Monday, March 16, 2009

9:31 AM | Auraeus Solito's Boy and Esprit de Corps

So, yeah, there's a proliferation of gay movies out there. (Eh, naman. After years and years of invisibility and caricaturish depictions, such as those sad sacks in Si Malakas, Si Mahinhin, Si Maganda, what did you expect will happen when the digital camera finally democratized cinematic expression? But I'm sounding like an MA thesis here, so stop na.) There's a whole lot to admire from this new wave of gay cinema, such as some films (specific ones in parenthesis) megged by Senedy Que (Dose), Francis X. Pasion (Jay), Adolfo Alix Jr. (Daybreak and the first half of Imoral), Brillante Mendoza (Masahista and parts of that strange anthology Pantasya), Charliebebs Gohetia (The Thank You Girls), and Jay Altarejos (Ang Lihim ni Antonio, except for that unearned ending). (And yes, I do mean it when I include you-know-who in this list. Really now. He's very good naman.) Needless to say, there's a whole other world of gay film trash -- shameless masturbatory fantasies that ... well, are frankly only worth the roll of Kleenex it takes to wipe away the evidence of libog.

This particularly film though, buzz still to come, I really can't wait to see...



It sounds like a tale of another precocious boy, like our dear Maxie, who falls in love. Still, anything from Auraeus Solito, of Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros and Pisay fame, is definitely always a cut above the rest.

Incidentally, another friend -- Claudio Ramos -- just staged Auraeus' old play "Esprit de Corps" in Silliman's Woodward Little Theater just last week. It was an electrifying experience, because the story still has such bite, and particularly so because the leads -- Aiken Quipot and Ramuel Reambonanza -- were brave enough to get, umm, naked -- emotionally -- and go the distance as far they could carry their very difficult roles. (Well, I should even say the torrid distance, hehehe.) I once wanted to direct this play, with my two exes as my actors. That would have been a weird and strangely satisfying experience. I didn't think I was brave enough though.

(Auraeus, I'll send the pictures from the play soon...)

Congratulations again, Claude! And Aiken and Ram!

Labels: art and culture, dumaguete, film, negros, queer, silliman, theater

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