RP film wins in Venice

MANILA, Philippines - “Engkwentro” (Clash) was named Best Debut Film in the Orizzonti (New Horizons) competition of the 66th Venice Film Festival which ended on Sept. 12.

The independent film was directed by Pepe Diokno, 22, who writes for The STAR’s Supreme section.

Diokno was in Venice with the star of the film, Felix Roco, one of actor Bembol Roco’s twin sons..

“Engkwentro” also won the Luigi de Laurentiis Award for a debut film, beating all first-timers including those in the main competition.

The Venice Film Festival is one of the oldest in the world and among the most prestigious, including those in Cannes, Toronto, New York and Berlin.

The Orizzonti category provides a spectrum of new trends in cinema. Lav Diaz won in the same category in the past two years –Melancholia for feature film in 2008 and Death in the Land of Encantos was special mention in 2007.

“The cast and crew are honored to represent the Philippines, side by side with world cinema’s most respected names,” Pepe told The STAR before he flew to Venice.

Another Filipino film that competed in the festival as a “surprise entry” was Lola, directed by Brillante “Dante” Mendoza who won Best Director (for Kinatay) at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. It was a first for a Filipino director.

Lola is the story of two grandmothers played by Anita Linda, 84, fighting for justice for her murdered

grandson and Rustica Carpio, 79, for her own grandson suspected to be the culprit.

Lebanon, an Israeli film that recounts Israel’s 1982 invasion of the Middle East country through soldiers’ eyes, won the festival’s Golden Lion top prize. The jury was headed by Ang Lee, himself a Golden Lion winner.

Inspired by true events, Engkwentro tells the story of two teenage brothers on opposite sides of a gang war. Tensions between the two arise at a deadly midnight engkwentro (clash) when one is tasked to kill the other. All this happens while the City Death Squad, a band of vigilantes supposedly backed by a Big Brother-type mayor, is hot on their trail. The two brothers must find a way out of their squalid situation in order to stay alive.

Felix Roco plays a gangster fighting desperately for his life. The movie’s other stars include director Celso Ad Castillo as the Mayor, as well as by young actors Zyrus Desamparado, Daniel Medrana and Eda Nolan, singer Bayang Barrios, and controversial indie filmmaker Jim Libiran.

Shot in a hand-held-camera style, Engkwentro premiered at the recent 2009 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival. Its production designer is Carmenzeeta “Chie” Floresca, daughter of The STAR’s assistant business editor Roman Floresca.

Pepe said that the film was inspired by actual “death squad” killings in some cities in the country where, in the last decade, over 814 people have been murdered by hit men allegedly sponsored by the government.

“According to reports,” added Pepe, “many of the victims are minors, including gang members, petty criminals and street children.”

Local critics and lay moviegoers describe Engkwentro as “an eye-opener,” “raw and alarming,” “shocking,” “disturbing” and “a must-see.”

Here’s the complete list of winners of the main categories:

• Golden Lion for Best Film — Lebanon by Israeli director Samuel Maoz

• Silver Lion for Best Director — Iranian video artists Shirin Neshat for Women Without Men

• Special Jury Prize — Soul Kitchen directed by German-born Fatih Akin

• Best Actor – Britain’s Colin Firth for Tom Ford’s A Single Man

• Best Actress — Russian Ksenia Rappoport for La Doppia Ora

• Best Screenplay — US director Todd Solondz for Life During Wartime

• Best Debut Film — Filipino director Pepe Diokno for Engkwentro

• Best Set Design — Sylvie Olive for Jaco Van Dormael’s Mr. Nobod

• Best Emerging Performer – Italy’s Jasmine Trinca foir Il Grande Sogno