JUST A THOUGHT: “Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.” –Franz Kafka
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POWER OF CINEMA: Screen writer-director Jun Lana credits the power of cinema as universal language for the twin successes his new film “Die Beautiful” earned at the recently held Japan International Film Festival.
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Despite the language barrier, “Die Beautiful” won as Audience Favorite and earned a best actor trophy for its lead, Paolo Ballesteros.
The award fetched for the film 10,000 dollars while best actor winner came home richer by 5,000 dollars.
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JAPANESE AUDIENCE LOVED IT: Lana noted that the Japan crowd isn’t usually noisy during screenings. They’re known for not being loud in anything they do. But as screening of “Die Beautiful” proved the impression wrong. The Japanese applauded the comedy-drama as they laughed out loud for the most part.
A total of about 1,000 films were submitted to the TIFF. Sixteenn of the films that entered the competition had already been screened in other international film fests, like Cannes.
Lana is hopeful that the Audience Favorite award the film got in Tokyo could translate to box-office success in the Philippines. “The fact that our film won the audience’s nod means it has high commercial value,” he said.
“Die Beautiful” also features Eugene Domingo in the role of a fashion designer, Iza Calzado as herself, among other well-known actors. It will be released soon by Regal Entertainment
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PAOLO TO STAR AGAIN: After having worked with Paolo in a most enjoyable way, Lana hopes to cast the actor again in his next film a-brewing. It will be another comedy.
“I think Paolo’s time has come,” he said.
Paolo indirectly thanked his “suspension” from “Eat Bulaga” for the ample time it allowed him to do two films. Aside from “Die Beautiful,” he was also able to make “Bakit Lahat ng Guapo May Boyfriend?”
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KALBURO AT TILAPIA: Kalburo. It’s the corrupted name coined by local fishermen in reference to highly contested Scarborough Shoal.
Kalburo is definitely easier to pronounce than the tongue-twisting Scarborough.
Tilapia. I came across this fishy word in a tabloid that proclaimed thus: Starlet, ibinuyangyang ang kanyang tilapia sa bagong pelikula. LOL. (NESTOR CUARTERO)