A giant indie film

A few Sunday afternoons ago family, friends and cinephiles packed the U-view digital cinema at Fully Booked on High Street. We came out two hours later after being mesmerized by my son’s film opus Colossal.
We sauntered off to CAV to dig into chef Markus Gfeller’s specially prepared a colossal spread and free-flowing wine, while analyzing the film we just experienced.
Like most indie films, Colossal took a while to digest, and Markus’ concoctions washed down with some cabernet helped heaps.
My son, Juan Manuel, or Wham for short, took all of two years to make his masterpiece. I should know; I was the executive producer (the moneybags). What I did not know was what it was all about. I had an inkling of the script. I also knew where its magical scenes where shot — Ilocos Norte, care of Governor Imee Marcos’ support (thanks, Gov!). I just did not know, at the start, when exactly Wham was going to finish it.
You cannot rush artists. He comes from an extended family that’s full of artists and creatives. His uncles and aunts formed the famous Alcazaren Brothers animation studio in the ’80s (now recently revived, filming new work and offering workshops). His mom, Aida, is an established production designer for commercials and feature films. Wham, aside from writing the script and directing the film, also did the production design and was the film’s DP (director of photography — Wham was the youngest graduate of Mowelfund’s summer cinematography workshop).
Of course, he got lots of advice from me and Twink, especially about finishing the film on time (from me) …and not to listen to me about artistic direction (from Twink).
Another aunt, Beng Calma-Alcazaren, who is the lead singer of Drip, laid down a track for the film. My dad, though not an artist but a doctor, did the voice-over in Bisaya. His, in fact, was the only voice heard in the 86-minute film. Wham wrote the script in English and had it translated by Gian Abrahan. The subtitles were in English and the cinematography was in black and white — very indie.
Colossal was shot analog, in 16mm! Wham was the last recipient of the Kodak grant for filmmakers here in the Philippines. The raw stock came from the company, which sadly is no more, film-division-wise. If I won the lotto (the US version) I’d buy back Kodak’s film factory and make celluloid again.
What’s the film about? Wham’s synopsis states: Colossal exlores the complexities of grief and the process of grieving as understood through the myth of a Man as he ventures through shifting landscapes ruminating, “…Of men who do not die, of spirits caught in the hollows of trees, of love sheltered in the embrace of truth.”
I can’t critique the film. You just have to see it yourself. Many have, as it was Wham’s thesis at the University of the Philipines. He is a film major of course. It was voted Best Thesis for the entire graduating batch of 2012.
Many others also helped out in the film. The main actor Acey Aguilar was ably supported by Mercedes Cabral. Lav Diaz has a key (and only) scene in the film, albeit a lengthy one. The producer was Joenathann Alandy with PMs Carla Inductivo and Maria Rita Vargas and asssitant directors Chad Cabigon and Marjorie Darunday.
The film editor was Ilsa Malsi, gaffer-Sasha Palomares; for sound design, Jonathan Lee with music by Monn Fear Moon. Art direction was the work of Steff Dereja. The film’s stylist was Judd Figuerres with makeup by Kim Alcoreza. Talent coordinator was Aleli Mesina.
Twink and I hopped along with Wham to chat up guests that included fellow columnist Krip Yuson, Esquire editor in chief Erwin Romulo, the film critic Philbert Ortiz Dy, fellow-TV-5ver of Twink’s, Danton Remoto, former vice chanellor of UP Diliman Betsy Enriquez. The whole Alcazaren brood was there of course to spice up the post-premier party at Cav.
The premiere of the film was a success. A colossal weight has been lifted, of course, from my shoulders. I’ve one son now graduated from university (although another has a few years more to even reach college). Loads of congratulations to my son Wham…who thankfully, is colossally more creative than his dad.
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For information on the film Colossal, call producer Joenathann Alandy at jmalandy@outpost.com.ph or mobile 09178532616. Feedback is welcome. Please e-mail the writer at paulo.alcazaren@gmail.com.