Pop Culture

[Film] Catch ‘Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis’ at the Cinematheque this summer

April 19, 2016

Are you ready for another go at the #HeleChallenge? Due to insistent public demand, the Cinematheque Centre Manila is re-screening Lav Diaz’s Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis during April and May 2016.

The experimental work by the soulful, multi-awarded independent filmmaker on the convergence of history, mythology, literature, and nationalism received rave reviews in its premiere in the Berlin International Film Festival, having won the Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize for its cinematic vision and art.

The film unfolds over eight hours, a tribute to our nation’s history and culture, mixing fact with fiction by introducing Philippine national heroes and historical figures with the country’s known literary characters and monsters from folklore in its revolution-era narrative. Using Diaz’s signature long, still camera shots and black-and-white palette, Hele is a contemplative journey through the Katipunan revolt, of Gregoria de Jesus’s search for her captive husband, Bonifacio, and of Isagani and Simoun’s escape into safety following the latter’s failed plan for our country’s freedom. The film is populated by memorable characters, both real and imagined, led by a stellar cast of notable commercial and independent film actors: Piolo Pascual, John Lloyd Cruz, Hazel Orencio, Alessandra de Rossi, Susan Africa, Joel Saracho, Cherie Gil, Angel Aquino, and Bernardo Bernardo, among many others.

Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis screens at the Cinematheque Centre Manila these Mondays of April, April 18 and 25, as well as the Fridays and Sundays of May: May 2, 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, and 29.

HeleChallenge-Cinematheque

Screenings begin at 11 am, with an 8-hour, 5 minute running time, there will be one one-hour break and one thirty-minute break. Admission is at P200. Tickets may be bought at the Cinematheque an hour before the screening, or bought in advance by visiting the Cinematheque on an earlier date.

For more information, please visit our website at www.fdcp.ph or our Facebook page, Hele Sa Hiwagang Hapis / Cinematheque Centre Manila / Film Development Council of the Philippines.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.