Viewing category: Culture

Virtouso Pianist Cecile Licad Highlights Celebrations of the 117th PH Independence in Berlin

June 7, 2015

Ambassador Melita Sta. Maria-Thomeczek, together with the officers and staff of the Philippine Embassy in Berlin, celebrated the 117th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence with a concert featuring concert pianist Cecile Licad and a reception at the Palaisaal of the renowned Hotel Adlon Kempinski.

In her speech, Ambassador Sta. Maria-Thomeczek noted the enduring friendship between Germany and the Philippines and the shared commitment towards better bilateral relations, “It is in the spirit of progress, solidarity and adherence to the rule of law that we look at 60 years of good diplomatic relations with Germany. The Philippines and Germany have been pursuing a partnership among equals.”

In his response, Ambassador Peter Prügel of the Federal Foreign Office also spoke about the growing robustness of the bilateral relations and especially the successful celebration of the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, highlighted by the visit of President Benigno S. Aquino III in September 2014.

Virtuoso pianist Ms. Cecile Licad performed a one hour program which included works by Frederic Chopin, Edward Macdowell, Louis Moreau Gottschalk and Francisco Buencamino, her great grand uncle. An immensely impressed audience clamored for a zugabe (encore) to which the artist willingly obliged.

An art exhibit showcasing winning entries from Kunst Pilipino & Kunsthaus and the Essen Philippine Honorary Consulate’s 2015 Art Contest, “Quo Vadis OF?” focused on manifestations of the lives, struggles, sacrifices and contributions of Overseas Filipino workers. The exhibit also featured works by Filipino artist Mr. Aris Bagtas.

JUANA DECIDES: Filipinas in Berlin Celebrate Women’s Month by Sharing Stories of Leadership and Decision-Making

March 28, 2015

Berlin. In celebration of women’s month, the Philippine Embassy gathered together leading Filipinas in Berlin: Filcom leaders, businesswomen, artists, and students for an afternoon of bonding and sharing of experiences. The lunch at Pinoy restaurant was also labeled as ‘JUANA Decides’, in the spirit of the theme set by the Philippine Commission on Women: “Juana, Desisyon Mo ay Mahalaga sa Kinabukasan ng Bawat Isa, Ikaw Na!”

Pretty in Pink. Filipina community leaders and female officials of the Philippine Embassy in Berlin share inspiring stories of leadership and decision-making over lunch hosted by Ambassador Melita S. Sta. Maria-Thomeczek at the Filipino restaurant, Pinoy.

Ambassador Melita S. Sta. Maria-Thomeczek delivered the welcome remarks, emphasizing the importance of empowered Filipinas in Germany. As she had earlier conveyed to the women groups in Cologne, the Ambassador reiterated the Embassy’s partnership with the community in the promotion of overseas Filipinos interests and welfare. Cultural attaché Mylah Combo-Rubio announced the forthcoming launch of ‘Crafternoons’, another Embassy initiative for the showcasing and sharing of talents amongst the community members.

After the sumptuous Filipino lunch, five exceptional women were invited to recount their stories of struggle, survival, and success in Germany. This was moderated by Consul Azela Arumpac. Considered a pillar in the Filipino community, Ms. Lourdes Müller, who arrived in Berlin in the late 1960s, talked about her experiences in Cold War Berlin of building a Filipino community in the context of the church community. On the other hand, Ms. Veronica Boensch, coordinator of the Parish Pastoral Council, shared the reasons behind her decision to organize Filipinas in Berlin through collective cultural activities, especially by teaching Philippine folk dances to adults and young people alike. Rosalinda Nolasco-Jecht, who owns the Pinoy Restaurant, spoke of the challenges in setting up a restaurant business and gave advice for Filipinas who want to pursue the entrepreneurial path. Humboldt University student Jedd Pagsanjan, on the other hand, candidly recounted the challenges she faced when she decided to be a working student in Berlin and how, with the Filipino community behind her, she managed to survive despite the odds. Lola Abrera, a Filipina student at the Free University of Berlin, also talked about how and why she decided to launch the Virtual Balikbayan Box, a platform for overseas Filipinas to share their digital stories, a virtual Balikbayan box, in creative ways. Similar to the sharing session ‘Juana Decides’, the project aims to be a virtual venue for Filipina migrants to tell their stories from their own viewpoint.

Ambassador Thomeczek summarized the discussion and concluded by reading the President’s Message to commemorate the women’s month. In her closing remarks, Consul General Donna Rodriguez heartily thanked the ladies for their active participation in the sharing session.

Of the estimated 20,338 overseas Filipinos in Germany, more than 80% or 16,760 are female (German Federal Statistics Office). An estimated 34% of all overseas Filipinos in Germany are housewives. Some of the challenges relating specifically to women are those that arise from marriage, especially adjustment to the foreign environment. As such, female community leaders, like the panelists during the sharing session, and a strong female network, play a big role in providing support and creating the conditions for Filipinas to adapt and flourish in their new environment. (***END)

A Homecoming Win for Kidlat Tahimik at the 65th Berlin Film Festival

February 13, 2015

Berlin. Film director, writer and actor Eric de Guia, aka Kidlat Tahimik, returned to the Berlin Film Festival (Berlinale) with his film, “Balikbayan #1 Memories of Overdevelopment Redux III”, which premiered on 9 February 2015, and would later win the Caligari Film Prize, which is given to a stylistically and thematically innovative film under the Berlinale’s Forum section.

Kidlat, dubbed as the “Father of Philippine Independent Cinema”, has come full circle with the premiere of Balikbayan #1 at the Berlinale. He first participated at the festival 38 years ago with his film, “Mababangong Bangungot” (Perfumed Nightmare) which earned him the International Critics Award in the 1977 Berlinale.

As explained by Kidlat, Balikbayan #1 is a project that was 35 years in the making. It reimagines the history behind Magellan’s expedition from the perspective of the “native” Enrique of Malacca. Enrique, Ferdinand Magellan’s slave and translator, is revealed to be the first true circumnavigator of the globe. The film, a blend of storytelling and documentary insight, weaves together Enrique’s story and Kidlat’s mission to produce and finish the movie.

Shortly after the film’s premiere, Kidlat garnered the the Caligari Film Award which is conferred annually to a stylistically and thematically innovative film screened at the Berlinale’s Forum section. Sponsored by members of the Bundesverband Kommunale Filmarbeit (German National Association of Communal Film Work – see: http://www.kommunale-kinos.de/) and FILMDIENST, the award includes a Euro 4,000 endowment, half of which is given to the recipient and the other half is used to fund the distribution of the film.

This year’s Caligari independent jury was composed of Michael Baute, Maximillian Becker, Barbara Fischer-Rittmeyer, Nils Daniel Peiler, and Dr. Margarete Wach. The Berlinale’s International Forum of New Cinema (Forum) section “features avant garde, experimental works, essays, long-term observations, political reportage and yet-to-be-discovered cinematic landscapes… in short, (it) is the most daring section of the Berlinale.

Kidlat explained that it was not until 2012, when he was showcasing 16mm footage of the original movie on his tour of four American universities, that he had the real impulse to finish the film. After a twenty hour flight and bus ride back to Baguio, Kidlat attended his second son’s art exhibit in Hapao. It was then that he realized that the long bearded and shaggy haired Kawayan de Guia could serve as his recycled Magellan.

Kidlat further revealed that he believed Filipino talent was a force to reckon with, “We must be proud of our culture and heritage. We are a very talented people, we can become a global force if we combine learnings from the west with that of our ancestors.”

Kidlat Tahimik was joined in Berlin by his wife Katrin, his son Kidlat, and Balikbayan #1’s producer, Mr. Chuck Gutierrez.

Following the screening, the Philippine Embassy in Berlin hosted a cocktail reception at the Akademie der Kunste (Academy of Arts). *END

The Berlinale Talent Campus: Philippine Film Industry Expands its Profile at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival

February 13, 2015

Berlin. The Philippines was strongly represented at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), which took place from 5 – 15 February 2015 through the festival’s Talent Campus.

The Campus brings together annually (through the Festival) selected groups of international filmmakers: directors, screenwriters, producers, cinematographers, editors, actors, distributors, production designers, sound designers/ composers and film critics from all over the world are invited. It is an initiative of the Berlin International Film Festival, which is funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media, in cooperation with Creative Europe MEDIA, a program of the European Union, the Robert Bosch Stiftung, the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Canon, Federal Foreign Office and the German Film Fund.
Out of 2,529 aspirants from 117 countries for the Talent Campus, 300 promising filmmakers were chosen to participate in the thirteenth edition of the program with the theme, “2015: A Space Discovery”.

Nine (9) Filipino filmmakers made it to this year’s Berlinale Talent Campus.

They were cinematographer and director Dan Villegas, screenwriter and director Giancarlo Lauro Abrahan, sound designer and editor Warren Santiago, actor Sandino Martin, director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, editor and director Charlie Gohetia, producer and director Joseph Israel Laban, director Hannah Espia, and director Rina Tsou. Participants not only got to pitch their films at the Talent Project Market, they also had one-on-one meetings with their mentors in the Project Labs and attended Master classes and panel discussions with top notch experts in the field.

Filmmaker Dan Villegas was thankful for the opportunity to be part of this year’s Berlinale Talents. He said, “My biggest takeaway from Berlinale Talents is the value of learning. I learned a lot from the classes, and I’m thankful that there are entities that give grants for further education for filmmakers.“

When asked to describe the networking aspect of Berlinale Talents, Taiwan-based Filmmaker Rina Tsou quipped, “It is probably one of the best networking platform for us upcoming young filmmakers around the world! I have been really blessed to have built connections with my Filipino and Southeast Asian filmmaker friends this time. I have always dreamed of forming a co-production base in our region, and I look forward to future possibilities. “

To further promote Philippine cinema in new markets, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) for the first time took part in the European Film Market, where film producers engaged leading European and worldwide distributors. FDCP Chairman Briccio Santos along with Vice Chair Teodoro Granados led the Philippine delegation. Producer/promoter Bianca Balbuena promoted Pepe Diokno’s “Above the Clouds”, Paul Soriano’s Manny Pacquiao biopic “Kid Kulafu” and Milo Sogueco’s “Mariquina.”

The European Film Market section of the Berlinale was attended by producers, distributors, film financiers, cinema operators, buyers and sellers as well as representatives of the TV, Home Entertainment/VoD, and New Media market. The market’s nine (9) day run showcased 400 exhibiting companies which accommodated a traffic of about 70,000 visits. The Philippine film previews did not have as many buyer-viewers as expected but this was seen as a challenge for next year’s Berlinale ; the FDCP, the independent producers and the Philippine Embassy will be cooperating more closely to invite more buyer-viewers for Philippine films in future Berlinale Filmfests.

To strengthen its networking with PHL participants,the Filcom and media, Ambassador Millie Sta. Maria-Thomeczek hosted a dinner on 6 February 2015, for the FDCP, Quezon City Vice Mayor Ma. Josefina G. Belmonte, organizers of the Quezon City Film Festival, Berlinale Talent campus participants, and journalists.

Berlinale takes place every year in Berlin and is regarded as one of the world’s leading film industry events. The films that are successful in the competition are awarded Gold and Silver Bears by an international jury. Up to 400 films are presented in various sections. The 2015 Berlinale sold more than 300,000 tickets , had almost 20,000 professional visitors from 124 countries, including around 3,700 journalists, making the film festival with the largest audience worldwide. ***END

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The Philippine Embassy in Berlin

Viewing category: Culture

Virtouso Pianist Cecile Licad Highlights Celebrations of the 117th PH Independence in Berlin

JUANA DECIDES: Filipinas in Berlin Celebrate Women’s Month by Sharing Stories of Leadership and Decision-Making

A Homecoming Win for Kidlat Tahimik at the 65th Berlin Film Festival

The Berlinale Talent Campus: Philippine Film Industry Expands its Profile at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival

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