Working on a New Project with Tikoy

May pelikulang kasalukuyang niluluto si Tikoy – at sabit ako as usual. Worked with them until 3:30 am; continued at 9am and finished just now [11am] in fact — sana lang di na naman maaswang o whatever… kasi maganda sya. Ibang-iba sa mga nagawa na namin. Meanwhile, I have to finish my obligations. I have yet to burn A Mi Patria. Should fit in a dual layer DVD.

Back to Reality

Back home catching up with work and time backlogs…no time to post the photos taken in HongKong. Readying for pre-prod work on top of everything.  Shooting on Saturday for a UP Dept. teaching module…

Chungking Xpressions!

Now in Hongkong – our second day. Exact location: Canadian Hostel Room Number 4, Block E, Chungking Mansions. It’s a place full of characters – a building with a character of its own. It is located on Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. I do not remember much of the film Chungking Express but this could have been one of its settings. The place has texture, a maze somewhat. They say that only Asians [Chinese excluded] and colored people live in the area: largely as I have observed it: Indians, Pakistanis, other East Asians, Southeast Asians including Filipinos and Africans. I saw a few Chinese though. I can imagine a good number of scenes for suspense settings exemplified by the place we wrongly entered. It was untidy; the corridor was narrow. The look was how they are featured as places where drug mules are brought. I wanted to fly out but the elevator was taking time. Money changing houses, retail stalls and small eateries can be found on the ground floor of the Chungking Mansions. The place quite reminds me of Recto Ave.

Entrance to Chungking Mansions - Nathan Road, HongKong

The most wonderful sight that I’ve seen here are Indian sweets being sold right opposite Block E elevator. Got nostalgic of Indian tastes familiar to me; unfortunately forgot their names. Will ask the Indian vendor when I buy before we leave on Sunday. When newly met friends are told where we checked in, they all looked anxious. In fairness, The Canadian Hostel, ironically run by Indians has small rooms, yes! But for us with small budget, the price at P1500 per head is quite reasonable. The room is fairly clean and the administrators are warm people. The ambience is quite unlike the place we first entered. We felt secured. Besides, the building is quite near, or walking distance from the Hongkong Space Museum, 1881 Heritage Museum, Hongkong Story Museum and the Ferry Boat Terminal.

Last night was a joyous occasion! We attended the Welcome Dinner sponsored by the Hongkong Association of the Deaf. Met Jenny Lam finally, another Jennie, and the rest of the members of the organizing groups. The Malaysian delegation comprised the most number of attendees. We were together on the table, ate the sumptuous cuisine at one of the oldest and most popular Chinese Restaurant here they call Lin Heung Tea House located at Wellington Road.

Can you see Giselle in front of the Restaurant?

Before that we made a courtesy call to Consul General Noel Servigon and Vice-Consul Charles Macaspac at the Consulate Office located at the United Centre Bldg. in Queensway, Admiralty. Rennie de la Cruz, Cultural Attache was of course there. She is the person I’ve been communicating with. It’s great that I met Sonia Zerrudo of Lakbay Dangal fame….[more notes later, battery low..] Today, we shall be doing Lakbay Lakad..will walk to the Hongkong Museum later.

Trip to HongKong

We are busy preparing for our trip to HongKong to attend the showing of Ultimo Adios as official selection in the Second Hongkong International Film Festival. Now arranging for a courtesy call to ConGen Noel Servigon. We have in our itinerary the documentation of places where Rizal stayed and other places related to our history, and of course meeting with members of other Deaf orgs from other countries. Hongkong is quite significant in the history of Ultimo Adios in a way — it’s said that the first printing of its 1897 translation was done in Hongkong. Ultimo Adiós Filipino Sign Language version produced in 2011 [Rizal's Sesquicentennial Year] is the poem’s first interpretation in sign language. So, the FIRST PRINTED FORM appeared in HongKong, and the FIRST VISUAL AND MANUAL FORM [FSL] will be world premiered in HongKong this Friday, February 24 at the HongKong Arts Center. The FSL version is the 132nd translation of Ultimo A since 1897. I am going with Giselle Montero, Director of Partnership and Development of DLS-CSB School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies. SDEAS is one my collaborators alongside NCCA in producing the film. It is where I studied FSL. The project is my way of providing educational information access to the Deaf, and advocating for the recognition of FSL.

Anthology of Rizal’s Patriotic Poems_A mi Patria

Finally!!! I now have the list of my omnibus film consisting of five Rizal’s poems each x four versions and their durations, as follows:

A mi Patria: Filipino Sign Language [FSL] version – 47:33 mins. [with English subtitles]; Deaf Interpreters: Aldrin Gabriel, Mark Steven Gaspar, Jorelle Faytaren and Romalito Mallari

A mi Patria: Spanish Language version – 24.27 mins [with Filipino subtitles and interpreted in FSL by the members of the Silent Steps]; Poem Readers: Belen Tangco, Fernando Ramos, Anna Marie Yglopaz, Beatriz Tardio-Alvarez, Wystan de la Pena

Inang-Bayan: Filipino Language version – 28.32 mins. [with English subtitles and interpreted in FSL]; Poem Readers: Apolonio Chua, Roselle Pineda, Jannette Pinzon, Crisanta Flores, Vim Nadera

To My Motherland: English Language version – 26.10 mins [with Spanish subtitles and interpreted in FSL]; Poem Readers: Apolonio Chua, Roselle Pineda, Jannette Pinzon, Belen Calingacion, Rex Flores

Featured Poems: A FILIPINAS, A LA JUVENTUD FILIPINA, CANTO DE MARIA CLARA, A LAS FLORES DE HEIDELBERG and ULTIMO ADIOS.

It took me a year to finish these films. At this point in time, I have yet to do the DVD authoring. It’s worth the effort though. And definitely more fulfilling than working on Manila Kingpin which I alternately did with Project Rizal! But what a waste to work on a film where you have put in a lot of your time, mind and energy then lost its film form, meaning and sense because of producer’s interferences! Really better to work on your own. Budget was a problem but it’s just one of those realities I have learned to contend with.

In A mi…, I met new people specially some of Rizal’s descendants, made new friends, learned new things, but above all, met new challenges, and SUCCEEDED!!! I have met a lot of good, positive people with creative minds! And I worked with group of people full of dedication and commitment in their hearts.

Making a Car for Blind Drivers

I came across this video about developing cars for blind drivers. It is simply amazing! Please watch and listen to Dennis Hong@ TED.

dennis-hong-ted.html

 

Screening of Alyana_Autism Film Docu in Marikina Moved to July

Got the information today from Autism Society Philippines re the postponement of the showing of my docu Alyana—A Study of Autism in the Philippines in Marikina City originally scheduled in April. The screening has been moved to July, Disability Month.

Breaking the Silence, Hearing the Deaf

ANC TALKBACK with TINA MONZON-PALMA is an interactive current affairs program tackling political and social issues. It airs every Monday 7:00-8:00pm on the ABS-CBN News Channel.

Last February 6, 2012, guests Rep. Teddy Casino, Author, Sign Language Inset For News Programs Act; Dr. Liza Martinez, Founder/Director, Philippine Deaf Resource Center; Nicky Templo-Perez, Dean, De La Salle College of Saint Benilde School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies; and Mackie Calbay, Representative of the Deaf Community discussed Deaf Rights. Interpreters were Ms. Febe Sevilla and Ms. Therese Bustos. [anc-talkback-breaking-silence-hearing.html

Inang-Bayan Finished!

The multi-tract version of Inang-Bayan, the poetry in film and Filipino version of A mi Patria which features the Filipino Sign Language interpretation of five of Rizal’s most popular patriotic poems, read in Filipino Language with Spanish subtitles as originally written by Dr. Jose Rizal is finally finished! The duration is approx. 28:30 mins.

FSL Deaf interpreters featured in the film are: Aldrin Gabriel, Mark Steven Gaspar, Jorelle Faytaren and Romalito Mallari. Readers are Dr. Apolonio Chua, Prof. Jannette Pinzon, Prof. Roselle Pineda, Dr. Crisanta Nelmida-Flores, and Prof. Vim Nadera, all faculty members of the UP College Arts and Letters.

Moments of Joy because of a Leaf?

Yes indeed! A leaf gave me moments of joy.

We always take for granted people, objects, animals, etc. that we ordinarily see in our daily life. So, it struck me to see among the many leaves on the roadside, a leaf used as a drawing paper. A budding artist is around. I do not know who made the drawing but it lightened my heart propelling me to even record it as it reminded me of leaf artists in India who made business using dried leaves as art paper. Below is an example. I bought it when I was studying filmmaking at the FTII in India.
Another of those ordinary, yet for me, extraordinary output that I see on my way home these days that I enjoy looking at, and admire are paintings on an apartment firewall that used to be donned by useless graffitis. Now  the wall is being put into good use. It has become a wall to express the artist’s feelings I guess. I  but never got to see  who the “wall artist” is until the

other night. The guy has been using the wall as his canvas to while his time away; he is a fan of Asiong Salonga his friends say. Ha!Ha! I wish I can introduce him to Gov! But I can’t see that possibility ever after all the happenings re Manila Kingpin’s re-editing. Anyhow, I went to interview the young guy last night (February 10) as I finally chanced upon them [Jang, my inaanak I came to know was his assistant]. The artist’s name is Wendell Lakandula. I’ll probably make a short docu about these simple, young “tambay” guys who spend their time using throwable and unused paints to make religious paintings. But the subject depends on the season they said. For now, since Holy Week is coming, their subject is centered on Christ’s Crucifixion. It is actually the subject matter that I find striking and interesting. I missed taking a snap of their first “mural” that depicted not only Jesus Christ but also the Buddha. They are very young guys, and their interest in something religious doesn’t seem to jibe with their personalities: Jang with punky hair, Wendell with earrings.