What does it take to articulate a history that has already been forgotten? This is the challenge Amir Muhammad confronts in his iconic and controversial film The Last Communist (2006), where he explores the concept of “absent history.” The question encapsulates both Muhammad’s methodological approach and the dynamic interplay between
Category: Opinion
Reclaiming History through Cinema and the Archive: The Ethics and Power of Liberatory Memory Work in Audiovisual Media
The third of Adrian Mendizabal’s essay for his ArtsEquators fellowship, here’s how history is presented through cinema, and the importance of presenting it with the ethics and power of liberatory memory work. Introduction In cinema, memory and history have always been intertwined with filmic practice. Since the early days of
Remembering the Resistance: Liberatory Memory Work in Cinemata’s ‘Democracy Derailed: Curated Videos on Myanmar’
The media landscape of the 21st century is largely shaped by the rise of online platforms, which serve as the primary intersection between capitalism and public discourse. Platforms such as Facebook, Youtube, and Google, are specialized websites that provide a full range of user experience to their visitors, allowing them
Filmic Duration and Liberatory Memory Work: Analyzing Lav Diaz’s ‘Evolution of a Filipino Family’ (2004)
Introduction To introduce Lav Diaz and his cinema, the simplest approach is to emphasize his distinctive use of long cinematic duration, which is not merely an aesthetic choice but a result of complex historical, material, and political transformations. For Diaz, it is his praxis—a foundational aspect of his cinematic philosophy
The Seen and the Unseen review: An Indonesian Gem about Rediscovering Our Magical Childhood
Kamila Andini’s The Seen and the Unseen (2017) navigates the depths of a child’s subconscious, as seen through her cultural heritage. It recounts the story of fraternal twins, Tantri and Tantra. One fateful day, Tantra stole an egg from the gods’ altar, and Tantri subsequently prepared and consumed it. Tantri ingested the
Safe Havens or Stifled Stories? Examining ‘Rewind’ and Filipino Film Conventions | Opinion
With Rewind being the highest-grossing Filipino film of all time now, what does that say about the Filipino audience? First, we are still hooked on loveteams and romantic films. Second, Star Cinema has a firm grasp of the audience’s emotional needs in watching films. Third, Filipinos will spend their hard-earned
‘Mutt’ review: a raw portrait of transitions and relationships
Mutt is a drama directed by Vuk Lungulov-Klotz that features the journey of Feña as he transitions into a man. Ela Bicera reviews this film that was part of the QCinema International Film Festival 2023. Spoilers are present. While Transitioning is a life-changing experience, it also comes with doubts, fears
‘City of Wind’ Unravels Mongolian Mysticism | QCinema review
Engelbert Rafferty reviews Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir’s debut film ‘City of Wind’. It premiered in this year’s QCinema as part of the ‘New Horizons’ section. Spoilers are present in this review. In the last day of February 2006, renowned Mongolian shamanism figure Sarangerel Odigon passed away at age 43, which we can
Faithful Frames: a review of ‘Divine Factory’ and the spiritual significance of The Sleeping St. Joseph
There is a holy item that was mostly talked about in the entire film, which is called “The Sleeping St. Joseph”. According to the Holy story, Joseph had some doubts of being with Mary when she was pregnant, and the lord came into his dreams while he’s asleep, entrusting the
‘Women from Rote Island’ (2023) review: female resiliency at its finest
Ela Bicera writes about Jeremias Nyangoen’s debut film which tackles the abuse that Women from Rote Island experience, and their resiliency to fight back. Spoilers are present in this review. Rote Island is one of the many islands located in Indonesia, known as a great surfing location with amazing coral
All of Us Strangers: Power of Queer Love
Roy Narra writes about ‘All of Us Strangers’, Andrew Haigh’s heart-shattering adaptation of Taichi Yamada’s novel, Strangers. Spoilers are present in this review. Is it better to be labeled as a gay man than being a queer? In Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers, Adam (Andrew Scott, in his career-best
Tiger Stripes review: Malaysian body-horror succeeds in its depiction of growing up
This is Engelbert Rafferty’s return to Film Police Reviews! He writes about Amanda Nell Eu’s directorial debut, ‘Tiger Stripes’. The film is also the recipient of the Pylon Award for Asian Next Wave Best Picture and Best Director in this year’s QCinema International Film Festival. The Philippines and Malaysia are
‘Perfect Days’ is Wim Wenders and Koji Yakusho’s most important work
Princess Kinoc reviews Wim Wenders’ ‘Perfect Days’, under the Screen International section of QCinema 2023. Some spoilers may be present in this review. I have an immense bias towards films that are quiet and would rather show than tell. Wim Wenders is no stranger to depicting how observational we can
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ (2023) review
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of David Grann’s novel of the same name. Ela Bicera reviews the film and offers a different perspective on how proper representation is of utmost importance in telling the stories of an oppressed nation like the Osage tribe’s. “Can you find
We’re sad you missed it, but here’s a review on “Security Academy” (2022)
We didn’t have a press release for the film, so we made up our own poster. To be a security guard is one of the most underappreciated and overlooked jobs in the country. Often made to work long hours for insultingly low pay (on average around 15,000 pesos a month,
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (2022) Review
Is ‘Wakanda Forever‘ a strong enough sequel to the 2018 powerhouse film that made a strong statement for the African community? How can the most powerful film studio in the world immortalize the legacy of one of its promising actors who left the world too soon? Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
A bunch of Filipino films in 2021 that weren’t so good you just might read this
Present Confusion’s John Tawasil and his Annual List of Filipino Films is presented in two parts: this first one somewhat reveals what you didn’t reallly miss out on in 2021 and since he’s the only one of us who has seen most feature-length films, we present you his list here.
I’ve seen #TheSnyderCut and…
I liked it. For a non-comicbook reader like myself, I advise you to watch the following DC films in this exact order: Suicide Squad, Man of Steel, Batman vs Superman, Shazam, and the 2017 cut of Justice League before watching #TheSnyderCut. Mild spoilers and opinions that might bruise you are
‘Echoserang Frog’ the video essay is my favorite Present Confusion entry
In our last tribute to Present Confusion’s 15th year, Princess Kinoc writes about John Tawasil’s video essay on Joven Tan’s hidden masterpiece on metacinema. In John Tawasil’s video essay of Joven Tan’s Echoserang Frog, he removes the elusive filmmaker from the guise of how bad his films are made, and
Jim Paranal on Present Confusion
Jim Paranal of Jimelikula atbp., shares his thoughts on the 15-year old Present Confusion, as part of our first-ever “Review of a Review” series. Our review of a review series serves to promote other film blogs out there that contribute to the betterment of Film Criticism. Should you want us
The Best of Present Confusion
Our first ever “Review of a Review” focuses the best parts of one of the longest Filipino film blogs, ever. Tuesday, April 5, 2005. At a time when a blog meant that one must own an online journal where thoughts flourished more than a cream-themed IG. If one must own
SOFI (State of the Film Industry): “The New Normal”
Day x of quarantine. The outside world is not safe. Every space that can be stepped foot on is a death march waiting to happen, a genocide at the hands of the assassins lurking in the streets, one tangible and another the exact opposite. People are inside their houses, looking
The Best Filipino Films of 2019 (Part 3)
5. Edward Director: Thop Nazareno A good Bildungsroman knows the importance of change and discovery. As we reach certain milestones in our lives, we grow and realize, we understand and act, we create and break. But most of all, we become. Thop Nazareno held a post-screening Q&A of his Special Jury
The Best Filipino Films of 2019 (Part 2)
11. Sila-Sila (The Same People) Director: Giancarlo Abrahan There’s something beyond the intimacy and truthfulness of Giancarlo Abrahan’s films that you just can’t quite put a finger on. Maybe it’s the frankness of the characters that pull us into their small universes. Maybe it’s the created conflicts that feel natural
The Best Filipino Films of 2019 (Part 1)
What has our national cinema achieved in the past decade? It’s 2020 now. This means that everything new is coming our way. This also means that expectations continue to be set at a high bar, as Philippine cinema continues to push the envelope and explore the many realms of our
