you must see Ploning

i had the privilege of interviewing the producers probably a month ago before Ploning was shown to the public and i know right then that it was passion that drove them to do it despite all the odds.

the story was simple. Ploning is a quiet, simple, call it typical kind of lady you often find in the province, a woman of few words if i may say. people come to her for all kinds of help. what seemed to be her life long struggle is waiting for Tomas, the love of her life to come back from Manila and while waiting, a young boy called Digo became sort of a son to her.

some of the dialogues were delivered in Cuyonan (tama ba?), the dialect in Cuyo Palawan but most in Filipino. the dialogues were very simple but trust me, the words will hit you in ways you wouldnt imagine. meryll soriano delivered this line (not these exact words, but something to this effect), "kung baka naging matalino ako, hindi sana ako ganito kababaw at kasaya".

really now, it's not something we do realize everyday.

as much as i want to divulge what the story is about, i won't. it's up for you to find out. we almost watched the film twice to understand the characters. il give you some tips though on what you should look out while watching it.

1. symbolisms. every thing has a meaning. true to what Ploning always say, the film used symbols that are really there for a reason, from the indigo dye to the rain to lychees, even a cat in a frame, etc.
2. Ploning's dialogues. the less words, the more serious the message she's conveying. read between the lines, that's the key!
3. characters. there's some sort of then and now type of thing so be sure to remember the names and what role they play in the past and in the present.
4. camera movement. need not say anything .
5. musical scoring.

my final conclusion of this film is, it's not something you get to see everyday and not something our local producers will be willing to invest in most of the time. the last time i cried in a film was like years ago, and yesterday, i did. and those tears were not out of sadness but for two things: for hope and for a great work of art.

if there are local films that you should see in your lifetime, Ploning must be one of those. it may not be perfect as nothing is, but it's way better than some of the box office hits that people crowd every now and then.

and oh, one more thing, the actors and actresses did a great job in giving justice to the characters. i never really liked judy ann santos, ever! but this movie made me believe in her acting skills, that her acting ability is more than the just the girl i usually see crying on telenovelas or the maingay/funny/babaeng bakla in some of her movies. you don't have to be a fan of hers to appreciate her as Ploning and the film itself, you just have to get up, line up, buy a ticket and watch Ploning.