Independent Cinema

Cinemalaya 2007 films in competition will be screened at IndieSine at Robinsons Galleria beginning August 29. Had I known of this screening, I wouldn't have been so harrassed to catch the screenings at Cultural Center during the film festival. I don't live close to the CCP and Galleria is so much more convenient to get to with EDSA, MRT and all. Anyway, the first film screened at IndieSine is Tribu, the grand prize winner of the festival.

It was a good movie whose making is a story in itself. Using real gang members and shot in their real hangouts in Tondo, Tribu excites with a documentary feel and its realistic picture of life for youth gangs. With comedy and tragedy and a little heartwarming-ness, the film sort of gave me a jolt (pun not intended). I didn't know that the Meralco meter reader uses binoculars to read meters installed atop the electrical pole. I always wondered how those pole top meters in squatter communities are read, or even if they ever were. The scene was funny and deviated from main plot.

Interesting too is the final gang confrontation. I found the fight scenes realistic in that they were awkward, not choreographed nor even rehearsed. They were like in panic and desperation mode, like survival at the point of losing. Fear was in their movements and their eyes and voices. The camera seemed to movie in panic as well, like a TV news crew in the middle of it all.

Forgot about the bad and depressing day I had before I watched this movie. I love independent cinema! Can't wait for the next film.