Bravo! Ayala Center Cebu celebrates art in Filipino Films

CEBU, Philippines - To support and promote the unique skill, talent, and creativity of the Filipino, the Ayala group of companies held a series of events in 2008 that celebrated excellence in the arts. This year, through Bravo! Celebrating the Filipino, the Ayala group continues to pay tribute to great accomplishments in various forms of art from the Philippines.

After mounting a series of shows on the visual arts, fashion, photography, and music, Bravo! Celebrating the Filipino now focuses on the ingenuity of Filipino cinema. Different Ayala Malls will screen several historical Filipino films that remain relevant until today and have played a significant role in molding our identity and culture. At Ayala Center Cebu, the screenings will run from June 29 to July 1.

“Perfumed Nightmare” by Kidlat Tahimik kicks off the tribute festival. The film focuses on the independence and freedom given to filmmakers and how a Filipino finds his or her identity even in the most unlikely places abroad. After the screening, Kidlat Tahimik will discuss his film and provide annotations to enrich the experience of viewers.

Following this screening are other masterful films that narrate how Filipinos have struggled and gained their independence, like Peque Gallaga’s “Oro, Plata, Mata,” which depicts World War II and the trauma it brought to Filipino society. Next comes Eddie Romero’s celebrated film “Ganito Kami Ngayon, Paano Kayo Noon?” which depicts the formation of a distinct Filipino identity at the outbreak of the Philippine revolution. Films that also portray unique facets of Philippine culture, such as the melding of Catholicism with pagan religious practices in Ishmael Bernal’s “Himala,” will also be screened.

Through Bravo! classic films that tackle political issues will also find their way back to the big screen. Lino Brocka’s “Bayan Ko: Kapit Sa Patalim,” which deals with poverty, and Mike de Leon’s “Sister Stella L,” which depicts a nun’s struggle against injustices and government oppression, will also be shown.

Here’s the complete schedule of screenings: June 29 – 11am “Perfumed Nightmare” (Kidlat Tahimik, 1977) and 2pm “Sister Stella L.” (Mike De Leon, 1984); June 30 – 11am “Himala” (Ishmael Bernal, 1982) and 1pm “Oro Plata Mata” (Peque Gallaga, 1982); and July 1 – 11am “Ganito Kami Ngayon, Paano Kayo Noon?” (Eddie Romero, 1976) and 1pm “Bayan Ko Kapit sa Patalim” (Lino Brocka, 1985).