Sunday, January 11, 2009

Concerto in Cebu



From: Inquirer Visayas

Rated ‘A’ indie comes to Cebu

By Viking Logarta

Visayas BureauFirst Posted 01:01:00 01/10/2009Filed Under: Cinema, Entertainment (general)

CEBU CITY – “Concerto” (Davao War Diary), a finalist in last year’s Cinemalaya festival, will finally be shown to Cebuano audiences starting Jan. 14 at SM Cebu during the week-long Sinulog festivities.

The war drama, directed by Paul Alexander Morales and with dialogues spoken in Tagalog and Cebuano with a mix of Niponggo, has been endorsed by the film body of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines for its technical qualities and treatment of faith and family.
Dr. Erlinda Alburo, executive director of the Cebuano Studies Center of the University of San Carlos, hailed the movie for its “superb filmic qualities.”

“In syncopated rhythms, ‘Concerto’ shows how a family strives to carry on a normal life in abnormal times, with the piano as symbol for harmony not only within the family itself but also within the countryside setting that accommodates the Japanese. Instead of frontline encounters, this war diary reveals the quiet interplay of suspicion and trust,” she said.
“Among other themes, there is a rare look at the Japanese missing home, and a delicate treatment of what-might-have-been between young adults.”
One of the actors, who portrayed the character Dr. Tan, is a sibling of the illustrious Yap clan from Bantayan Island in Cebu. Two of his brothers were deans of engineering and architecture of the USC during the late 1970s.

The movie also features Cebuano comic Garry Lim, who has been based in Manila for some time, and Nonoy Froilan from Samar, once a top Filipino ballet dancer.

Based on a true story, the film has been rated “A” by the Cinema Evaluation Board, who said it was of the same mold as Peque Gallaga’s “Oro, Plata, Mata” and Eddie Romero’s “Ganito Kami Noon, Papaano Kayo Ngayon?”

A special screening has also been organized by the University of the Philippines Cebu Student Council for UP students for Jan. 17. The Southwestern University’s student council set a special preview for faculty members and students Friday.

Other screenings are being organized by University of the Visayas alumni headed by lawyer Joseph Baduel and the group of Nicolas Ampatin, literature professor at the Cebu Institute of Technology.

2 comments:

Bryan Karl said...

Thank you very much for showing Concerto in Cebu! Just watch the special screening for our school just this afternoon and I find it so great! The movie is great! Truly one of the best. Kudos!

lani said...

Hi Director Paul Morales,
I would like to have a DVD copy of this movie. Where can I buy a copy of it. Please let me know. Thank you very much. My email address - trinidad-l@itochu.com.ph