May 14–25, 2024, will mark the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. The jury president for the main competition is Greta Gerwig, an American director and actor. French actress Camille Cottin will host both the opening and closing ceremonies. Hartland Villa produced the official festival poster, which included a still shot from the 1991 movie Rhapsody in August by Akira Kurosawa. The festival selected this film for its 1991 edition. A wide variety of films, including feature films, short films, and documentaries from different corners of the globe, compete with each other to win the Palme d’Or.
Established in 2013 in Taiwan, The Directors’ Factory collaborates with a different partner nation each year. Its main objective is to provide guidance and support to eight emerging filmmakers who are working on their ambitious first or second feature projects. The program pairs these filmmakers, who will ultimately produce their films together. In November, the Philippines was chosen. The Directors’ Fortnight, also known as Quinzaine des Cineastes, screens the four co-written and co-directed short films at Cannes 2024. Dapitan, a city in the Philippines’ Zamboanga Peninsula, is known for its numerous shrines and for being the exile site of the nation’s national hero, Jose Rizal. Various filmmakers have created four distinct short films in this city with stunning cinematography and profound stories. Bradley Liew from Epicmedia in the Philippines and Dominique Welinski from DW in France co-produced the project. The Quezon City Film Commission and the Dapitan Local Government funded the project.
Cold Cut, a collaborative effort by Don Josephus Rafael Belahan from the Philippines and Siyou Tan from Singapore, tells the tale of a young woman on the verge of participating in a nearby talent competition. However, her path takes an unexpected turn when a young butcher emerges and introduces her to a whole new. Joy performing by Claire Recososa Guantero stands patiently in a lengthy queue, surrounded by other girls adorned in vibrant outfits and covered in glitter. These girls appear to be unhappy and confused, which we have learned is due to their participation in the Miss Universe competition in the Philippines. The young butcher at the abattoir, with pigs’ heads, symbolizes the familiar principle of sacrifice: it is crucial to adequately compensate for what one desires, as this is the one route to achievement. Cold Cut, which separates into two slow metaphoric parts and the real chaos of contest, points out the distinguished line between dream and reality in life.
Arvin Belarmono from the Philippines and Lomorpich Rithy, also known as Yoki, from Cambodia, worked together to create the second story, Silig. This narrative revolves around Mamang, a highly acclaimed actress, who revisits her birthplace after a two-decade absence to make arrangements for her own death. The protagonist’s endeavor to locate a burial service that fulfills her requirements and the ensuing challenge to do this underscore the profound significance of life, especially in the face of planning for a deathbed ceremony. One could view the scene in which she navigates her way to the church while the films are playing and her conversation with her friend while lying side by side in a confined coffin as a degrading portrayal of the finality and confinement of life. Silig is a subdued and poignant portrayal where the underlying emotions of rage, guilt, and remorse are palpable yet restrained, yearning to surface. The seamless transition from the opening scene to the ending view of the sea is a skillful and well-performed decision. Despite her battle with illness, Mamang serves as a poignant reminder of the value of life, whether experienced at an amusement park or behind the walls of a church.
Nightbirds, directed by Maria Estela Paiso from the Philippines and Ashok Vish from India, revolves around the mysterious Bird God, Tigmamanukan, aiding Ivy in freeing herself from her husband, who recklessly spends their money on cockfighting. Pokwang, a renowned Filipina comedian, stars as the main heroine in Oda Sa Wala, directed by Dwein Baltazar, which was selected to participate in the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The combination of the graphic style and the depiction of Ivy’s thoughts evokes a sense of the bird’s realm intruding into reality. The story of survival might be far from what we hear in the opening scenes of the films: Tigmamanukan is sent from the heavens to help flightless birds, flightless birds in need of wings, wings of liberation.
The fourth and final story of “Directors Factory Philippines,” Walay Balay, begins with the mesmerizing whispers of an old woman standing beside the river: “I dreamed it again; I saw the ferry full of people we know. They called me, and I tried to reach them, but they went farther and farther until they disappeared on the horizon.” Eve Baswel from the Philippines and Gogularaajan Rajendran from Malaysia co-directed the film, which tells the story of Norayda and her daughter Yahairah, who sought refuge in a neighboring town during the Marawi war. They eagerly anticipate each day’s passing in order to return home. Thanks to its cinematography and dynamic, the film evokes memories of Vietnamese Pham Ngoc’s “Cu Li Never Cries.” The protagonist wanders in search of a place he calls “home.”
The The Directors’ Fortnight has always been the home of talented directors whose artistic jobs have impressed many all over the world. “Directing Factory Philippines” has paved the way for a new generation of Asian directors to explore diverse cinema tastes.
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