Films can take us where we’re not likely to go on our own. And sometimes that’s a blessing. Here are two quick trips to places, one we, as Americans, were once unable to visit and one we might not want to get to know very well.
3 Days In Havana – Though I’m sure some critics disagree, we
are treated to clever shades of noir in this short and twisty crime film.
However Havana is the star and makes this quirky, often wacky little film
worthwhile. Gil Bellows directed and starred in this
light-hearted, dark humored 2013 release. Most of the kudos go to the
cinematographers, Doug Schwartz and Blaine Ackerly.
Metro Manila – And now for something completely different. While there is footage showing the beauty of the
Philippines and while the film certainly reveals what life is like in the
Philippines, Metro Manila is, like
most great movies, a reflection of something universal. No matter what you
believe to be right what would you do if backed into a corner and you had to
feed your family? Sean Ellis, co writer (along with Frank E. Flowers) directed this 2013 film about a family no longer
able to eek out a living on a farm and who believe their only hope is the big
city of Manila. But the young farmer, his wife and two kids must start at the
bottom of the economic ladder. They soon
find themselves in a ghetto within a ghetto and scammed out of what little they
have by others more desperate and certainly more seasoned than they are. To
feed the children, she takes a job as a bar girl and he might have made a
friend who just might guide him through the perils of metro Manila.. Are things turning around? Might the family
be destined for a good life after all? Sometimes
the cards are stacked against those who only want to live a good and just
life. Jake Macapagal, Althea Vega
and John Arcilla head a talented
cast in this excellent international, award-winning film about the making of a
criminal.
To accompany the double feature: One of the things Cuba and
the Philippines have in common is rum.
It’s summer. It’s hot. Rum and tonic and a twist of lime would work
for both films. Even if you opt out of
the alcohol portion of the program, think citrus. Tonic optional.
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