It’s been so long since I watched Japanese animations and I had a great time revisiting this world and finally crossing these films off my watchlist. Also, I know I’m moving at quite a fast pace here for an actual week, haha, but I’ve really just been enjoying watching movies these days! I think making these blogposts also helps me as I treat it as some sort of theme, therefore a challenge. Haha, I’m having a great time!
I looked it up and the last time I watched an animated feature film was last May 2020, which was Paddington 2. For Asian animations, I watched Colorful (2010) last April 2020! So way over a year now!!
I’ve always enjoyed animes and had mostly completed watching the Studio Ghibli films with the exception of Nausicaa Valley which I’m planning to read the manga written by Miyazaki as well. I realized, I really missed the comforting vibe it brings. The way it’s just calming and not that heavy of a watch is really reassuring to me. The drawn moving images are really pretty and captivating, I enjoy it!
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Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop (2020) dir. Kyohei Ishiguro
The start of my curiosity back to anime! The fact that this was a Netflix film, therefore mostly highly accessible and the poster as well as the title is so cute… I just had to give it a watch! It turned out to be really cute!! I genuinely liked the vibrant art style and the story was really cute. I enjoyed it! As always, finding the drawn characters attractive… the lead man was so cute!! Cute is the keyword.
Pretty posters!
I’ve been listening to the main oST of this for days now! It’s so so good I really really enjoy it and have been listening a lot to the band who sang it never young beach.
Satoshi Kon
What a legendary animator! Kon is one of those directors that was took way too early from the industry. With only 6 films under his name, far less than Edward Yang’s, all of it being well done… he’s literally one of the best directors of Japan and film animations. I now had watched 5 out of his 6 works and can say that the genres of his works are extremely versatile, and although he is mostly known for his dreamlike and reality bending films, he can also do the common family movies, as what Tokyo Godfather was!
Tokyo Godfathers (2003) dir. Satoshi Kon
Hana, my beloved!
What a film! I have now found a new favourite christmas movie. This is so so good!! Satoshi Kon is an actual legend. I loved how one of the characters is trans but the film didn’t make that her whole personality. Hana is such a well written character and the rest of the cast too. Would rewatch this again on christmas because I genuinely really liked it!
Millennium Actress (2001) dir. Satoshi Kon
Another Satoshi Kon work. I really didn’t connect much with this one but it was a good work. I feel like animation is the perfect medium to tell the story as it can be stretched far and beyond reality. The way this was drawn seamlessly with the timeline of the actress’ life just interwoven into one… really good! This reminded me of Paprika, in its pace and dreamlike quality but I think I can say that this is like if Paprika and Perfect Blue had a child, but thriller-less. Take that as you want.
Ride your Wave (2018) dir. Maasaki Yuasa
This shot reminds me of Kitano’s A Scene at the Sea (1991)… which I think is akin to this movie but with a twist!
The last one for this week! Although this movie’s plot was sort of predictable, I genuinely enjoyed the flow and the slow pace of it. I think I also liked the characters enough to watch it with attention, and accompany them on their worries for the rest of the film. The montage scenes were so so good. I really love the acoustic version the leads sang, it was so cute! The execution of this film despite the common narrative was so well done that I had to like it at the end. I liked the characters, Minato and Hinako. Sadly, I don’t think this passed the Bechdel test though, wished it showed more of Hinako’s studies in oceanography as it really hooked me at the start seeing her curiosity and enthusiasm towards it, moving states just to study it! Anyhow, I did liked it but… yea I wish there was more though. Still good at least!
Vietnamese cinema. I just had the interest to delve into it spontaneously, just out of the whim and curiosity! With the aid of curated lists on Letterboxd, I found films to watch and discovered how most of the Vietnamese films are really accessible, most, if not all, are available on Youtube and other free sites (such as Hoopla!)
They don’t have much household names or directors in comparison to other Asian countries and I noticed how they haven’t delved diverse genres. At least, the films I watched were reminiscent of Taiwanese New Wave cinema, specifically with Hou Hsiao Hsien’s meditative and still filmmaking.
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One of the masters of this for Vietnamese cinema is the French-Vietnamese director Tran Ahn Hung! I discovered how he’s also the director of the film version of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood, so as of now I had watched 3/8 of his works!!
For this, I watched two of his films that can be seen as parallels of each other. Cyclo (1995) and his debut The Scent of Green Papaya (1993). They share some elements of quiet and stillness but Cyclo is definitely more gritty and set in a rather messy screen. Meanwhile The Scent of Green Papaya is more clean and calming like nature.
What a film! I meant this in the most incomprehensible way as this movie left me in disgust and awe. I almost puked multiple times, three to be exact and those were on scenes of violence and death. Those scenes will definitely not leave my mind for a while… and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing…? Haha.
This movie is starred by Tony Leung and I believe he even spoke Vietnamese for it. It also has Tran Ahn Hung’s wife, and she is absolutely gorgeous! A great performance by the lead, . He reminds me of Brocka’s eyes where the sadness just emanates from it. What a performance.
There’s a lot of pretty shots here and I loved it but again, it’s definitely something to think about, something to marinate your mind to. I liked it!
This has elements of Hsiao Hsien’s filmmaking which I think I already mentioned. It also reminded me of the Little Forest franchise in its style of meditative filmmaking. The incorporation of the sounds of insects and overall sound design was so so good and immersive, it felt like I was part of the film.
The shots were wonderful and all throughout, it was very serene and calming. I enjoyed spending that time with the movie. Just as always, is here! She is once again gorgeous and I think I like her performance here more. She’s more childlike and carefree, one who’s always curious with nature, keeping that spirit of her child version which was also wonderfully acted! It was a great time.
The Third Wife (2018)
Woo! That was so…. sensual and uncomfortable to watch. It was gripping in ways that you can’t take your eyes off of it despite the premise being questionable. It being starred by a 13 year old girl with themes of sex, and much more, that was just… questionable. Yet I think it was necessary to correctly depict the life in Vietnam before they got colonized and how women are treated as mere sex objects by the system of hierarchy with the wealthy and the peasants.
This was the odd one on my watchlist for this week in its pace but it still has that pretty shots and it kept me watching until the end.
Frankly I really did liked it but I can’t thoroughly do so knowing the fact that the lead is a minor… doing all that. It was just uncomfortable as a viewer.
Aww. That was so gentle and warm to me. Possibly because it reminded me of my hometown. All of it… the endless rice fields, the sadness prominent on the village, the stories and the hardships of the people. It’s all so familiar to me… it felt like I was watching snippets of my own life. So in a way, this film felt like looking through a puddle in the field, a reflection of my own experience. The actors were great and although I watched this movie at 360p, I feel like it would be really good to see it in HD but overall it captured the scenes of countryside really well. There’s really not much to say other than that… it’s life. It’s slow burn and a slice of life. I also genuinely enjoyed it.
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I’m a dreamer. I write poetry. My thoughts often wander. I think of life’s many hardships. Of how strange destiny is. So many days pass. So many lives pass. Who is going to recognize, the anticipations of my youth, my mother’s greying hair, my sister’s broken dreams, the sadness within my village?
Nham
Now, this experience made me want to watch more Vietnamese films! I already have a list lined up and will bask on it once I craved that calm and serene feeling Vietnamese cinema brings. I can’t find a lot of modern ones from them though, but their old stuff were mostly ruminations on post war and post colonized Vietnam, some before too. Most of it are available online, on Youtube, despite the low quality.
The observations I made throughout this whole experience is that is a staple in Vietnamese cinema. She is like that muse and possibly an icon of a time in Vietnam too, I presume. They also explore a lot of family dynamics, the life before they got colonized where slavery and prejudice towards women were prevalent. A lot of them incorporates nature and life in villages,the stillness of living with the greeneries. Ahn Hung shows a lot of dead animals. Actually all four of these films featured an animal being killed or alluded to it. I guess for some people, and western countries that might make then squirm but personally I have seen those scenes living in the province where we live among livestock. The ones on Cyclo was something I’ve never seen before though. That was… yea.
Thai cinema. A short and mostly inaccessible cinema. I managed to watch some films from classic directors such as Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit. I had a great time and will possibly have a part two to this… I’m so excited!
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Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Something so magical and an indescribable feeling on how Apichatpong films that reels you in. Perhaps it’s the mythical spiritual theme of his works or the meditative style of his filmmaking. I don’t know exactly but I love it and I’m excited to go through his filmography. Also can’t wait to see his short showing at the Cannes this year, Memoria!
1. Syndromes and a Century (2006)
A story about doctors, pharmacists and monks. I’ve briefly read how this is sort of a memoir and based on Apichatpong’s childhood growing up with parents who are doctors. I liked how meditative it is and reminded me of Hospital Playlist in ways that the women doctors were taking their time alone and sipping their tea.
Quite frankly, my memory is incredibly poor but these are some notes and direct quotes I wrote while watching this film. All I remember is I did quite liked it, the vibe and all of its parts.
Sometimes it’s great not to read anything about a film so it surprises you in ways you didn’t think is possible. I was surprised to find this is a gay film!! Frankly, as it ended I couldn’t quite comprehend the symbolism of it… the tiger and all that stuff. Maybe I’ll read about it later. Anyhow I also liked the vibe, haha.
Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit
I already watched my first Nawapol film, his most accessible one which is a Netflix movie, Happy Old Year. I did quite liked that film but the character was insufferable which is the point, so ! The rest of Nawapol’s filmography are hard to find!!! He did put it on Vimeo back then, which I unfortunately missed but I hope he puts it back again. Soon!!
3. Mary is Happy, Mary is Happy (2013)
Watching this movie from a bootleg site might have introduced a virus to my phone and was it even worth it? I don’t know!! I skipped some scenes because my internet and phone was …slowing down. I did liked the concept for this and found it genius. I too would like my tweets to be turned into a whole storyline script and a film! The coming of age genre is best represented this way, I believe and the quirky elements of this are just my taste. I really liked it. If I took notes for this film it would probably be too long to list but just know I enjoyed it and had a great time!!
4. Malila: The Farewell Flower (2017) dir. Anucha Boonyawatana
Another gay film!! Let’s go Thai Gay cinematic universe!! Hehe. This was such a visually pretty film but sadly I didn’t connect much to it. The graphic scenes of it with the snakes and the dead bodies can be hard to watch for some but this film made it sort of normal??? Like death and beauty are all parts of this film. The suffering, pain and happiness all intertwined into one the way baisri’s are made… The flowers will wither before I finish making the whole thing.
5. Ashes (2012) dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul
This is my first Apichatpong and I was absolutely floored! I loved this to the way that I wish I made it. The whole thing was right up my aesthetic, the blurry films taken in his hometown in the countryside… like that is literally me!!! I wrote a whole piece about this which is taken at a more fresh perspective so I’ll just attach it, I suppose!
I am aware it’s only been last month since I watched these films yet I had forgotten the fresh feeling it has brought me so much of these reviews are just recollections of whatever pieces I had remembered. Also, most of these are from South Korean cinema so in a way this is Hunyo: SK cinema.
I still have a lot to explore from Korea’s cinema but most of these releases are from women or modern women centered films from coveted directors such as Kim Bora and Yoon Gaeun.
1. House of Hummingbird (2018) dir. Kim Bora
Such a heavy watch but it’s really really good. I don’t remember much but it left a deep impression on me and at that moment touched me immensely to the point that I was crying till the credit rolled out to blackness.
What is the right way to live? Some days I feel like I know, but I really don’t know for sure. I just know that when bad things happen, good things happen too.
When you are tired and sad try to looking at your fingers , then one by one move them around , it will feel very mysterious , you will feel like you can’t do anything but you can move your fingers.
I’ve read how the character of Youngji was offered multiple times to Kim Minhee, with the director addressing letters to her on how she would fit the role but it’s still given justice by Kim Saebuk. I recently found an interview from the director of this film, Kim Bora and it’s quite an interesting short read!
2. Sepet (2005) dir. Yasmin Ahmad
Oh wow. Another gem of a film from the great Malaysian director Yasmin Ahmad! This is the second part of her trilogy about Orked’s life, now as a teenager. It tells a romantic tale between a Chinese and Malaysian couple showing the nuances between the two nations. If you’re familiar with the American series Gilmore Girls, this reminded me of that in ways that Rory and Orked are similar in their stance on politics, literature and references to certain popular media. It’s also a family oriented film showing the closeness of Orked with her family, in parallel with Rory’s tight knit relationship with her mother and the people in her small town.
Everything about this film is right out for my palette and I can’t wait to discover more of the late Yasmin Ahmad’s works!
3. Days of Being Wild (1990) dir. Wong Kar Wai
My [counts fingers] sixth WKW film! I cannot believe this had a whole Philippine sub-story, my home country! I watched this from a bootleg website and most of the subtitles are missing and the Filipino subtitles were just wrong haha. Luckily I understand Tagalog as this also features Filipino actors such as Tita Muñoz. Naturally I wondered if they really filmed in PH and found another read!
Leslie Cheung is absolutely magnetic and phenomenal as well as Maggie Cheung. This entire film felt like ice on my skin, so uncomfortable yet gripping and absolutely addictive. I loved it!! From what I’ve read, this is the first instalment of Wong Kar Wai’s Love series, along with In The Mood For Love and 2046. You can see how his technique is still developing but are set in strong already. I think WKW is working on a drama continuation called Blossom’s Shanghai with Hu Ge! I’m excited!!
“There was a bird which lied and flied until it died. It never goes anywhere. Because it died from the start. I’ve said that I never know which woman is my true love. I wonder what she is doing now. (Groans) Dawn breaks. It looks fine today. How about sunset?”
4. The World of Us (2016) dir. Yoon Gaeun
This one hit it too close to home. Not in its entirety but the bits and pieces of friendship between Sun and Jia reminded me of my own. A coming of age story that tackles bullying, relationships and more that will honestly tug you at the heart because most of us have been through this. Or have experiences reflected by the young talented casts. It absolutely left me sobbing and in awe of such wonders Yoon Gaeun creates. Definitely will be keeping tabs for her next works!
5. Moon Young (2015) dir. Kim Soyeon
A short film starred by Kim Taeri. Initially, I’ve read how this was made into a short but then added to make a feature film of an hour. A story revolving around Moonyoung, played by Kim Taeri, a mute girl that traverses life in companion with her camrecorder and the encounter with one of the girls captured on it.
It’s a silent film with Kim Taeri not having any dialogue but still delivering a gripping performance as her debut film, only acting with her eyes and less with word delivery. Absolutely adored it… I love films like this.
6. Moonlit Winter (2019) dir. Lim Daehyung
So cold yet so warm. An all around great performance from the cast, Kim Minhee and Yuko Nakamura! It felt like a warm hug in the winter, a hot cup of chocolate between your fingers and I’m just overall thankful that such narrative like this exists between the seams. I don’t want to spoil much beyond that but if you’re into slow films this is definitely a treat! I loved it dearly!!
7. 1987: When the Day Comes
I rented this film to finally finish watching all of Kim Taeri’s filmography and although she doesn’t appear until one hour in the film, I did enjoyed it. It reminded me of another historical activist SK film A Taxi Driver (2017) dir. Jang Hoon. It has that energy I’m grateful to have experienced wherein the crowd, a country’s people fights for their nation and you can feel that synergy and determination they have. It’s nice to feel it. Gang Dongwoon is so so fine.
I also watched quite a few short films mainly Korean ones, as the rest of this month has went. They were all so remarkably great!
1. The Recorder Exam (2011) dir. Kim Bora
Another gem from Kim Bora! Who hurt her!?! Just kidding, haha! There’s always something heavy in Kim Bora’s film. Perhaps it’s the sincerity of her filmmaking and the way she treats the coming of age genre with such honesty and kindness that makes you reflect on your own coming of age or childhood. It’s absolutely captivating though the way she films and I love how her works are always women-centric. I can’t wait for her SF movie in the making… love how she’s joining the SF trend South Korea got going on at the moment.
2. Sprout (2013) dir. Yoon Gaeun
Perhaps my favourite Yoon Gaeun film as it was experimental and fun yet still keeping it in the lens of childhood innocence. The way we saw the journey of Bory, on her process of buying bean sprouts from the town’s grocery store. It was fun and I enjoyed it here!
3. Everyday Sins (2014) dir. Kim Yewon
She is literally me… I am literally her… I loved the quirkiness and the whole animation and clearly, how relatable it all is. Man…. she is just like me…
* Very uneven setup, yes. Pages was acting up… I’m sorry.
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I watched a lot of great films this month! It encompasses from Chinese, Japanese and Korean cinema with no set theme other than I suppose watching films from directors that intrigue me or actresses that interests me and other films available to me that caught my attention. I had a great time!!
*I will also not describe what the film is about but you can always search for the synopsis of the film that hopefully catches your interests. As I said I am mostly doing this for my sakes recollection but I am always happy to help if you have any questions. I try to link whichever <safe> medium I watched these from, mostly Youtube but some great free apps are Asiancrush, Tubi and much more! I will possibly write a whole blogpost about it, soon!!
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Ode to the Goose (2018) dir. Zhang Lu
Another Zhang Lu film I quite enjoyed. I remember I watched this the day I saw a goose traipsing around downtown. It was a nice day^^
This movie are bits of pieces in a hazy dreamlike manner which I didn’t noticed at first yet once I saw the title card in the middle, everything sort of clicked in. I really like it and Moon Sori is really charming. There is really no justice of me describing any Zhang Lu films but if you’re into slice of life and slow hazy films, there will always be an eerie hazy dreamlike quality on Lu’s universe with a dash of his Chinese-Korean experience on screen and the casts all living in interconnection in this one universe.
Main Theme (1984) dir. Yoshimitsu Morita
A film I absolutely relished and loved! Such a fun concept and I had a really great time overall. I think some people are calling this the City Pop movie based on its soundtrack and entire vibes, I suppose. It’s really just a fun movie and a great companion to have a fun time! This is just definitely right up my alley, the quirkiness of it that Japanese movies are best at is absolutely gripping. I loved it!
Take Care of My Cat (2001) dir. Jeong Jaeeun
Such a precious film. I once again watched this at a bootleg site, it was blurry and at low quality but I still enjoyed it. This film is older than me but the narrative the characters were going through, that transitionary period to adulthood, is the one I’m experiencing now. Some people say the characters you sympathize with the most in this film is reflective of who you are like the most. For me it was Jiyoung, someone who finds solace in art despite everything being bleak. Bae Doona is also lovely! She is such a phenomenal actress even from the start. This film feels like a warm reassuring hug.
A Scene at the Sea (1991) dir. Takeshi Kitano
What a peaceful film. Everything just flows at a pace akin to calm waves and it’s very therapeutic. This is my first Takeshi Kitano and it’s my first time to hear of him but I’m already excited to get into his filmography! I had a great time!! If you’re into slice of life films then this would definitely be a great company. Japanese directors are really great on creating such a serene vibe, I am absolutely enthralled.
Bleak Night (2010) dir. Yoon Sunghyun
Lee Jehoon < 3
A film so heavy it feels like there was an elephant sitting on my chest the entire duration of the film. I mainly watched this because on that day, the weather was so bleak with everything being touched by the rain that makes it all somber looking. Everything was well executed though, the performance of every actors, mainly male dominated as it explores the friendship between men was well done. A story that focuses on the aftermaths of one of their friend’s suicide as the father investigates on the why. It was heavy, bleak and will leave you empty but I feel like it was just as necessary.
Better Days (2019) dir. Derek Tsang
Wow. What a film!! This was recommended by the one and only Do Kyungsoo (haha) so I had to watch it but I’ve been hearing good things about it before too. Also, it’s a film starred by Zhou Dongyu so you best believe it is going to be the best!
I honestly have never felt this much surge of emotion in a while and it has been so long since I felt this way towards film characters before. It felt like I was a part of them, walking hand in hand with them in all their sufferings and sorrows. Every aspect of this film is well done! So many great shots, amazing performances from every single one of the casts, the plot, everything about it. Some people are saying the ending is kind of weak but I think it still works? It had me at the edge of my seat the entire time. What a film.
This was I believe nominated for this years Oscars for best international feature film but it sadly didn’t won yet, still, it’s a feat for being in a 2021 Oscars despite being released in 2019. Kudos to Derek Tsang and the entire casts and production. Can’t wait to watch all of their works in the future.
Minari (2020) dir. Lee Isaac Chung
Another highly acclaimed film! Contrary to what many believe, this is actually an American production despite having half of the language in Korean with mainly Korean casts. This, I think created discourse but overall it was good. I mostly never relate to immigrant films, i.e. The Farewell but there is something universal in being a child, specifically for me growing up in an Asian household. It’s so interesting to see the relationship between David and her grandmother, Soonja, unfold along with the intricacies of this family. I think this film was pretty deserving of its recognition.
Muksin (2006) dir. Yasmin Ahmad
Ah. What a lovely film this was. Filled with so much love and sincerity and passion. Yasmin Ahmad, I love you!!! The first part of her series about Orked capturing the feeling of first love, and everything it entails. Childhood, family, transition periods and puberty. The smell of province and the breeze all encapsulated in this one lovely film. I adore it so so much.
“Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along. We don’t always find the one we carry inside us. but love is kind. He gives us second chances. I found mine. I hope Mukshin found his too.”
An Elephant Sitting Still (2018) dir. Hu Bo
I’ve been meaning to watch this for a long while and finally! It took me a while but I’m here now. The experience was so heavy… literally felt like an elephant sitting still on your chest. This is Hu Bo’s first and last film before he committed suicide due to what people say as issues with his producers.
“Life just won’t get better. It’s all about agony. That agony has begun since you were born. You think that a new place will change your fate? It’s bullshit. New place, new sufferings. You understand? No one truly knows about existence”
Although the film was pessimistic and barren, I like to think there was hope through the seams and the fogs. I will think about this film for a while…
Chungking Express (1994) dir. Wong Kar Wai
I watched this mainly because it was May 1, Zhiwu’s birthday, and the expiration of May’s favourite canned pineapples. What a cute film! I loved it and the cast is so solid! Tony Leung, Faye Wong, and Takeshi Kaneshiro… damn triple homicide. The details are so quirky and adorable and I loved every second of it. Cute!
Fallen Angels (1995) dir. Wong Kar Wai
A much darker continuation of the Chungking Express series! I liked this one better. Also watched this for the significant event that is Ho Chimo (Takeshi Kaneshiro) falling in love for the first time! I love these little details on WKW films. It’s very endearing… I enjoy it thoroughly! Also another amazing cast! Leon Lai, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Michelle Rei. I fell in love… I love the Wong Kar Wai cinematic cinema.
Insiang (1976) dir. Lino Brocka
Finally watched this Brocka classic! I liked Manila sa Kuko ng Liwanag more maybe because that’s like a melancholic pensive blackhole of just sadness. Yet Insiang is structured more traditionally, perhaps akin to Citizen Kane’s formation. This is indeed one of Brocka’s classics! The simple but punch-like narrative, the shots and frames, the acting and the color. I savoured it, relished it. Hilda Koronel and Mona Lisa’s performance. Gorgeous.
A Month of Single Frames (2019) dir. Lynne Sachs
This is one of my fave short film I watched this month! As the title describes, filmmaker Barbara Hammer shot single frames for a month from the place she stayed at in 1998 where there was no electricity, no water and certainly no internet. I wish to make something like this. A month of ruminations through single frame shots… so beautiful…
“How resentful would she feel for she to die 3 years from today……. The sadness of departure, the inevitable ending of blood coursing.
The complete and thorough blankness. Is this why we make busy, she wondered. So we won’t have the time to contemplate the heart wrenching end to this expanse called life?”
Shots from other movies I watched this May, but not particularly loved as a whole to mention:
1. Glasses (2007) dir. Naoko Ogigami 2. Close-Knit (2017) dir. Naoko Ogigami 3. A Quiet Dream (2016) dir. Zhang Lu 4. Maggie (2018) dir. Yi Okseop 5. Room No. 7 (2017) dir. Lee Yeongseung 6. The Present (2019) dir. Hur Jinho, a short film
Written, directed and acted by Jay Chou, I watched this film mainly after the news of a Korean remake in the works starring Do Kyungsoo.
I feel like the first half is slow and not really engaging. We’re not given much about the characters, especially Rain. It all just got interesting at the second half when things are getting revealed yet the path towards this is still quite predictable. Either way I quite liked the cinematography and the soundtrack is definitely great!
I hope the remake will fill all the loose gaps of this film. As remakes should better the film, I can’t wait for Kyungsoo’s new film! Hopefully by next year it’ll be out. I can’t wait!
2. Lost and Found (1996) dir. Lee Chi-Ngai
Quite surprisingly, this is my first Taneshi Kaneshiro and not the classic gateway which are Wong Kar Wai’s films like Chungking Express or Fallen Angels. This is also my first Kelly Chen, she is so gorgeous! Such a cute gem I found online. I love the cinematography, panning from scenes of Hong Kong city streets and the quiet panorama of Scotland, the end of the world. The story is also simple but impactful, following Chai Lam (Kelly Chen) an affluent girl diagnosed with leukemia who is in search for a sailor friend/love interest. Comes Mr. Worm! (Takeshi Kaneshiro) who has a Lost and Found company to help Chai Lam. It weaves into a simple but still interesting and gripping story with lovable characters… it really is such a treasure of a film! I love it so much.
My favourite scene would be the recording studio scene where Kelly and Takeshi sang mando/cantopop…. such a vibe!! I really do love this film.
3. Happy Old Year (2019) dir. Nawopol Thamrongrattanarit
The anthithesis of Marie Kondo’s KonMari method, this is a minimalistic rumination of decluttering of the past. Despite the poster titles following Kondo’s method…again it is a complete opposite of it. We’re met with an unlikeable character, Jean who is either just always escaping, shutting everyone out and completely throwing everything away with no thought. We see her journey of change or at least realization. It’s an uncomfortable process but such a great watch. Made me cry. I want to try her soup. Really pretty scenes and scores!
I nicknamed this documentary as Kedi’s depressed sister, for reasons that it shows the other side of stray cats. Following them in the streets of Korea, we see the stark difference of how Koreans treat their stray cats. This is mainly a difference of culture, as in Kedi they celebrate the existence of cats in their streets. However in Korea, most yet not all of them treat them as parasites of the community. The director followed the cats and made video stories of them accompanied with illustrations and photo narrative shots aiming to shed light on the stray’s situation. He has a blog set up which gets support from the locals and has even reached veterinarians interested to help the cats.
This was 10 years ago though and there’s not much work from this director after but I hope the stray cats are getting different treatment and this film has helped changed that. Spaying and neutering of the cats will lessen the suffering of the cats as a whole and will give the community a greater chance to care for the cats.
5. Fukuoka (2019) dir. Zhang Lu
This is my first Zhang Lu (Chinese-Korean director!) film and I loved it! As of now I am on my third watch from his filmography and I love his style. Technically this film is part of a quartet in his universe. There’s always a dreamlike quality in all of his films that is so gripping. I also learn something from the perspective of a Chinese-Korean as it’s always incorporated on his films. I love it so much!
This follows the trio Kwon Hae-hyo, Yoon Je-moon, and Park So-dam playing characters with the same name. We see them talking, ruminating with drinks as they unfold stories from their past, a girl both men dated. I can’t explain much coherently what this film is about but if you’re into a slice of life films this is a great start! There is an eerie and creepy atmosphere in all of Lu’s films that will just have you glued. Park So-dam is such a great actress.
6. Between Maybes (2019) dir. Jason Paul Laxamana
My first Filo (Filipino) watch in a while. I wanted to see if Julia Baretto can really act as most people have been saying and….they were right! I had a convo with my mom about this and Julia really nails characters that are brats or have a strong personality as that’s what she also emanates as a person. I guess she was also right.
This film is surrounded with controversy that I won’t even get into as it’s just Filipino showbiz buzz. Yet these issue didn’t help this film, which in my opinion is a pretty decent one. Shot mostly in Japan, I read a review that says why are the only good modern Filipino movies commonly filmed in foreign countries and that got me thinking….Was it the scenery and the peaceful quality Fukuoka brings? I’m not sure but this film is quite good and an enjoyable watch if you don’t expect much. I heard the ending is pretty new for a Black Sheep production film, which mostly deviates it from the used Star Magic endings. Although at the end of the day, Black Sheep is still a subsidiary sister under Star Magic.
Gerald Anderson can’t act. It’s so sad to watch Filipino movies who are starred by love teams because you always notice how the women carries the entire movie and the man just. Stale bread. Technically this film is a step that steers from the loveteam films, as Julia was part of JoshLia before, the men counterparts still cannot act. I also read a review saying most of Laxamana’s films are hilaw and just lacking in some parts. Maybe that’s it too. There’s a lot of maybes here… Between Maybes lol.
The Postcard series is an attempt to encapsulate all of my feelings regarding a trip. It is what I want to send to my future self of all the things I want to remember, the things I have learned and the things that captured my attention in that time and place.
Last December, I went on the trip back to my home country of the Philippines. Looking back on it feels like a faraway dream, especially since the pandemic stretched time dramatically. I had failed to log my fresh feelings during this trip but I had written some musings here and there so I am glad. I just want to have something written as a token for this trip that I had waited for three long years. It’s always fun to have these words written as I know I will have fermented feelings to always come back to so nothing feels lost.
I will divide this trip into parts as I had visited multiple places in PH and I aim to process and take in all of it in it’s singularity.
Baler has always been home to me. Every summer we go to Aurora’s beaches and always we visit Sabang beach because of its tall waves and comforting vibe. So it feels good to be back and living in Canada where lakes are called beaches and the water is cold all year long, I had been longing to smell the sea and bask on warm waves.
The Trip On the Way
5:35 AM | 6:37 AM
We woke up early only to be delayed as per usual. Whether we like it or not being late has been imprinted in the Filipino culture. We were meant to be on the rode before sunrise but we had managed to buy pandesal before all things lined up.
This trip is meant to bond with my family from both of my parents side. My mom has 9 siblings while my dad has 7 so our family is BIG. We are in 2 cars and 2 vans, all leaving separately. I was sitting with my grandparents on my dad’s side. I missed my lola so much and it feels like home to lean on her shoulders and feel the saggy fat on her arms, like all grandma’s have. My grandpa doesn’t speak much but I had remembered giving him some candy along with my lola (nanay) who has been vomiting due to the zigzag roads.
The way was familiar but not quite. I remember it being bumpy but the roads had now been cemented which made the way narrower therefore much harder to traverse. There was this one place where we got stuck for 10 mins as there were blocks and just some poor road engineering. We and the car can feel the difficulty of going up the mountains. Everything is more greener or perhaps I was just not used to see this much green as it was winter when we left Canada. Tropical forests holds a different kind of magic, the variety of trees and the different shades of its viridescent. In a flash it all looks like a dream.
The Balete Millenium Tree
I had been to this tree for an insufferable amount of time that going back has not excite me in any way. It was still the same tree although recognizably thicker in trunk, it has grown along with its surrounding. Perhaps it was capitalism that led to its development as there are now stores and small souvenir shops on one corner, a washroom you have to pay to use and a garden where a children’s train can pass by for a quick tour. I had bought a cute wallet as a memento while my younger cousins had rode the train and they seemed very happy about it.
There were also dogs and some places where I think it would be perfect for a photo shoot with all of its faded quality. We also bought a coconut drink and although we haven’t tried it, the papayas seem really tasty ! I also saw the longest banana bunch I had seen, it was a sight to behold indeed.
Museo de Baler (the surroundings)
It was actually my first time to explore the surroundings of Museo de Baler and it has so much more to offer. There was another museum we decided not to see and like the last time, we still have not gone inside Museo de Baler. It probably holds Manuel L. Quezon and Doña Aurora memorabilia but I honestly have no clue what is inside that building. I guess I will have to find out once I come back, I will have to go on this museum without any excuses.
There was a park around it that has historical murals and photographs. I love art and I’m so glad to have seen all of it as it was such a nice touch to the place. As always there were a lot of small vendors where they sell everything from food to plants and souvenirs. I bought some street foods, their siomai and fishballs were god tier. I love tuhog-tuhog so much. My uncle bought all of the plants a kid was selling so he would be done for his days work. On the other side is more greenery and a whole playground. We waited for my cousins to be done playing on the swings shaded by trees and a concrete slide that could burn ones buttocks due to the heat. It was such a relaxing place where you can surely get some fresh air and peace of mind.
Sabang Beach
in the seaside
My much awaited destination. I had been longing to be in the presence of the sea, the sands, the tall waves and the soaring sun. It was all what I had wanted. The smell of the salty sea was so welcoming and the sounds of the crashing waves is reeling me in. We arrived at around noon and decided to eat lunch before we swim. My mom has booked three houses near the beach as we will be staying for the night. The place we had had an indoor pool too and it was cheap and convenient. We could be loud and stay up all night unlike the luxurious hotel beside us where it’s a whole condo which entails less freedom. It wasn’t until an hour later that we decided to jump on the waves. There wasn’t a lot of people and the waves are calmer than usual. We made sandcastles with the kids and did all the beach related things. We playfully buried them in the sand as they did with me and the sand feels cool on my skin as it envelopes me into an embrace. I liked it as I had forgotten this feeling for a moment.
My cousins and I swam the entire day to the point that our parents scolded us to get out of the water. Since my younger cousins opted for the pool, us being the older ones decided to stay with the sea. I had missed every feeling associated with being in the ocean. The sands on my bikini, the salty smell of the water on my hair, accidentally tasting some of the ocean water and getting my eyes stung from being in the water for too long. These were some of the small pleasures I will cherish as long as I can hold onto it. The day was wrapped by a beautiful sunset that I wasn’t able to document as I was completely detached from my non-waterproof phone and just had every intention to stay in the moment with the sea and with my family.
Lee Yon’s Oceanfront Inn at night
That night we had a barbecue and it looked like we had an ihaw-ihaw store and my young cousins were the ones handling it, haha. We had hotdogs and barbecues as appetizers and had sopas and fish for dinner. There were dogs and cats that are possibly the hotel owners pet. Some are strays. After eating we decided to walk along the ocean but there were no lights and the lifeguard said it’s prohibited to do so.
“Taon taon may kinukuhang buhay ang dagat.”
– Kuyang Lifeguard [non-verbatim]
So I just opted to bond with my cousins from both sides. They are both so different in ways that my cousins from my mom’s side are chaotic good. They would literally raise their hands to speak and the way they tease each others are done in a polite manner, if that makes sense haha. My cousins from my dad’s side are chaotic evil to the point that there are actual fist fights, biting, shouting – the whole deal. I find both of them endearing these way but I admit that I am much closer to my cousins from my father’s side as I grew up with them. Although this trip has made me bond with my cousins from my mom’s side as I slept at the same house with them. Truthfully the aim of this trip was successful as I feel more connected to my family more than ever, I miss them more everyday. I wish to spend more time with them in the future.
the phases of the sun rising
Sunrise. My closest cousin literally woke me up at 6AM just to watch the sunset but it did not came until much later. So we just walked by the seaside, along with the stray dogs and other people who are also anticipating the sunrise. It was such a wonderful feeling to just be there with the people I value, among the waves waiting for the sign of the day to officially come in. The waves are much calmer and we folded our pants to dip into the sea. The feeling of the sand and sea foam had furthered woke me up from whatever slumber I was in. We had mini photoshoots, mostly me taking pictures of my cousin as I am not much of a camera person. I prefer to be behind the scene plus I am a thorough believer that me being in the way of nature will tarnish its beauty. I just like to appreciate the raw unfiltered sights of nature without me being on it.
There was a huge tree in the shore that made the scenery more beautiful. Finally the sun has risen and it made a bright light that engulfed the entire sky. It was breathtaking. We played around before we ate breakfast and went for another swim. This time the waves are much stronger that it had attracted the surfers. One of my cousin even signed up to try it and my parents were persuading me to go but I was too lazy. I just want to be with the sea for the last time, without exerting any of my energy. Just there, vibing is what I want. My younger cousins were in the pool and I had taught some of them to swim but to my failure they did not learn but we still had fun trying and that’s what matters. I am not being biased but I think the sunsets/rise in the Philippines looks prettier, more streaks of colours. It will always be home to me.
Ditumabo Mother Falls
these were taken on my cousin’s phone as mine died
I also had been into this location before. In conclusion, I had been to all of these places before but that was 3 years ago. There were noticeable changes. Just like from the Balete Millenium Tree, this place has also been touched by capitalism and perhaps for good reason this time? You now have to pay for an entrance fee unlike before where you just enter and traverse your own trail by yourself. Perhaps it was a government decision for safety purposes to have tour guides with you. There is also a defined trail now, with safety ropes within the clashing river. It was a relatively difficult trail and you will get wet so make sure to bring an extra change of clothes. I think it took about an hour from my memory to reach the falls, which also changed. Since a rock fell from the mountains, a part of it was closed off so you can no longer jump from the cliff that used to be there. The water, however was still freezing cold so I refused to dip in it. My younger cousins on my father’s side were the only one who bathed as I had mentioned they are chaotic insane, haha.
The trek back was familiar and afterwards we ate at the little store by the end of the trail. They were selling ihaw-ihaw and their kwek kwek and okoy was miraculous, ah I missed it. After changing into dry clothes, which you also have to pay for the utilities, I think it was 5-10php, we went for the road. I was in the van with my cousins from my mother’s side but my closest cousin from my father’s side accompanied me. It was a smooth way home and we just more or less slept along the way. I was sightseeing for the most part as it will be long ’til I see endless rice fields and my home.
✿A Love Letter to Baler ✿
There’s something comforting about revisiting the same places after a long time. A lot has changed but in a way it’s still the same. Being with the sea, hugging a millennium balete tree, being in peace with nature and watching the sun as it rises and falls all while bonding with my family. All of these Baler had given me and I would forever be grateful for it. That is why Baler will always be my comfort, my home, the very place where I grew up each summer. I will always hold Baler close to my heart and it has a special mark on me. Baler, until we meet again….thank you for the constant warm embrace. I had taken it with me on this freezing country. I love you.
Places we missed and aim to visit once we go back:
*labintatlong araw sa ikalabintatlong linggo ng taong 2020
Labintatlong araw na akong nakakulong, hindi lang sa bahay kundi pati sa sarili ko. Hanggang ngayon hindi ko pa rin nahuhukay ang sarili ko. Lagi ko pa rin itong nilulunod sa telepono, at sa walang hanggang medya na nakapaloob dito. Ginagamit ko pa rin ito bilang isang mekanismo para layuan ang mga problema ko at mga damdaming binabaon. Hindi hinihimay, hinahayaang magkabuhol-buhol.
Mt. Sayang ay hindi totong bundok Mayo, 2019
Ang dami ko ng sinayang na mga oras, kung susumahin isang bundok na ito at tatawagin kong Mt. Sayang. Biro lang (eto libreng kornik). Ngunit wala na akong magagawa tungkol sa nakaraan. Hindi ko na mababalik ang nasayang, at lalo lang masasayang ang panahon ko kung ipagluluksa ko ito. Wala na, ‘yan na ang aking huling paalam. Ngayong linggo, marami akong pinagsayangan ng oras. Katulad ng dati, inaaliw ko na lang ang sarili sa panonood ng iba’t ibang pelikula at pagiging ligaw sa sosyal media. Kamakailan, naadik ako sa Twitter at maliban sa pagsayang ko ng oras ay may natutunan naman ako. Unti-unti akong namumulat sa kabulagan o pagbubulag-bulagan ko sa politika. Lalo na sa kasalukuyang administrasyon ni Duterte, ang kawalan nito ng pagpapakatao at pawang pagkamilitar nito. Tuluyan na nga itong nagiging isang rehimen, inuulit ang nakaraan. Hindi na yata tayo makakatakas sa gulong ng mga kurap at mga diktador.
One Mapua ” Kapag namulat ka sa katotohanan, kasalanan na ang pumikit. “
Pero sa lahat ng ito, may mga lider pa rin na nagbibigay ng pagasa. Mga pinunong pampubliko at hindi para sa elitistang namimili ng pamumunuan, kagaya ni Duterte na namumuno lamang para sa militar at ibang lahi (Tsina). Ang mga liwanag sa dilim ay mga piling NCR mayor katulad ni Vico Sotto ng Pasig, Marikina at Cainta. Mga batang lider para sa tao, at makatao. Hindi na ako makapaghintay na mamuno ang mga susunod na henerasyong mulat at hindi madaling mabulag. Malapit na, ‘wag nating sayangin ang kalayaan nating bumoto.
Parasite 2019 dir. Bong Jon Ho
the rain was such a blessing
Hindi lamang sa politika ako namulat kundi pati sa pribilehiyo. Dahil sa virus na ‘to, nilalabas n’ya ang baho ng bawat sistema ng gobyerno at lipunan. Nililiwanagan nito ang pagkakaiba ng mayaman at mahihirap. Ang pagkawala ng hawak sa realidad ng mga mayayaman o mga burgis. Parang nakatira sila sa ibang mundo, habang ang mga nasa laylayan ng lipunan ay nahihirapang mabuhay. Nagagalit ang mga mayayaman sa patuloy na paglabas ng mga tao at paglabag umano sa batas. Ang payo nila manatili na lamang sa mga bahay at manood ng Netflix. Hindi nila alam na hindi lahat ng tao walang may dalawang bagay na ‘yun. Bahay at Netflix, o kahit pagpipilian na manood na lamang. Ang iba nakatira sa kalsada, gamit ang karton bilang kama. ‘Yung may mga bahay naman nabubuhay na isang kahid, isang tuka. Kung walang trabaho, walang makakain, mauunang mapapatay ng gutom kaysa ng virus. Matuto tayong tingnan kung ano ang pribileyo natin bago tayo magsalita at manghusga ng kapwa. Baka mamaya…
Walang kasiguraduhan ang katapusan ng virus na ‘to. Para tayong pumasok sa isang lagusang hindi makita ang liwanag. Sobrang nakakatawa lang na hinirang natin ang 2020 bilang “taon natin” dahil magkakaroon tayo ng 20/20 vision ‘di umano. Binungad naman tayo ng sunod sunod na trahedya. Pagputok ng bulkang Taal, paglipana ng mga virus tulad ng isang kaso ng Polio, Swine Fever sa mga baboy na naapektuhan ang mga nagaalaga bilang kabuhayan. Syempre ang delubyong kinakaharap natin ngayon, ang pandemyang COVID-19. Sana sa tulong ng panahon, at pagkakaisa ng mga doktor, nars, pulis, at mga manggagawa ay malagpasan natin ang trahedyang ito. Matagal man o sakupin ang buong taong ito, ang mahalaga may natutunan tayo at ligtas. Kaya’t sundin natin ang mga payo nila. Maghugas ng kamay, manatili sa bahay ng 14 araw kung may nararamdamang sintomas tulad ng tuyong ubo, lagnat, pananakit ng kalamnan at iba pa. Hindi lang ito para sa sarili natin o sa mga mahal natin sa buhay kundi para sa lahat, lalo na ang mga nakakatandang target ng virus. Nabubuhay tayo sa gitna ng historya, ito lang ay kahanga hanga na. ‘Wag tayong magpadala sa takot dahil sa kawalan ng alam. Malalagpasan natin ‘to anuman.
Pagdating naman sa sarili ko, ngayon ko lang napagtatanto at nakokonekta ang lahat. Sa limang taon kong anibersaryo sa internet, na pinaalala sa’kin ni Facebook noong Marso 01 ay napagtanto ko na nasayang ang kabuuan ng pagkadalaga, o teen years ko sa social media. Sa patuloy kong pagbabad ng sarili sa iba ibang klaseng medya, ay naapektuhan nito ang aking isip. Nakakaadik ang teknolohiya, maniwala ka. Parang may kaunti akong pagsisi sa pagsali ko dito sa murang edad na trese. Naadik ako at tuluyang naaadik hanggang ngayon. Nais ko ng kumawala, pero napagtanto ko rin na siguro magiging parte na ‘to ng buhay ko. Sa social media ako nakakakuha ng inspirasyon sa mga manlilikha, mapa-lokal man o internasiyonal. Dahil din dito ay natagpuan ko ang pagmamahal ko sa sining, potograpiya, at mga pelikula. Naaalala ko na ‘yung drafts ko sa isang blog ay noong 2015 pa. Hindi ko natapos, dahil sa katamaran. Matagal ko nang gustong sumulat, at gumuhit pero hindi ko ginagawa. Puro ako salita, at pangako na pinapako sa kahihiyan ko. Mahabang panahon ko nang ninanais na lumikha ng sining, at ang pagsulat nito ay isang hakbang para magawa ko ang pangako ko. Marami pa akong gustong gawin, dahil ang sining ay koneksyon ko sa kaluluwa ko. Kaya kung gusto mong makinig sa sarili mo, lumikha ka o magsulat. Sa ngayon, matutulog na ako at pinapagalitan na ko ng nanay ko sa kakababad ko sa telepono hanngang alas tres ng madaling araw. Sabi n’ya nagre-repair daw ‘ung cells from 10pm-4am. Hindi ko binbigyan ng panahon at pagkakataon ang sarili ko na mabuo, o gumaling.
kariktan 