The Consulate of Georgia in the Philippines, led by Consul (a.h.) Thelmo Luis Cunanan Jr., successfully launched recently the First Georgian Nationwide Film Festival Roadshow in Baguio City. The project is a partnership between the Consulate; the Georgian National Film Center, which supplied the movies; and the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), an agency under the Office of the President that is mandated with the advancement of independent local and foreign cinema in the country.
The event started in the FDCP’s Cinematheque located at the historic Casa Vallejo leisure and cultural complex in Upper Session Road in Baguio City. The movies will then be brought to the FDCP’s theatre in Iloilo City in August and possibly to Davao and Zamboanga later in the year, before returning to Manila for showing at Rizal Park’s Open Air Theatre and several major universities in the capital.
The opening afternoon featured a short talk about Georgia by Consul Cunanan, followed by the movie “Will There be a Theatre Up There?”, a masterpiece by famous Georgian director Nana Janelidze, who is also the Director of the GNFC. A pseudo-documentary employing various cinematic styles, it told the story of modern Georgia through the eyes and experiences of noted theatre and movie actor Kakhi Kavsadze. Two other films screened that afternoon were the critically-acclaimed Georgian shorts: “Granny”, an animation alluding to society’s ironic and tragic relationship with industry and the modern age, and “Detonator”, a fast-paced, dark comedy about Georgia’s border conflicts.
Day Two saw the showing of “The Other Bank”, a narration of Georgia and its separatist areas, told through the story of Tedo, a refugee boy, who is seeking to find his family in the turbulent region of Abkhazia. The finale on Day Three was “Keep Smiling”, a film about the hardship of life in Georgia as depicted by a beauty pageant for mothers from different backgrounds, all vying for the grand prize, which would have a significant impact on their lives. This movie is Georgia’s official entry to the 85th Academy Awards.
The Film Festival was attended by film students from different schools and members of Baguio’s cultural and film community, notably visual artist Rene de Guia a.k.a “Kidlat Tahimik”, theatre actor Raffy Kapuno, Japanese director Koji Imaizumi, and film aficionado Peter Ernst from Switzerland.
All were unanimous in their praise for the Georgian movies. “I liked the films very much,” said Mr. Ernst. “The movie ‘The Other Bank’ was especially powerful. The cinematography was excellent and the little boy, who portrayed Tedo, is an amazing actor.” Mr. De Guia also expressed his admiration of the film’s cinematic style. “I liked the subdued mood of the film. This is how story-telling should be. We in the
Philippines are too caught up with Western-style cinema which is all about sex and violence and over-stated feelings. As ‘The Other Bank’ shows, a film can be subdued and powerful at the same time. All the characters were well-represented.”
Michael Zarate, the manager of FDCP’s Cinematheque and a film critic and writer, had this to say about “Will There Be a Theatre Up There?”: “I learned so much about Georgia and its history. It was presented in a very unique style, like a pseudo-documentary. Although the movie was a virtual monologue, it captivated the audience through its fast-moving themes and the sheer power and stage presence of the lead actor Kakhi Kavsadze. The employment of the abandoned warehouse as a one-mad stage and multiple set piece was effective and novel. I hope our local film makers can learn from this beautiful Janelidze film.”
Kapuno, who studied threatre in the former Soviet Union and is familiar with Georgian cinema, expressed his pleasure at the Film Festival. “I was exposed to Georgian movies in Moscow. It’s incredible how such a small country has very vibrant and rich film-making culture and tradition. I really liked ‘Keep Smiling’. It is an intense and gripping drama that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats and thinking. Bravo to the Georgian Consulate for bringing these movies to the Philippines!”
Because of the success of the Film Festival and the warm reception of the movies, Consul Cunanan is planning to draw up a Memorandum of Understanding with the FDCP and the GNFC to establish the Georgian Nationwide Film Festival Roadshow as an annual event in the Philippines.
Consul Cunanan is very active in the promotion of Georgian Cinema in the country. He has already held two film fests with the National Commission for Culture and Arts and the National Parks Development Committee. He has also donated Georgian films to several university libraries. Furthermore, he often guests on radio and television and in different forums, including colleges and universities, to talk about Georgian cinema.
