Cinemalaya’s Huling Palabas revisits days of Betamax, VHS and ‘slow entertainment’
MANILA, Philippines — Besides drawing inspiration from the films in the late ‘90s and the stories he watched during the good old days of VHS tapes, filmmaker Ryan Machado also tackled themes of identity formation, abandonment, friendship and folklore in his Cinemalaya 19 full-length film Huling Palabas.
Set in the early 2000s, during a time of transition from VHS to VCD, the Cinemalaya entry is about a young boy named Andoy (played by Shun Mark Gomez) and his journey searching for his long-lost father in the town of Romblon. His reality becomes mystified when two movie-like characters appear in his hometown — Ariel, a hairdresser who lures young men with his inexplicable charm, and Isidro, a mysterious, long-haired man who owns a VCD player.
The cast members also include Bon Andrew Lentejas, Cedrick Juan, Jay Gonzaga, Serena Magiliw and Senandra Gomez.
“I have always been fascinated by the power of cinema to bring people together and its magic to influence someone’s reality,” direk Ryan told The STAR in an e-mail interview. “My formative years were colorful and nostalgic, thanks to the films of the late ‘90s. We would walk to the barrio’s favorite betahan and marvel at the small screen that showed different genres of film.
“The collective laughter and screams and the special bond shared among neighbors were things I’d always look back on with fondness and longing. That era and milieu are evocative of the memory and emotion long gone but hold a special place in my heart.”
Direk Ryan, an instructor at the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila, had always expressed his fascination for transitional periods in his writing. He explained, “It’s the marking the end of an era, the loss that accompanies any ending, as well as the threat of change and uncertainty by the new.
“The never-ending shifts by which we consume entertainment, from the Betamax, to VHS, to VCDs, DVDs and Netflix, all transformed the ways in which my community has enjoyed and absorbed entertainment — whether in communion with each other or in isolation. This ever increasing accessibility influenced my artistic process, giving it a kind of ease that is sometimes beneficial, but other times, replete with unwanted urgency.”
While viewers now rely on streaming platforms for their “dose of entertainment,” direk Ryan’s film Huling Palabas is a stark contrast as it revisits the “period of a slower, more intentional way of seeking entertainment.”
“This features a period when people need to plan their days and budgets in order to witness something new. Community also plays a big role during this time. It’s easier to numb and become isolated when an abundance of entertainment and information is right at your fingertips,” the filmmaker shared.
It took only eight days for the Huling Palabas crew and team to film despite budget constraints, direk Ryan disclosed.
“Bringing an entire crew from Manila to Romblon was a logistical nightmare. We also had to compete with the local fiesta celebration so there were days when we had to iterate, otherwise we’d be getting in the way of the activities. Our LGU (local government unit) was supportive though. I just wished the provincial government of Romblon supported us as well.”
The 90-minute coming-of-age movie also featured direk Ryan’s native language, the Onhan. “This alone is a departure from the ubiquitous ‘Tagalog’ language often used in Manila-centric stories,” he asserted.
“The pace of the film is much more languid, reflecting the slower pace of provincial life as opposed to the urgency of city living. Magical realism is also in the undertone of nearly all my writing — as the forces of the engkantos, aswang and sigbin are stronger in places replete with the mountains and trees. Nearly all of which are lost in the concrete jungle of the metropolitan.”
Meanwhile, Huling Palabas lead actor Shun was elated to be part of the film as it marks many firsts for him — his first feature film in Cinemalaya as well as his first time to film in Looc, Romblon and learned the local language.
He recalled binge-watching previous Cinemalaya film entries, such as John Denver Trending, Iska and Edward. “These are some of the films na nagbuhay ng ilusyon ko. I want to be part of this kind of platform and style of story-telling — colorful, broad, amazing and unique.”
He was “humbled” by his Cinemalaya experience and considered it as a “dream come true” for him.
Shun was able to relate to his character as Andoy as he himself was “longing for a father figure, growing up.”
“I was only six years old when my father died,” he shared. “As a kid, that experience was confusing— I only knew that my father has died. Sa mga naunang taon, lumipas lang ito at natanggap ng batang ako. As I grew older, the meaning of the word pain had grown deep for me — naging malalim na sugat, may pagdudusa.”
“Upon learning Andoy and diving deeply into his character, I felt the longing and eagerness (in him) to find that person — to seek for answers, to look for a piece that for him is missing,” he added.
The ongoing Cinemalaya film festival runs until Aug. 13 at the Philippine International Convention Center and select cinemas.
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