from aintitcool.com

Hey Harry,

Long time AintItCool fan. I'm here at Rotterdam Film Festival and it's cold as hell.

I've seen quite a few films that sucked like shit, some so-so films and 1 film that really stood out from the rest. Films here that have been getting some buzz are Sanctuary(good film), Paradise Girls(so-so) and Beatiful Washing Machine(ok). But there's one that I'm hoping will get a lot of buzz in the US and its a film from California filmmakers shot in the slums of the Philippines that really got me excited. I didn't expect anything from this film but it really just motivated me in a lot of ways. The film was greatly executed and was visually striking. Given the fact that the movie had a very, very modest budget I feel its a great example of a no-budget film in the tradition of El Mariachi with more depth.

The film is called Cavite and it's directed by two Filipino-American filmmakers(Ian Gamazon and Neill Dela Llana) and if I had to describe the film it would have to be a cross between A Single Girl(the gorgeous Virginie Ledoyen) and a great episode of 24. Is that a great combination or what? The lead doesn't have the beauty of Virginie Ledoyen but he does capture our attention right when he steps into the Philippines. The camera does not let go of him (program book describes the camera as a heat-seaking missile which I feel is totally true and that's where A Single Girl movie comes to mind) and follows him wherever he goes. The camera is relentless in this and it doesn't stop except for a scene where it focuses on a boy which I won't get into but it showed a heart that a lot of films tend not to have.

The movie starts off in the United States and the lead (played by one of the directors) is having dinner with his girlfriend as she confesses that she doesn't want anything to do with being a Muslim. At first I thought, hmm interesting. Asian Muslim. It got me intrigued. As the film goes on the lead character flies off to the Philippines to attend his father's funeral when he gets a phone call from a terrorist organization from the Philippines called the Abu Sayyaf letting him know that his mother and nine year old sister have been kidnapped and they will be killed if his demands aren't met. And from then on we go through a journey and visit every nook and cranny of the country where we get to see another side of this third world country that we hardly ever see on film. This is not your typical "bash the Islam religion" film. Quite the opposte actually. If anything it gives another point of view of Muslims that is hardly seen on cinema.

I'm not going to ruin the ending for you but it does have a surprising denoument that would scare anyone traveling to a foreign country. I'm surprised that this film wasn't in the Tiger Competition. It definitely is good enough to be placed in the same category.

I love this film and not just for the movie itself but for the gutsy filmmaking style and the courage these filmmakers show and what they had to go through to finish the film.

I've read the Production Notes on their site and from what I gather the film was not made for very much. Although the filmmakers deny it, which is a smart move on any filmmaker's part, I feel like this film, if it was done in the Hollywood System, would have definitely cost more than what they're actual budget is. This is a great, great example of a true indie film: 2 guys, a camera and a script, traveling halfway across the world to a country considered one of the most dangerous places in the world and shoot a feature film. It makes me want to grab a camera, go to a foreign land like Africa or Colombia and start shooting away. But first I'd have to grow a pair of balls.

I wish the filmmakers luck in getting distribution because this film should be seen by a wider audience.

I'll be watching quite a few more films. If there are any gems I'll be sure to keep in touch.

Call me Le Single Guy