Batang West Side won’t be at Cinemanila fest after all

First, the bad news (for lovers of good movies, that is): Contrary to an earlier Funfare report, Lav Diaz’s new five-hour-long made-in-USA movie, Batang West Side, won’t be the opening film after all of the 2001 Cinemanila International Film Festival, spearheaded by Tikoy Aguiluz in cooperation with the Makati City government led by Mayor Jojo Binay, to be held from Dec. 7 to 16 at the Glorietta Cinema and Greenbelt Cinemas in Makati City, the CCP and the UP Film Center.

Batang West Side, with Yul Servo as the Fil-Am boy in search of his mother (played by Gloria Diaz as replacement of Gina Alajar), was put to can by New Jersey-based Lav Diaz early this year after untold delays in the shooting done mostly in New York, with the World Trade Center twin towers shown standing tall in several scenes. Batang West Side is probably the last movie, foreign or local, to show the twin towers, leveled to the ground by kamikaze attacks last Sept. 11, in all their glory. If only for that, I’d see Batang West Side even if it runs for five longs hours (no intermission, please!).

No, direk Lav won’t cut a single frame from his obra-maestra, never mind if it gets shown only in art houses and film festivals and not in the commercialcircuit. But that’s not the reason why Batang West Side, whose female lead Priscilla Almeda has remained in New York in full pregnant glory, is not even included in the Cinemanila Filmfest. Somebody informed Funfare that it has never been tapped for exhibition at all.

Now, the good news (also for lovers of good films): Cinemanila will feature films from different parts of the world, including (some of them anyway) Belgium’s No Man’s Land, Singapore’s Return to Pontianak, Korea’s Chunhyang, Russia’s The Wedding, USA’s Tammy Faye, Iran’s Circle, Netherlands’ Gas Station, Taiwan’s City of Sadness, Norway’s Detector, Spain’s Luna’s Game, France’s Amelle from Montmarte, Japan’s Firefly Dreams, Mexico’s Love’s a Bitch, Canada’s Possible Worlds, Argentina’s The Swamp, Hong Kong’s Gege, Thailand’s Bangkok Dangerous and several others for every film buff to feast on.

The first Cinemanila Filmfest was held in 1999 also here, with Ricky Davao (for Saranggola) and Ana Capri (Pila Balde)/Indonesia’s Christian Hakim (Leaf on a Pillow) as Best Actor/Actresses winners. The grand prize (Lino Brocka Award for Best Picture) went to Leaf on a Pillow (Indonesia), directed by Garin Nugroho.

Last year’s winners were Color of Paradise by Majid Majidi (Iran), Best Picture; Mohsen Ramazeni (Iran) for Color of Paradise, Best Actor; and Evelyn Kaplun (Israel) for Yana’s Friend, Best Actress.

The 2001 Cinemanila Filmfest is divided into four sections: World Cinema, Asian Cinema, Philippine Cinema and Young Cinema (Digital Program).

This is your chance to watch dozens of films from dozens of other countries right here at home. Patronize the Cinemanila Filmfest; enjoy yourselves!

Susan Africa’s other talents

Better known as a soap-opera star (Mara Clara, Saan ka Man Naroroon, Tabing-Ilog, etc.), Susan Africa (a Bb. Pilipinas runner-up in the late ’70s) has other special talents besides acting. Even before Susan ventured into theater (before movies and television), she was already writing short stories for the Students’ Page which yours truly used to edit for the Expressweek magazine (along with DZRH’s Deo Macalma, George Nava True and a dozen others who went on to take up Journalism as a profession/occupation).

Susan also paints (she’s a Fine Arts cum laude graduate from UST) and her works will be exhibited on her first one-woman show on Oct. 25 (to Nov. 6) at the Gallery 139, Artwalk Level 4, Building A of SM Megamall.

The exhibit, entitled Floral Melodies draws inspiration from tropical flower variations rendered in impressionistic strokes with bright, striking hues. A self-confessed lover of classical music, she has blessed her works with titles derived from musical instruments, composers and classical compositions.

The brief respite from the regularity of the soap opera world has allowed Susan to experiment with another medium of expression, the visual arts. This collection of 20 paintings done in tempera are her most recent works. Past products have already been bought by visitors who see her works displayed in her home. Although she has never stopped painting since her college days, this is the first time that she has completed a number of paintings to comprise her first one-woman show.

Steeped in the art world where Susan has served for many years in between TV and film assignments (as Corporate Development Manager of Ballet Philippines Foundation at the Cultural Center of the Philippines for 14 years; Host of For Art’s Sake, PTV-4 in the early ’90s), she has acknowledged that the performing arts has played a vital role in her development, both as a person and as an artist. Regularly cast in international productions shot here in the Philippines, some of her movies include Noriega, directed by Roger Spottiswoode, Crocodile 2 by James Hickox and the soon to be shown Going Backby Sidney Furie.

Susan (or SAFRICA, as she signs her works) is hopeful that this first one-woman show will be appreciated by her colleagues in the industry as well as art lovers and collectors alike. (For details or special previews, please contact Jo-An at 633-7363).