Believing it to be some sort of a prank or perhaps just a misunderstanding, Seong Hyun initially disregards the anomaly, only to find himself drawn into correspondence with Eun Joo. But as the two begin exchanging letters, they eventually discover that their situation is as remarkable as it is downright unbelievable. It seems that Eun Joo is actually living a full two years ahead of the time in which Seong Hyun resides! Disbelief gives way to amusement and intrigue as the two continue their correspondence, eventually falling for one another. But when these two strangers decide to meet up, they soon discover something that neither quite expected. Will there be a happy ending for these two? Can love cross the boundary of time? Find out in this 2000 film that was recently remade by Hollywood as “The Lake House” featuring the cast of SPEED, and which may have also been the uncredited inspiration for this summer’s “Moments of Love” starring Dingdong Dantes, Iza Calzado, and Karylle!

Pi
Darren Aronofsky, USA, 1998.
84 minutes.

Gritty, inventive black-and-white cinematography drives this story of genius mathematician Max Cohen who is exploring the possible existence of discernible patterns in the stock market. With the aid of Euclid, his home-grown supercomputer, Max stumbles upon a bug that crashes his system and spits out a seemingly meaningless number. A knowledgeable friend gives him insight using the ancient game of Go and warns of the spiritual ramifications of powerful numbers. A Hasidic cabalistic sect and representatives from an extremely powerful Wall Street firm then attempt to extract the number from him, by whatever means necessary, for their own ill-gotten gains.

1998 Sundance Film Festival – (win) Director's Award Dramatic; (nom) Grand Jury Prize Dramatic. 1999 Independent Spirit Awards – (win) Best First Screenplay (Darren Aronofsky); (nom) - Best Cinematography (Matthew Libatique), Best First Feature. 1998 Thessaloniki Film Festival – (win) FIPRESCI Prize - Special Mention International Competition (for its forceful, expressionist use of film language to reflect the hero's paranoia about the modern world); (nom) - Golden Alexander. 1998 Florida Film Critics Circle Awards – (win) Newcomer of the Year. 1999 Chlotrudis Awards – (win) Best Cinematography; (nom) Best Director. 1998 Gotham Awards – (win) - Open Palm Award.1998 Fant-Asia Film Festival - 3rd place Best International Film. 1999 Málaga International Week of Fantastic Cinema – (win) Special Mention (Darren Aronofsky for screenplay). 1998 Deauville Film Festival – (nom) Grand Special Prize. 1998 Gijón International Film Festival – (nom) Grand Prix Asturias Best Feature.

As we shashay into that time of the month where Pink Festivities are promenading around the world for varied intentions all boiling down to the celebration of one’s being-ness, it just stand to reason that we partake in such festivity.

Parading at Pelikula@TitusBrandsma are acclaimed films that give a new landscape to the meaning of being a family. As the paradigms of the world continuosly shift, no one can ever pin down what is normal and conventional. Nothing is black & white anymore, all the colors of life comes into play to different shady terrains and to the many variants of combos of relationships. The need to wade through certain biases and accept the reality that although we all don’t sing in the same hymm book, there is a brave new world/family out there different in form, substance and is all jazz up with a touch of Pink!

The marching of Pink films unveils at 1pm on June 24, culminating in a surprise film worthy of making a dent in our ever-changing education:

Madame Satã
Karim Ainouz, Argentina, 2002.
105 minutes.

A story inspired by the life of one of the most remarkable figures in Brazilian popular culture, João Francisco dos Santos (1900-1976). In turn, bandit, transvestite, street fighter, brothel cook, convict and father to seven adopted children, dos Santos--better known as Madame Satã--was also a notorious gay performer who pushed social boundaries in a volatile time. The story begins in 1932, in Rio de Janeiro's bohemian Lapa district, when João Francisco is about to achieve his dream: becoming a stage star. In the sordid yet lively world of Lapa--populated by pimps, prostitutes and other denizens of Rio's underworld--João battles the streets and presides over a surrogate family that includes the charming prostitute Laurita, and her baby daughter whom everyone dotes on; the flamboyant hustler Taboo; João's teenage lover, Renatinho; and Amador, the owner of the Blue Danube club which is their second home. It is at the Blue Danube that street tough João begins to sing, and the mythic drag artiste Madam Satã is born.

Awards and Nominations: “Gold Hugo” (Best Film) 2002 Chicago International Film Festival, "Un Certain Regard" 2003 Cannes Film Festival, “Audience Award” 2003 Toronto Inside Out Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival of Toronto

The Offering
Paul Lee, Canada, 1999.
10 minutes.

Inspired by The Young Man and His Death, a ballet choreography written by Jean Cocteau (1889-1963). "The Offering" is based on my personal grief over the premature passing of beloved friends - people who have left this world at the prime of their lives, before their full potentials were realized. "Their departure from my life also brought me face to face with my own mortality. As I entered middle age during the making of this film, I find myself questioning my own faith in life and confronting the ephemeral transience of youth and beauty, in this elegiac meditation on the nature of the passing of life and of love."

Biography
Paul Lee was born in Hong Kong in 1963, and moved to Toronto in 1976. Since 1991 he has organized and curated film festivals in Canada, U.S.A., Japan and Thailand. In addition to his programming activities, Paul also specializes in producing films for first-time filmmakers and in international co-productions. In 1994 he made his first short film Thick Lips Thin Lips, which has won eight awards, and was screened at over 100 film festivals worldwide after its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. In 1995 he made his second film These Shoes Weren’t Made For Walking, which has won six awards, and was screened at over 50 film festivals after its premiere at the Sydney Film Festival. The Offering is his third film.

Awards and Nominations: Nominated “Golden Berlin Bear” 1999 Berlin International Film Festival, Winner “Jury Award for Best Dramatic Short”1999 New Haven Film Festival, Winner “SilverApple” 1999 National Educational Media Network USA, Winner “Best Short Film” 2000 Cinemanila International Film Festival, Winner “Los Charales Award for Best Short Subject” 2000 Ajijic Festival Internacional de Cine

Saving Face
Alice Wu, USA, 2004.
97 minutes.

Writer-director Alice Wu's debut film is a heartwarming and heartbreaking romantic comedy about family, tradition, and changing times. Michelle Krusiec gives an outstanding performance as Wilhelmina, a doctor in a Manhattan hospital who returns to Flushing's Chinatown every Friday night to participate in her extended family's weekly dance mixer. While her mother (TWIN PEAKS's Joan Chen) and the other women try to set her up with eligible bachelors, Wil falls for Vivian (Lynn Chen), a beautiful young dancer who feels the attraction as well.

As the two women contemplate a possible relationship, Wil's mother, who is nearing fifty, reveals she is pregnant, but she will not tell anyone who the father is. Wil's grandfather (Jin Wang) disowns his daughter for the shame she is bringing the family--he feels he has "lost face" in the community--forcing Wil to take in her mother and care for her in a reversal of generational roles and responsibility. But just as her mother remains secretive of who the father of her baby is, Wil keeps her lesbianism a secret as well.

Awards and Nominations: “Viewer's Choice Award” 2005 Golden Horse Award, “Breakthrough Director Award” 2005 Gotham Awards, “Official Selection” Sundance Film Festival, “Official Selection” Toronto International Film Festival

Surprise film!

As the summer heat continues, pelikula@titusbrandsma fires you up too with film features that will surely engage you in heated debates.

These films do not promise answers to your many questions but it may even add up to more questions and confusions. This can be a perfect experience to match the heat of the summer and end it with thoughts to ponder.

As these films make you focus not only on the intertwining themes within them but also leave you in “shock and awe” with the visually stunning camera works that the makers of these films have geniusly put together. Your film experience will be thought-provoking and a stunning visual extravaganza, GUARANTEED! An opportunity not only to raise questions but hopefully open new areas for discussion.

The need to talk about “terrorism” is now felt more than ever. It created a new meaning for itself after the September 11 terrorist attack at the USA. Constantly, it is being used, mentioned all over but so often and so loosely that it has lost its clear meaning.

pelikula@titusbrandsma discovered real gems in the film treasure box:

Land of Plenty
Win Wenders, USA, 2004.
123 minutes.

“Poverty in the Land of Plenty.” This means that not all is pretty and going well even in the Land of Plenty.

Wenders looks at America in a post-9/11scenario using two opposing auras / personas carried by the characters of Paul and Lana. He handles the film so well that the presentation exudes a warm and touching observation of America’s disillusionment after the terrorist attack.

Paul (John Deihl) depicts a persona of suspicion and paranoia that leads him to believe that small town events are parts of a bigger plot. So engrossed with his self-appointed renegade operative for Homeland Security character that he trails people he suspects involved in a terrorist activity in a beat-up, surveillance-equipment-crammed van. He talks to himself, basically, as he uses his headset and tape recorder to catalogue his trails.

Lana (Michelle Williams) plays a persona of innocence that she was not ready to see the rows of homeless people in a supposed to be a “land of plenty” country. She hopes to do a little more for the world, thus, she applied for work in a homeless shelter.

Both will find each other and share a journey beset with personal issues and priorities that sets them apart.

Much has been said about this film. Everyone has their own analysis; most said it was a political film, a representation of the mindset of republicans (Paul) and democrats (Lana). Others like the depiction of the different personas of Lana and Paul but some sees them as one-dimensional cardboard cut-outs characters.

But whatever it represents, viewers will be hard-pressed not to choose sides while watching the film. This makes the Land of Plenty exciting and challenging, a true gem of a film.

Starring: Michelle Williams (Lana), John Deihl (Paul) and Richard Edson (Jimmy) Awards and Nominations: 2005 German Film Award Nominee – Best Cinematography (Film Award in Gold Category); 2004 Venice Film Festival Winner – Wim Wenders (UNESCO Award Category) and nominee for the Golden Lion Category

Brazil
Terry Gilliam, UK, 1984.
142 minutes.

“Have a laugh at the horror of things to come!” Brazil is one of the most splendidly “black humored” film ever created.

Ducts all-over the film describes a chaotic but futuristic society that is so obsessed with overpowering bureaucracy, paperworks and technology that never works. The threat of terrorists and how governments oppressively react to these make our world suffer from semi-paralysis and paranoia, a reality both present and attacked in the movie and in real life.

What makes this film a real beauty is that aside from “terrorism,” the film hosts a number of sub-plots and images: government system, materialism and consumerism, inefficiency of technology, slave to work, indifference, obsession to physical beauty, etc. that fits so perfectly well with the central theme – depending on what theme you think is central. With these topics, the film is more relevant than ever.

Though futuristic in its setting, Brazil shows a world rendered so realistically enough to feel feasible but at the same time surreal enough to leave a lasting and unforgettable impression on you.

This film gets even better as it progresses and reaches the conclusion that it takes you at the edge of your seats. It is so controversial that the distributor made its own studio version (94 minutes) to do away with the non-commercial ending that is so far from Gilliam’s distinct touch as a director.

At Titus, you deserve the 142-minute version of Brazil, no cuts!

Starring: Jonathan Pyrce (Sam Lowry), Robert de Niro (Harry Tuttle) and Kim Greist (Jill Layton) Awards and Nominations: 1986 Oscar Nominee – Best Art Direction / Set Direction and Best Writing / Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen; BAFTA Film Award Winner – Best Production Design and Best Special Visual Effects; BSFC Award Winner – Best Supporting Actor and Special Commendation for Norman Garwood for Production Design; LAFCA Award Winner – Best Director, Best Picture and Best Screenplay.

Surprise Film

Pelikula@TitusBrandsma presents Pelikulang Wazzak! — 3 films that place an audience in an uncomfortable situation to test his ability to confront disturbing, repulsive and otherworldly realities.

The monthly film dialogue unreels on April 22 (fourth Saturday), starting at 1:00 pm with the following line-up:

L.I.E.
Michael Cuesta, USA, 2001.
108 minutes.

Two people headed nowhere, on different lanes of the road of life. Howie, a fifteen-year-old boy, is unable to have any form of relationship with his estranged father after the death of his mother in a car accident. And Big John, a former Marine with a taste for young boys. Their lives intersect in this story on loneliness and the search for authentic intimacy. A phenomenal debut from writer/director Michael Cuesta, this features remarkable performances from Brian Cox as the pederast, and Paul Franklin Dano as the adolescent boy. L.I.E. (Long Island Expressway) premiered at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival.

2002 Independent Spirit Awards- Best Debut Performance (Paul Dano, win); Best Director, Best Feature, Best First Screenplay, Best Male Lead (Brian Cox) (nominated). 2001 Sundance film festival Grand Jury Prize (nominated). 2001 AFI Awards- Featured Actor of the Year (Brian Cox, nominated). 2001 Barcelona Intl. Gay & Lesbian Film Festival- Best Feature Jury Award (win). 2001 Boston Society of Film Critics Awards- Best Actor (Brian Cox, win), Best New Filmmaker (win).

Head On / Against the Wall / Gegen die Wand
Fatih Akin, Germany, 2004.
122 minutes.

Two Turks in Germany bump into each other in a psychiatric ward, after he crashes his car into a wall and after she fails to take her own life. They discharge from the hospital with a more demented idea--to get married. For Cahit (Birol Ünel) it is to change his fast-paced life before he burns out. For Sibel (Sibel Kekilli) it is to be free from her repressive relatives. The marriage of convenience soon resembles the real thing as they start to care for each other after a climactic trip to Istanbul.

2004 Berlin Intl. Film Festival Golden Bear, FIPRESCI Prize (win). 2004 European Film Awards- Best Film (win); Best Director, Best Screenwriter, Best Actor, Best Actress (nominated); Audience Award- Best Director (win). 2004 German Film Awards- Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Cinematography (win).

Eraserhead
David Lynch, USA, 1977.
100 minutes.

Strange does not begin to describe this cult feature film debut from David Lynch. Jack Nance is Henry Spencer, a zombie-like misfit, living in a nightmarish industrial town. He spends his days watching and listening to the Lady in the Radiator sing about finding happiness in heaven, and his nights fantasizing about his curvaceous neighbor across the hall. His spastic girlfriend Mary (Charlotte Stewart) soon gives birth to his child, an alien-like creature whose piercing cries never cease. Overflowing with cryptic and repulsive images set to a grotesque rhythm, Eraserhead redefined surreal filmmaking and sealed Lynch fate as one of cinema's imaginative directors.

2004 National Film Preservation Board, USA. 1982 Fantasporto International Fantasy Film Award- Best Film (nominated).

ADMISSION IS FREE. pelikula@titusbrandsma is located at Titus Brandsma Center 24 Acacia St., Bgy. Mariana, New Manila, Quezon City. For more info call Bituin (726-6054), Maxie (751-1169) or Eric (364-7955). Email pelikula-titusbrandsma-owner@yahoogroups.com

For its monthly film dialogue this Saturday, March 11, 2006, pelikula@titusbrandsma (24 Acacia St. Bgy. Mariana, New Manila, Quezon City) presents films featuring female protagonists, their men, and their world. The following film lineup unreels starting at 1:00 pm:

"Onibaba" (by Kaneto Shindo/1964/Japan/103 mins.)
"Alice" (by Woody Allen/1990/USA/106 mins.)
"Since Otar Left..." (by Julie Bertucelli/2003/France-Belgium/102 mins.)

Onibaba / Devil Woman, The Demon, The Hole
Kaneto Shindo, Japan, 1964.
103 minutes.

Deep within the wind-swept marshes of 16th-century Japan, two women -- a hardened mother and her nubile daughter-in-law -- have turned predator to survive the horrors of war. They murder lost samurai who wander into the sea of pampas grass surrounding their hut, sell the arms and armor for food, dump the corpses down a deep dark hole, and live off of their meager spoils. Lust, jealousy, and rage soon threaten to destroy their tenuous existence when a rakish neighbor enters the scene. But an ominous, ill-gotten demon Noh mask seals their horrifying and brilliantly absurd fate, and shows the true face of a very human evil.

Brimming with ambient dread, primal emotions, dark sensuality, and nefarious schemes, this chilling folktale is considered a landmark in fantasy cinema. It masterfully evokes a world of grinding desperation, feral lust, and otherworldly menace. The soundtrack of pounding drums and howling flutes gives the film a queasy intensity, while the stark black-and-white images -- both lyrical and macabre -- makes even the waving of the grass look ominous as it all but swallows everyone who enters.

1965 Blue Ribbon Awards - Best Cinematography, Best Supporting Actress (Jitsuko Yoshimura)(win).

Puwang
Anna Isabelle Matutina, Philippines, 2006.
26 minutes.

After a mysterious falling out with his father, Angelo, the favorite son, has not shown his face to the family for five years now. Arlene, being the eldest and the least favorite, took upon herself the demanding task of taking care of their very sick father even while she tends to her own husband and children. Anne, the youngest, is single and pregnant with no one to turn to except her older sister.

When the father is finally confined in the hospital for two weeks, his relentless requests to see his long lost son, Angelo’s stubbornness and supposed disregard for their father’s welfare, and Anne’s constant need for attention start to bear down on Arlene, leaving her weak, weary and very much alone.

Alice
Woody Allen, USA, 1990.
106 minutes.

This character study takes the title character on a voyage through a Wonderland of her own making. Alice lives a perfectly maintained married life of a sheltered socialite in a perfectly maintained Manhattan apartment. But struck with some nagging backaches and pains, she visits a mysterious oriental herbalist who realizes that her problems are not related to her sacroiliac, but in her mind and heart. Dr. Yang's magical herbs give Alice wondrous powers, allowing her to free herself from her inhibitions and taking her out of her well-established rut. Plunging into her new fantasy world, Alice fantasizes about a sax player who enflames her passions, triggers off her catholic guilt feelings, and has her frantically trying to find out the meaning of life. Ultimately, she must make a choice between her husband and her lover. Her decision is unexpected.

Regarded as one of Woody Allen's more grounded whimsies, Alice is a modern day and more adult version of "Alice In Wonderland." The reality of this intellectual/philosophical, life-affirming comedy, which lies in the complicated adult affairs, including marital infidelity, and the urban scenes of New York City, are contrasted but mingled effectively with the "magic" that is dominant in the film. It features one of Mia Farrow's best performances and an exquisite ensemble cast of more big-name guest stars than usual. It is also noteworthy for its witty script and effective direction, crisp cinematography, odd use of color, and unerringly apt musical choices. And where else are you going to find invisibility in the same story as Mother Theresa?

1990 National Board of Review - Best Actress (Mia Farrow)(win). 1991 Golden Globes - Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture/Comedy or Musical (Mia Farrow)(nom). 1991 Writers Guild of America - Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (nom). 1991 Oscar Awards - Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (nom). 1992 César Awards - Best Foreign Film (nom). 1991 Casting Society of America - Best Casting for Feature Film/Comedy (nom).

Since Otar Left... / Depus qu'Otar est parti...
Julie Bertucelli, France/Belgium, 2003.
102 minutes.

In Tbilisi, a Georgia city that has been devastated by war, political instability, and a ruined economy, three generations of women -- strong-willed elderly Eka, her long-suffering daughter Marina, and rebellious granddaughter Ada) live together in a tiny apartment, enduring the routine power and water outages plaguing the former Soviet republic. The one joy in their lives comes from the regular letters, money and phone calls from Eka's favored son, Otar, a physician-turned-undocumented-construction-worker in Paris. The complexities of these women's relationships are thrown into relief by the sudden death of Otar, as Marina tries to conceal the truth from her mother.

Former assistant director to Tavernier and Kieslowski and with a background in documentaries, Bertucelli deftly spins the delicate threads of familial conflict and maternal love into a bewitching tangle of inter-generational duplicity. This acclaimed first feature is an intelligent and bittersweet tale of deception and affection, demonstrating a rare gift for visual storytelling and sharp writing that allows room for characters to surprise themselves and the audience. This is a powerful story and a moving film that knocks on the doors of hearts without the least hint of being saccharine. There's a dark, dry wit that permeates the movie, as each of the women faces her own struggle with their hard-bitten life, delivered in a detailed and believable performance by each of the three actresses.

2003 Cannes Film Festival - Critics Week Grand Prize, Grand Golden Rail (win). 2004 César Awards, France - Best First Work (win); Best Writing/Original or Adaptation, Most Promising Actress (Dinara Drukarova)(nom). 2004 National Board of Review - Special Recognition for Excellence in Filmmaking (win). 2003 Deauville Film Festival - Best French Script (win). 2004 French Syndicate of Cinema Critics - Critics Award Best First Film (win). 2004 Hong Kong International Film Festival - SIGNIS Award (win). 2004 Santa Fe Film Festival - Milagro Award Best of the Fest (win). 2003 Viennale - FIPRESCI Prize/Special Mention (win) (For its compelling treatment of socio-economic problems in post-communist Europe in the context of a family dilemma and for holding in a satisfying balance the competing aspirations of women from three generations.) 2003 Warsaw International Film Festival - Special Mention (win). 2004 European Film Awards - Audience Award Best Director (nom). 2003 Bratislava International Film Festival - Grand Prix (nom). 2003 Molodist International Film Festival - Best Film Award/Full-Length Fiction Film (nom).

ADMISSION IS FREE. pelikula@titusbrandsma is located at 24 Acacia St., Bgy. Mariana, New Manila, Quezon City. For more info about us, visit www.pelikula-titusbrandsma.ph, or call Jofti (726-6054), Maxie (751-1169 evenings only) or Eric (364-7955).

From Shakespeare to the slum book, love has been defined in a number of ways. But one thing is certain: love will always shatter the mold and remain a free form to suit every affair of the wise or the fool. This February, pelikula@titusbrandsma offers films that looks at some of these molds -- love, the consequence; love, the cure; love, the reward -- pero, love ba 'to?

Starting at 1:00 pm on February 18, 2006 (third Saturday of the month) at 24 Acacia St. Bgy. Mariana, New Manila, Quezon City, the monthly film dialogue unreels with the following lineup:

"Picture Bride" (by Kayo Hatta/1994/USA/95 mins.)
"Le Laboratoire de L'Angoisse" (a short film by Patrice Leconte/1971/France/11 mins.)
"Thomas in Love" (by Pierre-Paul Renders/2000/Belgium-France/97 mins.)
A surprise film! (90 mins.)

Picture Bride / Bijo Foto
Kayo Hatta, USA, 1994.
98 minutes.

With the advent of photography in the early twentieth century, the Asian tradition of arranged marriages became modernized -- allowing families and matchmakers to talk, and prospective brides and bridegrooms to meet, using photos in lieu of face-to-face meetings. This film explores the story of a young Japanese girl who journeys to Hawaii under such arrangement. Once there, she has to come to grips with the harsh reality that the man she is to marry is much older and the life in front of her is that of manual labor in the sugarcane fields. But through this, a life is forged and a new generation is started.

This haunting and striking work is the first feature by the Hawaii-born filmmaker Kayo Hatta, and the first feature length film by an Asian-American woman. Hatta achieves an admirable authenticity in her portrait of the island community and the ghosts it harbors; she also gives a strong sense of racial and class divisions that crackle like live wires through Oahu's booming industries at that time. The Hawaiian backdrop is wonderfully photographed, and the performances are engaging, including a memorable, brief appearance by the legendary Toshirô Mifune in his final film role, as a traveling silent film narrator.

1995 Sundance Film Festival - Audience Award Dramatic (win); Grand Jury Prize Dramatic (nom). 1996 Political Film Society, USA - Special Award (win); PFS Award for Human Rights, PFS Award for Peace (nom). 1994 Cannes Film Festival - Golden Palm (nom). 1996 Independent Spirit Awards - Independent Spirit Award Best First Feature (nom).

La Laboratoire de L'angoisse
Patrice Leconte, France, 1971.
11 minutes.

The acclaimed French director's first film is this horror-comedy short. Antoine, the laboratory cleaner, desperately yearns for Clara, the only female scientist in the place. Night after night, when Clara is alone, going on with her experiments, the young man awkwardly maneuvers with a view to declaring his flame. But the cold scientist remains unconcerned. Neverthekess, while his heart burns too much for her, Antoine doesn't mind what happens to himself. If he can't GIVE his hand to Clara, will he really mind to... LOSE it?

Thomas in Love / Tomas est amoureux
Pierre-Paul Renders, France/Belgium, 2000.
97 minutes.

Welcome to the near future. Thomas, a high-tech agoraphobe, hasn't left his apartment for years, and no one can come into his apartment as well. In a world where everything can be done through computers, he interacts with family and society via his vision-phone, a version of live chat with a webcam. Under such conditions, is it possible for Thomas to fall in love? And if so, how is he going to let someone come into his life and his apartment? Or, is he doomed forever to stay alone and in love?

Shooting entirely on video in "first person" through Thomas's screen, first-time director Pierre-Paul Renders creates a wacky futuristic look in this sexy, smart, suspenseful, humorous and visually attractive cinematic experiment that succeeds in more ways than one.

2000 Venice Film Festival - Best First Feature ("for its innovative film language and humour, perfectly matching its theme of miscommunication"), Laterna Magica Prize (wins). 2000 Montréal Festival of New Cinema - Special Jury Award (win). 2001 Paris Film Festival - Best Actress (win); Grand Prix (nom). 2001 Angers European First Film Festival - GNCR Award, Procirep Award (wins). 2001 Espoo Ciné International Film Festival - Grand Prize of European Fantasy Film in Silver (win). 2002 Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Films - Grand Prize of European Fantasy Film in Gold (win). 2001 Gérardmer Film Festival - Ciné-Live Award, Grand Prize, Youth Jury Grand Prize (wins). 2001 Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema - Best Film (nom).

Surprise Film!

Visually ravishing. Great music score. By a noted Asian director. Has done its rounds of international filmfests.