From January 20th to January 23rd 2010, the Portuguese cultural centre Culturgest will host a cinema programme dedicated to Brillante Mendoza films, programmed by Zero em Comportamento. This retrospective, the most complete up to this date, includes eight features from the last five years and aims to show Mendoza’s practically unknown cinematography to the Portuguese audience.
Brillante Mendoza had a late debut as a film director (he signed his first film after his 40’s). Nevertheless, his cinematography has been noticed and awarded at the most important international film festivals. Inheritor of the Philippine modern cinema from the 70’s and 80’s, his films reinvent the singular intersection between social realistic drama and melodrama along with other popular genres.
Using a direct narrative, Mendoza’s films feature a contemporary vision of his country and the social, political, religious and gender questions (the questioning of sexual identities is a constant subtheme) that wade through it.
The director will be in Lisbon to present the sessions. He will also conduct a masterclass on production and direction of independent cinema in Philippines, together with his producer, Ferdinand Lapuz. This initiative is intended for cinema students and young professionals and the access is free of charge.
PROGRAMME
Masahista (2005)
Manoro (2006)
Kaleldo (2006)
John John (2007)
Tirador (2007)
Serbis (2008)
Kinatay (2009)
Lola (2009)