Balikbayan #1 Memories of Overdevelopment Redux III 2015 Ages 18+

When
2.30 pm, Sat 16 Jan 2016 (140 mins)Where
Gallery of Modern Art, Cinema A
About
'This playful picaresque following the 16th-century adventures of a Filipino slave and a hunt for his modern-day counterpart marks a welcome return for one of the great unsung heroes of world cinema and a true pioneer of indigenous filmmaking. Portrayed by Kidlat Tahimik himself, Enrique of Malacca was an indigenous slave who was taken to Europe in the 16th century. After spending time at the Spanish court, he travelled back to the Philippines around Cape Horn on Magellan's ill-fated expedition. This made Enrique, arguably, the first person to circumnavigate the globe, and the first-ever balikbayan (the Tagalog term for Filipinos who come home after having lived overseas). Tahimik began shooting Enrique's story in 1980 and continued off and on for the best part of a decade, before family commitments took priority. Two years ago he decided it was time to return to the story. Instead of being constrained by the early footage, he has radically reimagined his vision by incorporating a contemporary, documentary-like narrative which finds a modern Magellan searching for a modern Enrique, now a shamanic woodcarver (played by Tahimik again).' New Zealand International Film Festival
'My best friend always mispronounced the word 'indigenous.' He'll say 'indigenius.' I would always call it cosmic mispronunciation. The genius of the indigenous culture is still within us. We just have to recognize it, and let it flow out.' Kidlat Tahimik
Ages 18+
Production Credits
- Director: Kidlat Tahimik
- Year: 2015
- Runtime: 140 minutes
- Country: Philippines
- Languages: English, Spanish, Tagalog
- Subtitles: English
- Sound: Stereo
- Colour: Colour
- Screening Format: DCP