Filipino short film triumphs in New York
A short film Supot has brough laurels to the Pinoys.
PIC COURTESY: WIKIPEDIA AND www.Onefilmman.com
In their quest to widen the horizons on their operations and make a veritable effort to extend the task of providing recognition to screenplay writers all over the world, the organizers of the New York screenplay awards have come up with a stable and longer-term policy.
In pursuit o excellence, they have stuck manfully and have awarded a grand jury award to Supot, an entrant to the short film category; it is film by Phil Giordano.
Thus the search for new global players in writers for the films and television arena is on and will be a regular affair. Identifying and awarding the best writers around the world is the aim of this ambitious platform.
That the theme of the screenplay is picked up from the social fabric of the Filipinos says a lot about this short film. Giordano at the New York University presented the thesis.
It tells the tale of the society in the Philippines in a sensitive social issue of circumcision which has become customary in the Philippines by a tradition started a long time back in history.
Circumcision – a rite
The boy who is 10 years old and able to express wants to avoid circumcision. The word supot means someone who is not circumcised which is a rite of passage in the Philippines.
This practice can be traced to the history of some migrants from Borneo before the Spanish occupation of these islands and the rite is called Tuli. Filipino young men who are not circumcised are a subject of ridicule.
This film has come up for some very good reviews given by the United Kingdom’s Film review. Phil Giordano’s control over the subject and his measured approach has come up for some pleasing applause.
What gave the film full marks is the fact that Giordano has not tried to be judgmental about any aspect of the issue. Therefore, the critic of the UK Film review which is a website praises his work in superlative terms.
The critic is particularly appreciative of the use of the Hitchcockian techniques which avoids a negative reaction from the audience.
The film has Mercedes Cabral, John Arcilla, and Andrei Fajarito in the cast.
Umrao singh umraoz.wordpress.com
Sunday, 02 October 2016
Written for: Lars-Magnus Carlsson www.thephilippinepride.com
