Woman Empowered (Inspiring Story)

 

Life for me has been unfair, sometimes I’m at the top then it will suddenly falls down in low. But I guess that’s the reality of life. You really have to struggle in able for you to grow up and learn.

Way back in high school, I remember how I was bullied several times. I’ve suffered depression enough and decided not to go to school. The sorrow hits me more and more every single day. At the point in which living is not my choice anymore.

Until the day I woke up gaining back the strength I once had. I decided to continue my life and hope for the best that might come. With prayers, and of course my friends who trusted and believed on me, my family who never give up on me, I surpassed it all.

Remember that, “Where you stumble and fall, there you will find gold.” You are too young to be stressed. Live your life!

    

                                                                                       -Kath Talledo

The Sacrifice

The Bride is a 2017 Russian horror film which was directed by Svyatoslav Podgayevsky. It begins with a story of a photographer reviving his dead wife together with a young virgin.

In contemporary times, Nastya and her fiancé, Ivan went to travel to his home to hold their wedding. Later on, Nastya learns that Ivan’s acquaint old house has strange family. She began to understand that she is merely a sacrifice for a conjuration ritual for the ageing mother of the family. But the ritual failed after knowing that she was no longer a virgin.

Upon watching, I was half-covering my eyes so the intensity would not take me so high. I was anxious of what might happen next.  I exclude myself to that kind of feeling because I am not allowed of. But watching it is worthy so I let myself sights a little.

My favorite scene was when Ivan tries to escape with Nastya but Ivan dies sooner after a car crashed. Before he died, he told Nastya that in order to end the curse, the photo has to be destroyed.

Overall, the movie has a wonderful story narrated properly. It is far from how a horror film was being portrayed. It is nail-biting, thrilling, horror masterpiece.

 

 

#TheBride #horrorfilm #Russian #SvyatoslavPodgayevsky

Unity Amidst Diversity

Akalingwan Nang Rosa is one of the chosen short film screened on this year’s Cinema Rehiyon X Film Festival that was written and directed by Max Canlas winning Bronze Award at the CineSB 7: The Main Installment – Sibol Category. Canlas’s film was also part of the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino and is also part of the Official Selections on the Sine Gitnang Luzon Originals.

This was about a 50-year-old transwoman who forget she had a sexual reassignment upon emerging from coma. Her 7-year-old daughter helps her recover to remember everything happened before the accident.

This film never fail to make me laugh and cry. It also made me realize that you cannot predict how good or bad a person is through his/her gender. That you cannot judged how a man loves through gender.  Because one thing is for sure that upon watching this film, it will make you think and learn of the gender which society betrays you; us.

Canlas’s film is a masterpiece, a work of art and imagination and surely an LGBT’s pride.

I really hope for more of this kind film that portrays local but relevant issues in the society. That it doesn’t matter what color you choses because with colorful lives, unity amidst diversity.

 

#AkalingwanNangRosa #Max Canlas #CinemaRehiyonX #Local

The Three Musketeers

Who would have thought that a guy from slum would be a millionaire? Yes, I know it may sound crazy but you read it right. This is what the film Slumdog Millionaire, a 2008 British movie filmed in India is all about. It focuses on the story of Jamal Malik from Juhu slums of Mumbai, a call center assistant “chaiwalla” who won 20 Million Rupees from the biggest gambling in television, Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

Malik joins the show thinking that Latika, his long-lost love would be watching the program.  Since the host of the show cannot believe that a slum like Malik can answer the questions right, he detained him before the final round to figure out how he cheated. Malik convinced the policemen that he truly knows the answer and proved them that you don’t have to be genius to answer the questions correctly. Nor, bases most of the answer on his own devastating experience in the past.

Before he was putted on the lime light, Malik had an awful life together with his brother Salim, they both became a beggar to earn a living. They worked with Maman, his local thugs and the rest of the kids including Latika. The kids are used for begging along where they can get enough money. Yet, Maman is still not contented, he takes the eyes out of a kid so the price would be double since he would be blind soon. Salim knowing that, escape together with his young brother, Jamal. But Latika is left out. Upon escaping, they’ve learned another easy job yet horrible which was stealing. Stealing is a sad real in India. The three of them got separated since Salim takes Latika with him.

After watching the film, I know conclude that money and women were the reasons why most mistakes in life takes place. The presence of both parties bring danger to each of the character. Though we all know that we cannot take the money hereafter, we still consider having some in the most improper and illegal way. While, the representation of women in the movie is just to make men satisfied. Yet, Jamal and Latika’s story is a destiny. And it is written.

 

#SlumdogMillionaire #DannyBoyle

 

Last Journey

“To revive a cold body and grant eternal beauty. It was calm and precise. And more than anything it was filled with affection.” -Kobayashi Daigo

Okuribito (Departures) is a 2008 Japanese film directed by Yōjirō Takita.  It is a story of a man who left his thought was his biggest dream which was playing cello and became an encoffiner.

After the orchestra has been disbanded and the debt he cost with his cello, Kobayashi decided to go to the countryside with his wife Mika. Desperate of earning bucks, he applied to an interview from what he read on the newspaper. First he thought it was a travelling agency but when he get there he was surprised about learning that he would work as an encoffiner (the one that places the corpse into the coffin). He’s an NK Agent, Noukan (encoffining). At first, it was hard for him to be able to cope up with that kind of  job, but sooner he gets used to it. But who would have imagined that the last person he will encoffine will be his dad? The man he knew abandoned him for a very long time. The man who he didn’t even know what his face looks like. Until, during the ritual upon opening and stretching his wrist wide something fell down. He knew it was his father since it is the same stone Kobayashi gave his dad.

After watching the movie,there was a feeling of better understanding and respect with the people who works for a dead body. Who knew that that kind of job will earn you a living?As to Kobayashi, “To be present at the last farewell, and send of the deceased. It was tranquil, and every action seemed elegant.”

 

Fall of Saigon

Journey from the Fall is a film inspired by the true stories of Vietnamese people who fled away from their land after the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975 which is marked as the end of Vietnam War. Following the story and hardships of a family in escaped of Vietnam.

Long is a South Vietnamese Army who was imprisoned in a North Vietnamese re-education camp after he decided to stay in Vietnam. He wanted his family to leave their country by means of boat even without him, in the hopes of starting a new life in Southern California. But their secret voyage across the ocean got even worse when the pirates caught their boat and got their belongings, others was shot and females got abused.

Long, believing that his family is gone suffers tremendous and brutal confinement and hard labors inside the camp. While his family in the other hand does also struggle but in order to take the pressure in a new country. When he knew that his family is safe and alive in America, he desperately decide to join them. But Long got shot while he was trying to escape away from the camp.

Back in America, Lai got suspended in school because of all the wrong allegations towards him. But his mom, Mai never knew about this. Until his mother receives a call from Lai’s school stating that his son got dropped, a serious tension inside the house occur. Lai blame his mother for not being around and for not talking about his father.

#VietnamWar #FallofSaigon #HamTran

Man’s Best Friend

Dogs are considered as a man’s best friend. See how the film Amores Perros (translated as Love’s a Bitch in the market) linked three different stories in such ways including the presence of the dogs by a car accident.

Octavio and Susana

Octavio likes Susana but hate how his brother Ramiro abused her. In desperate to take Susana away, he decides to be involved in the dogfighting scene after Cofi, he’s dog killed Jarocho’s (a local thug) dog. Jarocho keeps entering new dogs into the fights, only for Cofi to kill them. Until Octavio makes enough money to live with Susana. Octavio pays Mauricio to beat Ramiro’s up, but as a revenge, Ramiro stole his money and take Susana away. In need of money, Octavio accepts a challenge by Jarocho to participate in a private fight, with no outside bets. Cofi wins, but Jarocho shoots the dog. In revenge, Octavio stabs Jarocho in the stomach. Octavio together with Jorge, his friend and wounded Cofi flee away by a car when accident happens. They then involved into a car crash. Jorge dies while Octavio is seriously wounded.

Daniel and Valeria

Daniel, a magazine publisher leaves his family to be with his lover Valeria, a Spanish model. On the day they moved in together in an apartment, Valeria got involved in a car accident resulting his leg severely broken. Then Richie (Valeria’s dog) went into the hole who was running after the ball and stays there for days. The missing dog triggers serious tension for the couple, causing numerous fights which lead to doubts about their relationship on both sides. Valeria heard Richie from the floorboard. Trying to help the dog, Valeria re injures her leg. Her legs got worse so it has to be amputated. Sadly, Valeria’s modeling career ended for good.

El Chivo and Maru

El Chivo is a professional hitman. Although, he was also a former private school teacher who was imprisoned after committing terrorist acts for guerilla movements. El Chivo still tries to make contact with his daughter, Maru but what she knows is that her dad is already dead. El Chivo is about to perform a hit on a businessman when the car crash interrupts him. During the chaos at the crash scene, El Chivo steals Octavio’s money and takes the wounded Cofi to his home to nurse it back to health. One day, Cofi kills the other mongrel dogs he is caring for. Still grieving for his other dogs, El Chivo leaves both men (the client and the intended victim) alive and chained to separate walls with a pistol within reach between them after learning they are half-brothers. El Chivo then went into his daughter’s house and leaves her a large amount of money along with a message on her answering machine explaining what happened to him and why the family was broken. Just before El Chivo is to tell his daughter Maru that he loves her, the answering machine stops recording.

What really catches me up is the involvement of the dog in the dogfighting scenes which I think for me is brutal. Though, dogfighting is one of the harsh realities of Mexico City, and dogs are used to provide an opportunity to make money which the film portrays, that shouldn’t be that way. They are not supposed to be treated like that. They are man’s best friend and they should be taken care of properly because just like us humans, they also has a life to live.

#AmoresPerros #AnthologyFilm #savedogs

Nighttime Pleasures

“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.”

In the movie I watched which was entitled Moulin Rouge, it is the story of an enchanted boy/poet named Christian who deeply falls in love with the star of Moulin Rouge and a courtesan named Satine.

In 1899, when Christian moved to Montmartre, a place of sin, he discovered that his neighbors are a group of performers led by Toulouse. The group asked Christian’s help (his writing skills) to finished their proposed show, Spectacular Spectacular and sell it to the owner of Moulin Rouge, Harold Zidler. Upon arrival at the Moulin Rouge, they saw Zidler together with his diamond dog dancers performing. Christian got love at first sight when he saw Mademoiselle Satine the star, performs for the first time. Toulouse arranges a private quarter for Christian to see Satine to present their work without knowing that Zidler already promised Satine to the Duke, the shows investor. Satine thought that Christian was the real Duke until he confessed that he was just a writer. Then suddenly the Duke came and they claim that they were just practicing the play Spectacular Spectacular. With the help of Zidler and Toulouse and the rest of the troupe, they make the Duke believed in them. Spectacular Spectacular is a story of an evil maharajah attempting to woo an Indian courtesan who loves a poor sitar player. The Duke accepts the show on the condition that only he may see Satine.

Christian convinced Satine that they should be together and eventually she falls in love for him.  They continue seeing each other under the simulation of rehearsing Satine’s lines. The Duke started doubting about them on their meeting and warns Zidler that he might stop financing the show. With that, Zidler arranges Satine to dine with the Duke that evening but apparently, she falls ill from tuberculosis. Zidler told the Duke that Satine has gone to confession that’s why she has not attended the dinner. Zidler knows that night that Satine would not be living long enough but he just keeps it himself.

As one of the jealous performers points out that the play is like Christian, Satine and the Duke, the Duke demands the ending must be changed with the courtesan choosing the evil maharajah. Satine offers to spend the night with the Duke to keep the original ending. At that night while in the Duke’s quarter, Satine saw Christian on the streets below and realizes she cannot sleep with the Duke. The Duke attempts to rape her but luckily she was saved by one of the dancers. He went to Christian and he told her to run away with him. The Duke tells Zidler that he would kill Christian if he cannot have Satine. Zidler also tells that to Satine but when she refuses to return, he finally told her that she is dying. Zidler tells Satine in order to save Christian’s life he must tell Christian that she doesn’t love him.

Even with that situation, Christian tries to get to Satine but Moulin Rouge refuses to. As he returned to the Moulin Rouge for the last time to know the truth, he caught Satine before she steps on stage and demands to tell him she does not love him. But suddenly they were accidentally put in the spotlight. The audience got confused but Zidler convinces them that Christian is the sitar player disguise. Christian condemns Satine and walks off the stage. Toulouse cries out, “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return”, urging Satine to sing the song Christian wrote to express their love. Christian returns to the stage, joining her in the song and reaffirming his love for her. The Duke orders his bodyguard to kill Christian but was stopped by Zidler. Christian and Satine complete their song and portrays the original ending, courtesan choosing the poor sitar player. As the curtain closes, Satine surrenders to tuberculosis. Before she dies, he told Christian to tell their story so in that way she will always be with Christian. A year later the Moulin Rouge has closed down, and Christian finishes writing the tale of his love for Satine, a “love that will live forever.”

This story only shows that love is the most powerful thing ever made. That even at the small amount of time spent with your real, true love is enough more than having to spend it in the long run just to have fun. With this kind of story, let’s make the world believe that true love still exists.

Kapit sa Patalim

Isa sa pinakamalaking pelikulang Pilipino, Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag, sa direksyon ni Lino Brocka. Ito ay kwento ng magkasintahang sina Julio at Ligaya na lumaki sa probinsya at nagbakasakaling matatagpuan sa Maynila ang sagot sa kanilang kahirapan.

Napagpasyahan ni Ligaya na lisanin ang kanilang lugar kapalit ng libreng pagaaral at P30 sahod sa isang buwan. Pumayag si Julio sapagkat siya’y nangakong siya’y kanyang muling babalikan. Ngunit sa matinding pagkabagot ay sinundan ni Julio ang kanyang yapak, nagbabakasakaling siya ay matatagpuan.

Sa edad na 21, bitbit ang kanyang salaping kinita pa sa kanyang pangingisda, tinahak niya ang Maynila. Pumasok siya bilang isang manggagawa sa konstruksyon na kung saan kikita siya ng P2.50 kada araw. Noong araw na iyon para bang pinagsakluban siya ng langit at lupa kasabay  ang kanyang pagbagsak  habang nasa pagawaan dahil sa matinding gutom na kanyang nararamdaman. Doon niya nakilala ang kanyang mga kaibigan. Ngunit lumipas rin ang panahon na kailangan nang magbawas ng tauhan ang tagapamahala sapagkat patapos na ang establisyementong sabay-sabay nilang nilikha. Sa kasamaang palad, isa si Julio sa mga natanggal.

Sa kanyang paghahanap ng bagong mapapasukan, binalik-balikan niya ang lugar na kung saan nakita niya ang aleng siya ring nag-alok ng pagkakakitaan sa kanyang kasintahan. Kasabay nito ay natanaw niya rin ang anino ng isang babae mula sa bintana na kawangis ng kanyang mahal. Ngunit nabigo lamang siya at nasaktan . At dahil sa wala na siyang matutuluyan ay sinubukan niyang gawing silid-tulugan ang parte ng kaMaynilaan. Nang may bigla sa kanyang lumapit at nag-alok ng matutuluyan. Pumayag si Julio at pinatuloy sa kanyang munting tirahan. Laking gulat niya nang malaman na isa pala siyang bayaran o callboy kung tawagin man. Sapagkat wala siyang ibang mahanap na uri ng mapagkakakitaan, sa bandang huli’y sinubukan niya rin ang kanyang hanapbuhay. Sinugal niya ang kanyang dangal na matagal niya nang pinagkaingatan. Ito na yata ang tunay na kahulugan ng kapit sa patalim.

Sa kabila nito’y patuloy pa rin siya sa pag-asang matatagpuan niya ang kanyang mahal. Patuloy pa rin siyang bumabalik sa lugar kung saan nakita niya ang  kawangis ni Ligaya. Hanggang sa isang araw, sinundan niya ang isang babae patungo sa simbahan dahil hawig niya ang kanyang mahal. Muling tumibok ang kanyang dibdib nang matagpuan ang matagal niya nang pinakahihintay; ang kanyang kasintahan. Inakap niya si Ligaya sa pagkakataong ito. Hindi  rin niya pinalagpas ang pagkakataon at dinala  siya sa lugar na kung saan sila lang ang naroroon. Doon ikinwento ni Ligaya  ang pait na kanyang sinapit magmula ng lisanin ang kanilang lugar. Naging isang bayarang babae pala ang kanyang mahal. Sinubukan niyang itakas si Ligaya sa kanyang sitwasyon. At sa di inaasahang pangyayari, nabalitaan niya mula sa pahayagan na wala na ang kanyang kasintahan, wala na ang kanyang pinakamamahal. Ayon na pala ang huling beses nilang pagkikita. Pinatay siya ng kanyang kinakasama. Sa matinding galit na kanyang nararamdaman ay  nakagawa si Julio nang bagay na hindi  kaaya-aya. Napatay niya ang  kinakasama ni Ligaya.

Nang mapanood ko ang pelikulang ito, nalungkot ako sa tunay na sinasapit ng pamilyang Pilipino para lamang malagpasan ang kahirapan. Nais kong maintindihan kung bakit mayroon pa ring mga mapagsamantalang tao na walang ibang alam na gawin kung ‘di manira ng mapayapang buhay. Nais ko rin na mabigyang kasagutan ang kahirapan sa malalayong lugar, ngunit paano kung ako’y iisang simpleng mamamayan rin lamang?