Kapampangan film wins Grand Jury Prize in Cinemalaya

By Joelyn G. Baluyut

Monday 30th of July 2012

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, July 30 (PIA) -- A short Kapampangan film entitled “Manenaya” won the Grand Jury Prize during the eighth Cinemalaya Film Festival 2012.

Ruston Banal, one of the two producers of the film, said it was the first time that he and his group joined Cinemalaya and it was “luck” that they won in the said category. Banal is also the film's cinematographer.

As a reward, the “Manenaya” team received a trophy from the award-giving body.

Banal said the film was conceptualized when his co-faculty member, Richard Legaspi, who directed the film, visited Pampanga and had a tour of the different spectacular places in the province.

Seeing the relevance and beauty of the province, Legaspi decided to shoot the film in Pampanga with casts Bor Ocampo of Sta. Rita town and Agnes Romero of San Fernando City.

“I think one thing that made it different among any other short films is that it is bravely rendered in black and white which is something that is very risky. Black and white is not a conventional rendering in film. We chose this type because the effect can be very nostalgic and the attention will get to the actions and emotions (of the viewing public),” he added.

When asked why the film’s language is in Kapampangan, Banal said, “Richard, the director, could have made it in Filipino. But he knew from the start that I am a Kapampangan language advocate, so he decided, which he thought could be more interesting, to use Kapampangan on the script of the movie since he is after all promoting regionalism in the movie. In fact, three of the five short film entries in Cinemalaya are regional movies. It's like setting a trend where the conventional movies were always in Filipino.”

The one who did the subtitle in English was Seymour Barros Sanchez, a Carlos Palanca awardee who was also the creative consultant.

“Manenaya” or “waiting” in English, is a story of a determined woman and her journey through life under the backdrop of the various landscapes of Pampanga. She brings with her a wooden casket for her husband, a victim of political killings.

The film is a journey in search for truth and personal triumph through the challenges of life.

Banal is set to arrange a meeting with the director of the Center for Kapampangan Studies of Holy Angel University (HAU) Robby Tantingco for the possible screening of the film in Pampanga. (WLB/JGB-PIA3)