WORDS BY: GELO GONZALES
October 15, 2009 | 1057 views
Machan
Director: Uberto Pasolini
Origin: Sri Lanka/Italy/Germany
Like many sports-themed movies, Machan is an underdog story at heart. It is about a bunch of bottom-scraping group of individuals living in the fringes of society. The movie is based on a true story, a story wherein these same individuals receive an invitation to a handball tournament in Bavaria. They take the chance, and the group now has the unlikely recognition of being the Sri Lanka National Handball Team.
Independencia
Director: Raya Martin
Origin: Philippines
Set in early 20th century Philippines, this period piece recalls an era of war as the Americans arrive, signaling the beginning of the end of the Spanish era. Amidst the bigger picture that is the war, the film zooms in on a mother and a son fleeing to the mountains to escape the chaos. Along the way, the son finds a wounded woman in the forest, and decides to take her with him. The three seek shelter in the forest shelter, but for how long? Days, months, and years pass, but there’s a feeling that the chaos happening in the low grounds might find their way to their sanctuary soon as well.
Milk of Sorrow
Director: Claudia Llosa
Origin: Spain/Peru
The years between 1980 and up to the year 2000 weren’t the most pleasant years in South American history, especially in Peru. In the country’s Andean region, the uprising of the Maoist group Sendero Luminoso and the action of the state forces brought tension and violence in those years. One of the most affected sectors in the resulting conflicts was the women, and that is what Milk of Sorrow focuses on. The film takes into account the women who were brutally raped by the Sendero Luminoso, that spread fear throughout the generation. And though many years have passed since those horrific years, the women in that part of the world today still carry that fear up to this day. Such is the fate and dilemma of the movie’s main character, Fausta.
Mammoth
Director: Lukas Moodysson
Origin: Sweden/Denmark/Germany
Mammoth is set in modern times, dealing with modern issues. Leo and Ellen are a successful couple living in New York. Leo is an Internet entrepreneur and Ellen is a surgeon. Since both of them are busy with their careers, their 8-year-old daughter is left in the care of a Filipino nanny, Gloria. Back in Gloria’s hometown on the other hand, her two sons anxiously await the day when she can return. The older of the two, Salvador finds work as well to speed up her return. Leo travels to Thailand on business, and what he does there unwittingly trigger a chain of events that effect everyone—from his wife to Gloria’s children.
