Cinemalaya 2024 Shorts Hanash

I don't own the posters. I grabbed them from Cinemalaya's website and they are owned by the respective productions of each film.

[Tina-try kong short din ang hanash pero bakit pagdating sa dulo, dami ko na namang 'di ko alam kung may sense?!]

Shorts A

Abogbaybay: So innocent. So painful. Showed how COVID-19 pandemic took (almost) everything from us, especially those who are underprivileged. Regional film, small production, yet big on messaging and idea. Loved the story, execution, and acting.

An Baga sa Dalan: That just didn't work. The message and idea was there but the execution faltered. Also lacked continuity so many times. This was my type of film. Looking for a mythical place, Biringan, to resurrect your parents because of state killings? Count me in. It was promising but it fell short. But yes, sometimes, we believe in whatever we can hold on to just to survive. And some people help us in a way that won't make sense but their goal is to make you safe (and stranded).

All This Wasted Space: You can feel the doubts and hesitations of the main character with the pacing of the story, which I think was great because it resonated but I think this could use some tightening. It took a lot of time for the grand reveal but I guess, again, that's what grief is. You let it linger. You wallow on it. Then you move forward when you can. But most of the time, when you need to. (And yep, I guessed that ending. Oh my God. My senses work on films, really.)

Ambot Wa Ko Kabalo Unsya I Title Ani: This was fun. An engaging way to talk about passion and privileges, especially when it comes to pursuing art as a career (and lifelong path). I just think it went too preachy toward the end but still will make you laugh. But what I'm really confused, do people in Baguio speak Cebuano (if that was Cebuano. I AM CONFUSED GROWING UP IN A HOUSEHOLD SPEAKING IN I DON'T KNOW IF CEBUANO OR BISAYA OR WARAY. I don't even know the diff. Hu hu.)?

Pamalandong sa Danow: For the first time, I think, I've seen a short film or docu that's environmental journalism. This was a breath of fresh air in all the docu in Cinemalaya this year. It talked about something else. Something I didn't know. Some parts were really redundant for me which I hoped they just showed those bits more rather than telling. Shots were nice, too, but I wanted something deeper. Like perhaps, other POVs (government, other communities outside the marsh) instead of those redundancies. (O baka ako talaga 'yung agik kasi ihing-ihi na ako. Hindi na talaga ko kakain kapag film fest!!!!)

Shorts B

I Was Walking on the Streets of Chinatown: I am definitely not the audience for this but I felt the sincerity and I get the idea. Seemed like the main character was just taking you to a walk in the streets of Chinatown and reminiscing with them their life in those corners and alleys but really, it's about how things have changed but not all changes lead to progress. And that leads you to improvising or changing routes because things just don't go according to your plans. (What if hindi naman pala talaga iyon ang idea, Althea, makasabi kang you get the idea?!)

Cross My Heart and Hope to Die: Second time to see this. First was in QCinema International last year if I am not mistaken. Aside from Primetime Mother and Mariposa, this is so well put together. I really have no strong feelings and ideas about this film. Nice plot twist, didn't expect that. But yeah. You get heartbroken, then you just go on and clean the dirt on the floor. Because you need money rather than romance. As romance can suffocate you even if you're the one who placed yourself in a plastic. (Edit) Or maybe, it was the reverse card: Instead of you having an end as you wished, you become an accomplice to one's end — without you knowing.

Mama: The Duterte administration was done two years ago but the remnants of the bloody past remain. I don't think documentaries and other forms of content about the killings will stop (we never stopped with the Martial Law and its terrors). Even after justice is served. It sucks that until now, trials and investigations are ongoing. And we shouldn't stop. Mama for me is the short film version of last year's Maria. Minus the feels of Leni propaganda the film (Maria) had for me. There are misses in technicalities here though. The face of the first Mama was not blurred toward the end. The other Mama, the one who now works in a coffee shop truck didn't have a name or chargen at all. The third Mama was one of the mothers in Maria. I wish that in the next content we see about them, justice has been served.

Mariposa: Raw. Real. Painful. Brave. Hopeful. Brilliant. My favorite in the Shorts this year. This made me remember how much I love(d) documentaries. If I'd change one thing, the copies at the beginning because they felt like a press release for the shelter. This docu tackled abuse earnestly, without any jabs of hesitation in believing the victims and survivors. When it comes to filming, I think the team was lucky to have someone as articulate and open as Des. The worst storytellers are those who don't want to tell the story — I remember Patricia Evangelista saying that (maybe non-verbatim). This docu had the opposite of what Evangelista described. And lastly, I really liked the way they scribbled on the eyes to cover the identities of the people in the docu. And it was yellow. Hope (I think).

Primetime Mother: A jab on how reality shows or the media (can) fool people who are much in need of money. Even the general audience. And how fucked up the media industry can be, inside and outside. And how fucked up life is that many resort to be like puppets of others just to survive. Engaging to watch though. Will make you root for Meryll, especially if she can escape the ending. Meryll Soriano will always be a gem.

Will try to finish full-length hanash.