Again

Rushed my brother Billy to the hospital tonight because of a panic attack. He’s fine now, but there was a bit of a scare there, and his wife Tet was predictably semi-hysterical. Turns out his regular alcohol intake isn’t reacting well with his epilepsy medicine, which can cause the hardness of breathing. Still he’s convinced it’s not the alcohol. My brother gets the award for most visits to the hospital. He’s had a handful of serious car accidents, a brain operation, dengue, a gallbladder operation, and I’m sure I’ve missed a couple more.

Anyway, the parents were there, as were his kids Bianca and G. Next to us was a guy with dengue, who didn’t even have a fever and felt completely fine, except his platelet count was at 35.

The ER was unnerving. Last time I was at an ER it took four hours and it was the worst day of my life.

I’ve had it with these fucking hospitals.

Joe in (P)Busan part 2. 아기 천사 premieres

Day 3, 3 Oct 2008

In case you’re wondering: in 2000 Korea switched to a new Romanization system, altering the spelling of many towns and cities. As a result, Pusan became “Busan”. By then the Pusan International Filmfest had grown in popularity, as did the acronym PIFF; that the PIFF people decided not to change the name of the festival to the less-catchy “BIFF”.

Today is a big day–the international premiere of Baby Angelo, at 12:30 PM, followed by a question and answer session with me. Nervous again, as always. My fear is that no one would show up.

Me and Monster (who's visibly hung-over)

So thankfully, Marge and Monster had already arrived. Monster apparently straight to the airport from drinking with the gang back home. Also in town were my parents, which was fantastic. It’s their 40th year wedding anniversary, and they’re celebrating by doing an Asian city tour. Busan/Seoul is the current leg of their trip, they coincided it with my screening.

My parents' 93rd honeymoon

Met with the PIFF volunteers who seemed really excited to see me. Monster arrived just in time for the screening, and promptly fell asleep the minute the Arkeofilms logo lit up the screen. Margie snuck in a couple minutes late. The screening was full, which was a surprise; about 90% where local Koreans. After five minutes I couldn’t take it anymore, so I left. Aside from a heart-stopping ten-second black (as they switched tapes), the screening went without a hitch.

Q&A

more Q&A

Afterwards was the Q&A, with a moderator and a translator, which meant it took a while to ask or reply. First off I’m pleasantly surprised that the people here are so appreciative of different kinds of cinema. Here’s an unknown film from a third world country, and it’s a full house. I wish we’d get that kind of response in Manila too. Generally it seems like the film was a hit.  A lot of people noted the music and the songs, which I appreciated because Peach, Abi and I put a lot of work into it, and it went largely unnoticed in Manila. The big Bong and Lisa argument was also a high note, with people asking me if it was based on an actual argument I had. I said it’s based on many big fights I’ve had with T, which are about nothing and everything. I also got asked why I know women so well, to which I credited T and my Mom, whom they asked to stand up. And they applauded her. Hehe. Good work daw Mom.

me and the audience

more Korean friends

Me and my parents

They had to cut the Q and A short because we were running out of time, and afterwards it was a lot of pictures and autographs, which was funny and a liiiitle embarrassing because it took a while. In Manila they’d hardly give us independent filmmakers the time of day, yet here, they’re very appreciative. They even snapped photos of my parents, hehe.

Lunch

Dad and Mom took me and Monster out (Margie had to get back to the PPP) for lunch, where we once again tried to order off a menu we didn’t understand. Food was good, a huge pan of spicy rice with some ulam in it. There was a bizarre soup that looked good but tasted like hugas-bigas. Which it actually was.

By the beach

Took the parents to the beach to see the sights. It was great having them there and see first-hand exactly what this film crap I’m trying to do is all about. Dad’s a Ilocano boy who escaped to the military after high school, Mom’s a sheltered, spoiled little princess/army brat; so they have little idea what it is I do exactly. It was nice to have them around and experience it with me. That afternoon Dad told us stories of the Korean War and the mentality of the Koreans because of it; stories of the DMZ and the Filipinos who fought in the Korean War. I love hearing Dad tell stories; all that’s missing was a fireplace and a pipe.

After my parents left for their hotel and their trip to Seoul, Monster and I had coffee and she told me about Caye’s memorial. It was a strange mix of sadness and pain, but also happiness about Caye’s short but full life, and gratitude that he was our friend. And how many people loved the guy. One can only hope to have left that kind of legacy.

Margie and Rianne, Korean-style

That evening we met Margie at the ACF party, a lot of shmoozing over drinks with all these movie people, and still I was exhausted and could barely stand. Met up at Bennigan’s (decided to play it safe tonight) with Rianne Soriano, a filmmaker studying in Seoul, and Egay Certeza, a Korean-based Pinoy engineer who always attends the festival. Had a great time, and ended up not even paying for the bill. Still not sure how that happened. I think we must have crashed a corporate event by accident, and because of the language barrier no one could tell we didn’t belong there.

It was a good day today. Thought I wouldn’t be having one of those for a while.

Next: movies, and coming home.

photos courtesy of MGen Guillermo Ruiz (ret) and Egay Certeza.

Joe in (P)Busan part 1.

Baby Angelo’s international premiere is in the prestigious Pusan International Film Festival, as part of the program A Window on Asian Cinema, a selection of new films from the continent, including five from the Philippines: us, Francis Pasion’s Jay, Adolf Alix’s Adela, Dante Mendoza’s Serbis, Jerrold Tarog and Ruel Antipuesto’s Confessional. In competition is Chris Martinez’s 100.

Also heading to Busan are my two partners: Monster’s coming for her documentary Kano: An American and His Harem which received a grant from the Asian Network of Documentary and Margie’s also arriving for the Pusan Promotion Plan, for our next film, Wi Ding Ho’s Pinoy Sunday.

Should be a festive time but my good friend Caye passed away four days before, and I’m still reeling from it.

Day 1. MNL-ICN-BUS (1 October 2008)

Got to stay at a lounge thanks to my new but practically obsolete Diner's Club card.

From Caye’s wake I headed home to pack, took a nap and flew out to Busan. At the airport I saw other Pinoys bound for Busan: Nes Jardin, Digna Santiago and Manet Dayrit. Spent a few minutes chatting about the festival in the airport’s chimney (smoking room) and saw them again at Incheon International in Seoul.

Arrived at my hotel room in Busan close to midnight, starving. Took a short walk around the hotel area to look for food, but gave up upon finding no English signs on the restaurants. Had room service instead.

It’s been days since I got any decent sleep, not since Caye passed. For the first time in almost a week I slept nine hours.

Day 2. 2 October 2008
Thought it would be cold here in Busan but it’s actually quite pleasant. Baguio weather without the pollution. Missing Tracy, it’s supposed to be our little trip together but she had to stay behind for Corinne, Caye’s fiancee. For the rest of the trip my heart would be with them in Manila.

Busan

More Busan

Busan is a city on the coast of the Korea Strait. It’s cosmopolitan but not exteremely so. It’s like the Cebu of the Korea. It’s developed and first-worldly enough to feel like I’m on vacation. The festival itself is HUGE. Huge. The PIFF center is on a gorgeous beach.

View from the PIFF center

Picked up my festival badge and kit, first friendly face was that of Ansgar Vogt of Berlinale, who was also a judge at Cinemalaya. Exchanged a few words before I visited the Philippine booth at BIFCOMM, where Manet, Nes and Digna were setting up. FDCP are here to promote the Philippines as a filming location. Asked Manet to adopt me that evening as I knew no one in town. Margie would arrive that night, Monster tomorrow. After that, went around to check out the city including the venue of my premiere tomorrow, which was a 15-minute walk from my hotel.

Got too lazy to explore, so I went to a cafe that had “kamusta ka?” sign on the door, had a few beers and chicken wings. Back at home the memorial of Caye was ongoing, and he was being cremated and laid to rest. I imagined Caye sitting across me, and began talking to him. A Slavic couple beside me began staring, as did the Korean waiter. “Kamusta ka?” he said.

Dinner that night was with Manet and Emma, also of FDCP, to have dinner at a restaurant that serves nothing but fish head stew. Manet tells me that 50% of the Koreans she’s met thus far have all been to the Philippines. No surprise there. Then the manager of the restaurant comes up to us saying he’s in Cebu 4x a year and plans to open a restaurant. After that, I helped the FDCP ladies mix a mango-based cocktail for giveaways during the FDCP exhibit.

That evening was the opening ceremony of the festival, complete with red carpet and the stars of Korean cinema, a lot of whom were billeted at my hotel, the Grand Hotel. Ed Cabagnot, here as jury for one of the competitions, tells me to go. But I brought nothing dressier than a collared shirt. I didn’t want to look like some Korean superstar’s P.A.

Bought some Korean beer and conked out in the hotel room past midnight.

Next: Baby Angelo international premiere!

The List

The fellas at Preview were nice enough to put me on their annual Creative “It” List this year, a list of the 24 most creative Pinoys… well, the ones they can get on the mag anyway.

Photoshopped me

Also on the list are Mikey Amistoso, musician and lead star of our Rotterdam film festival bound-short Pusong Gala; our collaborator, chef Gino Gonzalez, fellow filmmaker John Torres, and a boatload of visual artists. Good stuff.

Check out the October issue if you can. Thanks to Lou, Charles and the rest of the folks at Preview.