Kontrobersyal(1981)

Visions Cinema: Film in the Philippines - A Report by Tony Rayns(en)

Film critic Tony Rayns interviews Lino Brocka and other prominent Filipino filmmakers.

Mantovani, the King of Strings(it)

Known for his unmistakable cascading strings and recordings such as Charmaine, Mantovani enthralled the world with his sublime arrangements. This is the story of the man and his music.

The Bare Life(fr)

The bare life draws us into a hallucinating journey: from the incandescent set of a city under lockdown, with the rare survivors wandering aimlessly, to a hospital where the nurses and the patients carrying the virus are applying a daily ritual of life and death gestures. Antoine d’Agata transforms these opaque spaces into a theatre of shadows, freed from all pretences of reality, and obliterates the very surface of things, the skin of beings and the skin of the world, only to better reveal its tragic dimension.

銀幕版 湘南乃風～一期一会～(ja)

Piccolo film decomposto(it)

This extremely short film is dedicated to chronophotography, which—as is well known—is the prelude to cinema. As with one of my earlier films dedicated to Muybridge (The Naked Killer, 1982), this one was excavated from books and catalogues, that is, from typographic ink. I tried, in a certain sense, to reanimate the inanimable as does the photographer Duane Michals, having only, sometimes, three or four frames. I found older stroboscopic technology as well as more contemporary flicker effects to be very helpful here and there. I attempted to realize the cinematic identification of Skladanowksy with Avedon; contaminations, precisely, between creators of films and creators of photography, contemporary or not. It is surprising to see Michals, a contemporary photographer, bearing such a strong cinematographic resemblance to Londe, the proto-filmmaker. I hope, at least, to have told the story of their direct commingling, as if by a single secret author.

Priez pour nous(fr)

The Guidon de Repeygnac, a family of aristocrats ruined by the Stock Exchange, leave their mansion in Neuilly for two F4s in the red suburbs.

Die verschwundene Frau(en)

An official justice assistant supposes behind a letter which falls to him by chance in the hands, a crime and gets going with his crimi-sleuthing energy an unclear confusion.

Jan Švankmajer: The Complete Short Films(en)

Featuring all 26 entries in the official filmography, this is the world's first complete DVD edition of the short films by the legendary Czech Surrealist filmmaker-animator Jan Švankmajer. Technically and conceptually astonishing in their own right, these films are also as remarkable for their philosophical consistency as for their frequently mind-boggling imagery. This package also includes a bonus short, Johanes Doktor Faust (1958), the longer cut of 'The Cabinet of Jan Švankmajer' with a new introduction by the Quay Brothers, the documentary Les Chimeres des Švankmajer (2001), interviews with Jan and Eva Švankmajer and examples of their work in other media. There's also a chance to see some Švankmajer special effects, created when he was banned from directing his own films.

Spark of Being(en)

Spark of Being, a close adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Gothic novel Frankenstein, explores the thematic interchangeability of three of the novel’s characters: the Captain, the Doctor, and the Creature. Spark of Being, which, as with all of Morrison's films, is dialogue-free, features Frank Hurley's original footage of Ernest Shackleton’s fated Antarctic expedition, along with a range of footage from other sources.

The Biggest Loser: The Workout - 30-Day Jump Start(en)

Jump-start weight loss in just 30 days with the help of your favorite contestants from NBC’s "THE BIGGEST LOSER.” You’ve seen Ali, Tara and Sione shed pounds on the show and now it’s your turn! Burn fat and tone muscle as they lead you through five 10-minute workouts that cover every inch of your body. Now’s your chance to get started, get fit and lose big with this 30-day program! And it doesn’t stop there – in two special segments, Bob gives the diet tips and motivation you'll need to get started and stay on track.

Gang War(en)

Two mobs fight for control of the jukebox racket.

Dame mit hund(de)

El Árbol(es)

The Little Church That Could(en)

Amidst a mostly Catholic community, a small tiny Anglican church offers more to the community of Placentia than people may think, and holds many connections and history to the rest of the world.

Harina(es)

Roberto is a middle class working professional trying to survive hyperinflation amid the Venezuelan crisis while maintaining his unemployed mother. An argument breaks out when she asks him to buy flour for her birthday cake. In an effort to make amends, he resorts to the black market to buy the scarce food, but gets caught in the violent looting of a market.

Core Fusion Thighs & Glutes(de)

A quarter of a million people have transformed their bodies at exhale, the exclusive mind/body spa with locations around the US. Now you can get the same results at home with workouts from Core Fusion creators Fred DeVito and Elisabeth Halfpapp. Thighs & Glutes firms and tightens in all the right spots, leading to a trimmer waist, higher buns, and longer, leaner legs. Because the moves work your largest muscle groups at high intensity, you'll lose weight as you sculpt and tone. Five 10-minute segments give you the lower body of your dreams.

Die Beautiful(tl)

Trisha, a Filipino transgender woman, suddenly dies while being crowned in a beauty pageant. Her last wish was to be presented as a different celebrity on each night of her wake, but her conservative father wants to bury her as a man.

10000 Hours(tl)

Senator Gabriel Alcaraz is preparing to deliver a privilege speech alleging corruption in the highest levels of government. On his way to the Senate, he gets wind of a plot against him. The police seek to arrest him for his part in an operation decades ago. Suspecting that the administration isn’t willing to give him a fair trial, Alcaraz goes into hiding abroad, hoping to find a way to clear his name and eventually return to his family. Back home, an old colleague is put in charge of finding him, and his family suffers under the pressure of public scrutiny.

The Affair(tl)

An ex-seminarian slash communist runs a hotel in Baguio. He then meets a handsome upcoming lawyer. A once-a-year trip to Baguio by the lawyer and conversations with the hotel owner develop into an affair which encompasses decades of socio-political changes in the country.

The Manila Lover(tl)

During a trip to the Philippines, middle-aged Norwegian Lars has met the Filipina he wants to share his life with, but to his surprise she turns him down. Lars now has to face his own prejudices and deal with this uncomfortable situation.

Naked Weapon(cn)

A mysterious woman, known as Madame M, kidnaps forty pre-teen girls and transports them to a remote island to train them as the most deadly assassins. CIA operative Jack Chen follows the case for 6 years with no leads, but when a series of assassinations begin to occur, Jack suspects that Madame M is back in business.

Air Force(en)

The crew of an Air Force bomber arrives in Pearl Harbor in the aftermath of the Japanese attack and is sent on to Manila to help with the defense of the Philippines.

Unfriend(en)

On Christmas Day, 15 year old David finds out that his boyfriend, Jonathan has taken another lover. The discovery leads him on the brink of depression making him think of ways to have him back at all cost. He has invited Jonathan to see him on this day for the last time.

Three Godless Years(tl)

A woman fell in love with a Japanese soldier, during the Japanese Occupation in the Philippines. The whole town turned against her.

The Escort(tl)

A young woman works as a secretary for a high class escort service, and is drawn into the intrigues of a client and the man who has fallen in love with her.

Moral(tl)

The episodically connected lives of four college friends unfold throughout the incipient martial law years, as they struggle to define their sexual and professional desires and how best to attain them.

Third World Hero(tl)

Two filmmakers try to create a film venturing on the life of Jose Rizal. Before they do that, they try to investigate on the heroism of the Philippine national hero. Of particular focus is his supposed retraction of his views against the Roman Catholic Church during the Spanish regime in the Philippines which he expressed primarily through his two novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. The investigation was done mainly by "interviewing" key individuals in the life of Rizal such as his mother Teodora Alonso, his siblings Paciano, Trinidad, and Narcisa, his love interest and supposed wife Josephine Bracken, and the Jesuit priest who supposedly witnessed Rizal's retraction, Fr. Balaguer. Eventually, the two filmmakers would end up "interviewing" Rizal himself to get to the bottom of the issue.

The Affair(tl)

In a time in the Philippines when the concept of divorce does not exist, a young woman has an affair with a married man. Eventually, they move in together, and that is when the problems start.

Tisay(tl)

In the world of semi-pro basketball, a beautiful bookie recruits a naïve but promising player to the underworld of game-fixing.

2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten(tl)

Felix is a friendless achiever in high school whose life changes after the arrival of the half-American Snyder brothers, entangling him in their dark ambitions.

Starting Over Again(tl)

Ten years ago, Ginny, an Architecture student, and Marco, a History professor, began a one-of-a-kind and unpredictable love story. In the five years that they were together, they brought out the best in each other, which included Marco’s unrealized dream of becoming a chef. Together, they worked towards their dream of opening up a restaurant, but when Ginny realized her own pursuits were different from his, she rejected his wedding proposal and left the country for a Masters degree in Architecture. At present, Ginny co-owns a one-stop Architecture and Interior Design firm specializing in Restoration. She receives an email from Marco, which was written and sent after their break-up, meant to be read four years later. It makes her feel even more regretful of leaving the love of her life.

Days of Being Wild(cn)

Yuddy, a Hong Kong playboy known for breaking girls' hearts, tries to find solace and the truth after discovering the woman who raised him isn't his mother.

They Were Expendable(en)

After a demonstration of new PT boats, navy brass are still unconvinced of their viability in combat, leaving Lt. "Rusty" Ryan frustrated. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, however, Ryan and his buddy Lt. Brickley are told they can finally take their squadron into battle. The PT boats quickly prove their worth, successfully shooting down Japanese planes, relaying messages between islands, and picking off a multitude of enemy ships.

A Love Story(tl)

Ian Montes is a picture of success. Despite being a son of a shipping tycoon, Ian refused to just ride in his father's empire. He built his own real estate company and earned his first million at a very young age. He never looked back since then. Driven by his ambition to become better, if not as good as his father, Ian managed to make it on his own. But behind all the glory is a man yearning for love and recognition.

Back to Bataan(en)

An Army colonel leads a guerrilla campaign against the Japanese in the Philippines.

My Only Ü(tl)

Winona, a sassy and spunky girl is just diagnosed with lupus, Bong, a guy who secretly loves her, will do everything for her to live to the fullest before she expires.