Aside from watching and drooling over Simon Baker in The Mentalist, I found myself watching a lot of pinoy indie films.
The first Filipino indie film I remember watching is Kubrador, back when I was in college. I liked the documentary, realistic feel and the stark difference it showed from the usual pinoy movie fare (think john Lloyd-bea).
Access to pinoy indie films in Davao is a bit limited, I would often get my copy from an artsy friend or watch it online. Unlike here where indie films are shown in Cinemas like Robinsons Galleria, in UP Dil, Cubao Expo, malls, and you’ll even find pirated copies of indie films in Quiapo and Makati Cinema Square.
Of the indie movies I watched, two stood out. Both are very different, with the other tackling life in the slums of Quiapo and the other one a glimpse into the life of a successful woman with less than a hundred days to live.
Tirador by Brilliante Mendoza
Set in Quiapo, you get hooked in by the lives of people living in the slums of this popular place in Manila. There is no object or person that connects the characters, only the fact that they all reside in Quiapo. It’s a brilliant depiction of the day to day life in Quiapo, from a young lady losing her dentures to snatchers returning a necklace because it was fake, to young boys starting out as robbers.
Watching this film left me in awe. I grew up in a middle class environment with a short stint in student activism in college so I had my own share of exposures and mind opening trips. And yet what Mendoza showed in his film is so crass, so different, and it’s definitely on a higher level than the kind of slums we had in Davao. Either that or I just wasn’t observant enough. I think comparing the two would be like pitting a toddler against a fully grown man.
Jaclyn Jose and Coco Martin, were as always, brilliant in playing their roles. Jiro Manio was in the film as well, and played the son of a seemingly cunning thief who gets duped by his own cohorts.
I have to admit though, this film scared me from going to Quiapo, even though I really really love the ukay-ukay in Carriedo. 
100 by Chris Martinez
Top billed by Mylene Dizon, 100 is not your usual pinoy indie fare of life in the slums, blatant sex scenes, and violence. Here, Mylene is a successful corporate executive – bossy, in charge of her life, lives in a spacious condo, has a laptop, car and all the works. Problem is she just found out she had cancer and has barely 3 months to live.
100 details how she chose to live the rest of her days and gives an insight at how a dying person would want to spend the rest of her days. The plot is almost predictable- you’re dying so you try to atone for your mistakes, do stuff you haven’t done yet (e.g. travel).
Mylene writes the things she needs and wants to do on yellow post it notes and sticks them on her bedroom wall. Her mom, played by Tessie Tomas, and best friend, played by Eugene Domingo, posts their own lists as well on Mylene’s wall. It’s a pretty interesting list—from choosing her own casket to skinny dipping, to making peace with her failed relationship with Emil.
I guess what I love about this movie is that makes you feel good. There is also a sense of closure, so unlike Brilliante Mendoza’s Tirador, which leaves you reeling and a bit lost.
Anyhow, Cinemalaya is ongoing at The Fort and I’m hoping and crossing my fingers I could catch at least one movie before it ends. :p
