Got a call yesterday from Ranil Sorongon, Executive Director of Autism Society Philippines re request by ASP Pangasinan to show Alyana film on March 11, 2010. It was first planned last year but Ondoy submerged SM Rosales in Pangasinan…Time flies so fast indeed!!!
Sand Art Can Be Poignant
February 6, 2010Today, I watched and was stunned by Kseniya Simonova’s “performance.” I can’t understand the language used but the images say it all. Her work is really quite amazing!!!! Please watch Kseniya, a Ukrainian artist who just won Ukraine’s Got Talent.” She uses a giant light box, dramatic music, imagination and “sand painting” skills to interpret Germany’s invasion and occupation of Ukraine during WWII.
Kseniya Simonova says: “I find it difficult enough to create art using paper and pencils or paintbrushes, but using sand and fingers is beyond me. The art, especially when the war is used as the subject matter, even brings some audience members to tears. And there’s surely no bigger compliment.”
Kseniya Simonova, 24, draws a series of pictures on an illuminated sand table showing how ordinary people were affected by the German invasion during World War II. Her talent, which admittedly is a strange one, is mesmeric to watch. The images, projected onto a large screen, moved many in the audience to tears and she won the top prize of about $130,000.00
She begins by creating a scene showing a couple sitting holding hands on a bench under a starry sky, but then warplanes appear and the happy scene is obliterated. It is replaced by a woman’s face crying, but then a baby arrives and the woman smiles again. Once again war returns and Miss Simonova throws the sand into chaos from which a young woman’s face appears. She quickly becomes an old widow, her face wrinkled and sad, before the image turns into a monument to an Unknown Soldier. This outdoor scene becomes framed by a window as if the viewer is looking out on the monument from within a house. In the final scene, a mother and child appear inside and a man standing outside, with his hands pressed against the glass, saying goodbye.
The Great Patriotic War, as it is called in Ukraine, resulted in one in four of the population being killed with eight to 11 million deaths out of a population of 42 million.
THE YELLOW SHAWL III (1944)_My Shortest Film Ever
February 2, 2010Finally, I have made the shortest film in my life —2min 15sec in length! And in narrative form! [This is rare because I prefer making feature-length docus]. It formed Part III [The Yellow Shawl (1944) of Francisco Arcellana's story with the same title, performed and presented last Thursday to Friday [January 28-30], by the UP Department of Speech Communication and Theater Arts under the direction of my good friend Dr. Belen Calingacion, the Department’s Chairperson. We did a coverage of the Chamber Theater’s last performance at Teatro Hermogenes Ilagan in UP.
The film as flashback helps in understanding the whole story superbly played by Nico Paolo Arguelles and Danica Paola Romero. The video images in black and white show her past, explaining in the process why the girl acts the way she does. The traumatic experience of continually being haunted by the anguish and sufferings of her mother from the Japanese soldiers, and, as insinuated in the story, as a Comfort Woman is shown in the film. But the similarity ends there. There is variation in the scenes and the settings. The film is a screen adaptation, or rather, Belen’s interpretation of the story. [To read the story click theyellowshawl.htm] I came up with a very simple film, yet there were those who admittedly told me that it touched them so much they shed tears while watching it. The merge of the present and the past (through the film) resulted in a beautiful and powerful ending—an affirmation of how powerful a film can be. But that was only made possible because of the natural and good acting ensemble of course, and the proper use of the segment in the play.
The film was largely shot using handheld camera. A rather hush work shot in the UP campus with only one assistant, starring friends and neighbors of Belen. It was fun! Meeting old acquaintances as Dr. Ruby Alcantara and new wonderful people, as her grand daughter Czarise Jyvoane Alcantara who acted as the Child, Rex Flores [the Japanese soldier], his wife Dr. Crisanta Flores, [Girl's mother], and “tambay sa UP Film Center” as Gina [Dr. Amanda Umali III] described herself. She owns the cozy house where we shot the scenes. She too was a student in Humanities of UP Film Center Founder Ms. Virginia “Aling Barang” Moreno.
The two-minute film took me two days to edit [tried many variations], and even after my first declaration to myself that version 3 was final [I settled on not revealing the mother's face immediately], my brain did not stop until I acceded to its prodding to try reshuffling shots further more. I finally came up with version 4 which was shown, and still to be shown* …BUT, before I completely erase my video files, I would be trying a 5th version. I shall manipulate some more shots [dagdag-bawas pa] so as to end with both the child and the father. Again I blame this on my brain’s workings. More often than not, in film editing, I follow the dictates of my brain as I always come up with something better. But if it doesn’t work after the try [my judgment still], I feel more “peaceful’ for giving in to my mind’s proddings just the same. By not just settling in what I thought to be good and already quite acceptable is really quite good for my mental health. The feeling of satisfaction for exhausting everything possible would be there. And there would also be closure as well.
*The Chamber Theater group got invitations to perform the back-to-back play at DLS Taft and CCP this week. Re the screening at De La Salle, I received this text message from Belen last night:
PRISMS a Chamber Theater Production of Nick Joaquin’s “May Day Eve” and Franz Arcellana’s ” The Yellow Shawl” at N. Fajardo Gonzales Auditorium De La Salle University Taft at 2 pm and 5 pm. Feb.3. Tickets are sold at the North gate of DLSU, 100 pesos.
“Collection Building: FILIPINIANA” Book-Launching_February 11
January 27, 2010Attention Filipino Librarians here and abroad, local historians, students of library science and history!!!
This is just to announce that the fourth volume of “Mga Ani ni Gani” Series entitled “Collection Building: FILIPINIANA,” [300 pages], a collection of writings on Filipiniana by my brother librarian-historian Dr. Isagani R. Medina will be launched on February 11, 2 pm at the Special Collections Rm. of the UP Main Library.
Today, I got the go signal from the UP University Librarian Sally Arlante to print the invitations that we need. The University Library and the UP School of Library and Information Studies jointly sponsors the event. The book is a publication of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
By the way, I designed the poster and the invitation!!! For the programme, I used the border design from the original “Epitome” of Don Antonio De Leon Pinelo. Reminds me of my work at the UP Film Center. Those were days that I will always cherish!!!
Silent O in Alberta, Canada_Feb 8
January 20, 2010Finally, the Secretariat of Picture This…Film Festival, Canada’s first international disability film festival received the copies of my Deaf film, and today confirmed the screening of Silent Odyssey in Calgary, Alberta in Canada for the 10th edition of PTFF. They earlier had a problem with the first DVD that I sent, so I resent copies — in two formats to be sure [DVD and mini-DV tape]. I hope that this time, they won’t encounter any problem anymore.
It is scheduled to be shown between 1 pm and 4.30 pm. [Click to see the full sked with SO under "True Stories" picture_this_schedule1_2010].
All the films will be shown at La Joie De Vivre
1008 – 14th Street S.E.
Calgary, Alberta
AUTISM CONSCIOUSNESS WEEK 2010
January 16, 2010Autism Society Philippines celebrates Autism Consciousness Week, a mandate by former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos, Presidential Proclamation no. 711 that aims to promote awareness on autism and the provision of appropriate social services to persons with autism…As early as January 10, ASP Chapter Cebu started the ACW celebrations.
The Annual Autism Walk in Manila will be held on January 24, Sunday at SM MOA in Pasay City. Registration starts at 6 am.
This afternoon, I got a poster and the list of nationwide activities of ASP from the Main Office. I brought it to a Deaf meeting then on-going. [I am by the way, a member of these two PWD sectors]. The discussion was about SEC requirements when I left them for a while to go to ASP office. A meeting on Deaf Team Building was then being held at Liw Caldito’s place, and was being facilitated by a friend, Noemi Pamintuan-Jara to leaders of different Deaf organizations. I asked one of the officers to show what I brought to the attendees, and to explain how ASP promotes Autism Awareness by holding it nationwide. I then asked them to attend the Autism Walk on Jan 24 for them to witness, experience for themselves the “power” of the people working for the same cause. It is our hope that seeing the success of a cohesive group will empower them as well to work for their own sector. There is that hope to get them awed by the participation of many people in the society. The need for community awareness of their plight is just as acute. Many Deaf are willing to join the walk so on Monday, I will register as participant, the conglomeration of Deaf orgs now known as Deaf Pinoy Kaleidoscope.
For the schedule of Autism Society Philippines schedule of activities, click below:
Film Show Respite_Ma. Cristina Falls
January 5, 2010Last year, within the three-day marathon showings of my film on autism Alyana, [See "ALYANA in Iligan City, Lanao" on the right column] we visited the nationally known “majestic” Ma. Cristina Falls in Mindanao. In what I now assume to be a part of the hydroelectric powerplant is a “viewing deck” where visitors could see the huge falls. Beside it is a room, where old photos in the 50’s are exhibited including a photo of Ma. Cristina Falls before power was harnessed from it. 
Always attracted by historic pictures, I reproduced some of them so that others may view them too…for it is a fact that not all may have the chance to visit one of the most popular tourist spots in the Philippines. Since I recently found the photos that I shot, I thought of posting them for those who might want to see the old Ma. Cristina Falls. (Please find under the heading “Film Show Respite” said photos with the title “Ma. Cristina Falls Decades Ago”)
Watching it was an opportunity I never let go. Although I failed to see the Tinago Falls, dahil nagtago ang mga kasama ko at iniwan ako sa showing ko [Joke lang!!!], seeing Ma. Cristina Falls was a dream come true. Dahil sa lakas ng bagsak ng tubig galing sa Falls, nag enjoy ako sa tilamsik ng tubig na tila ambong tumama sa aming mukha. It was a literally refreshing experience. Don’t fail to visit it. And grab the chance to experience being awed by it. To know more about Ma. Cristina Falls, click below to read the materials from Wikipedia:
Maria_Cristina_Falls+Ma+Cristina+Falls+iligan+location&cd=1&hl=tl&ct=clnk&gl=ph&client=firefox-a
Below is the official website of Iligan, a place really worth visiting:
Sign Language Users are Linguistic Minorities too
January 4, 2010In his contribution to the discussions of the UN Forum on Minority Issues on 15-16 December 2009, World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) President Mr. Markku Jokinen stressed that linguistic minorities include also sign language users. Quality education for sign language users means the right to receive education in sign language. Lack of quality education on the contrary limits the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, including rights to employment, health, housing and an adequate standard of living. Mr Jokinen expressed in his contribution that deaf children have the right to become bi- or multilingual citizens through quality education using bi- or multilingual and multicultural approach
Students of Bible Institute for the Deaf Perform using Sign Language in celebration of BID's President Elena Castillo's Birthday
For the complete speech of Mr. Jokinen, click below or visit their website [click the WFD website as found in the VILinks after the Blogroll]:
World Federation of the Deaf President Markku Jokinen in UN Forum on Minority Issues
Is Dance an Effective Therapy for Cerebral Palsy?
January 2, 2010THIS IS A MUST READ —-A MUST READ —-A MUST READ —-A MUST READ —-
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The New York Times recently ran a story of a 31 year –old with cerebral palsy and his remarkable response to dance lessons and muscle relaxation techniques…
Is Dance an Effective Therapy for Cerebral Palsy?
Photo: Andrea Mohin, The New York Times/Redux
Gregg Mozgala, a 31-year-old actor, used to feel inhibited by his cerebral palsy, a neurological condition that occurs when a child’s brain is damaged before the age of two and afflicts a million Americans — most often in the form of poor coordination, weak muscles, and compromised posture. But with a load of determination and the help of an unconventional choreographer [Tamar Rogoff], Mozgala is now set to star in an hour-long dance piece in New York City. “I have felt things that I felt were completely closed off to me for the last 30 years,” Mozgala told The New York Times. “The amount of sensation that comes through the work has been totally unexpected and is really quite wonderful.” While there is no cure for cerebral palsy, Mozgala’s success suggests that a change in approach to the condition can translate into a change in the lives and capabilities of sufferers.
AOL picked up the story and interviewed their Medical Director, Dr. Mindy Aisen, about its potential usefulness as a therapy to improve function in individuals with CP. (Source: http://cpirf.org/stories/category/cp-news)
The full story is below:
For related info, please click:
From the New York Times report itself with the video showing Gregg Mozgala and Tamar Rogoff, please click:
A New Year of Blogging
January 1, 2010A year of blogging has passed! I am so thankful for having kept a personal journal such as this one which consolidated my scattered and random thoughts. I was so happy [and quite surprised too] to have written over a hundred blogs, 103 to be exact, having been bitten by the blogging fever that it was!!! Thanks to wordpress…to friends who prodded me to blog…to those who found time to visit and shared with my joys, my thoughts and musings, my sorrows, my expectations, my hopes, my anxieties, my dreams…
2010! A new year of blogging. With high hopes that the fever continues. With lots of projects lined up in my mind, more people to meet and write about, more experiences to share with, photographs to snap and share as well, I hope to be able to write as much, hopefully more. A New Year’s resolution that I want to add is the resolve to start doodling, sketching, maybe paint again—preoccupations I was into even before I wallowed into photography, and long time before I delved into filmmaking.
Portrait ng Nanay/oil on canvas
The confidence is gone. My drawings are amateurish now. The skill is not there anymore. I used to excel in life sketching and portrait painting. Shame on a “Fine Arts” graduate like me! But one fact is there. I am happier to make my advocacines. Before, I managed to share the appreciation of my artworks to only a few, now, sharing my films to hundreds of people, sometimes thousands has been more fulfilling. Painting and filmmaking are similar in a way no matter—in both ways, in whatever I come up with, they would always be extensions of myself, expressions of oneself.
This 2010, I pray that our country and people who suffer from both natural and man-made disasters be spared; that monsters and corrupt politicians be gone, and election results believable. May God live in the hearts of those who would run the course of our country’s fate. May our children’s children live in Peace. May harmony truly live and reign throughout the world! May our environment be as green as is should be! And may love envelops each one to shield us from greed, anger and foolishness!
