SM City Bacolod Honors Acclaimed Director Brillante Mendoza in a Film Festival

SM City Bacolod honored internationally acclaimed Filipino director Brillante Mendoza in a two-day film festival featuring two of his awarded works–Dukit and Lola.

Since 2005, Mendoza has directed 16 films, many of which have won awards in different award-giving bodies all over the world. Most notably, Mendoza won the award for Best Director for his film Kinatay at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival. Additionally, his 2009 film Lola bagged the Best Film award at the 6th Dubai International Film Festival.

The awarding ceremonies was held November 21 at the North Wing Atrium and was attended by film and art enthusiasts of Bacolod headed by Bacolod first lady Josefa “Paching” Puentevella. The following day, a simultaneous viewing of the two films were held at the SM Cinema 1 and 2. Afterwards, viewers were treated to a rare treat–a talk by Director Mendoza himself about film making from brainstorming to post-production.

Lola synopsis:
The movie revolves around two grandmothers, Lola Sepa (Anita Linda) and Lola Puring (Rustica Carpio), who have to deal with a crime involving their two respective grandsons—Lola Sepa’s grandson was killed by a cellphone snatcher, who turns out to be Lola Purings’s grandson Mateo. The two grandmothers then have to deal with their losses in a very concrete manner: Lola Sepa pawns her pension card to find enough money not just for her grandson’s burial but also for the case against Mateo, whom Lola Puring cannot bail out of jail also due to the lack of money. The two only come face-to-face inside the courtroom during Mateo’s trial, where they would have to resolve the case to reach a favorable outcome for the two of them.

Dukit synopsis:
“Dukit” revolves around the story of Waldo, a celebrated Kapampangan sculptor who became embittered by his father’s abandonment of his family for another woman. It takes Waldo many to achieve success and also to learn to forgive his old man. The setting of the story is in the barrio of Sta. Ursula in Betis–the original place of “dukit” (woodcarving). Its narrow road was once a haven for carved religious figures and furniture. The dukit tradition in Betis is as old as the town itself, which was one of the earliest Spanish-era settlements. Too bad that the industry was not preserved and many of the wood workshops have already been replaced now with sari-sari stores.