'Crying Ladies' wins in Indian film festival

Updated 09:37pm (Mla time) Dec 20, 2004
Inquirer News Service




Editor's Note: Published on page A28 of the December 21, 2004 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer


"CRYING Ladies" won the Best Asian Film and, for its first-time writer-director Mark Meily, the Best Director prize at the 9th International Film Festival of Kerala, the southernmost state of India, on Dec. 17.

Although India is best known for Bollywood, a dynamic film industry that can rival Hollywood, Kerala is a forum for more artistic, less formulaic ("non-mainstream") pursuits.

Kerala, a known hub for intellectuals and film enthusiasts, has always championed "world cinema."

"Crying Ladies" as the Best Asian Film winner is also the recipient of the Netpac Award--the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema.

Luminaries from international cinema graced the Kerala festival, including guests Christopher Doyle, the cinematographer of "Happy Together," "Hero," and "2046"; Tsai Ming Liang, the Taiwanese director of "What Time is It There?" and Abbas Kiarostami, a renowned Iranian director.

Among the jurors in this year's competition was Paul Leduc, the acknowledged
leader of the Mexican new wave.

Nine movies competed for the top prize, but over 200 films were screened this year.

Director Mark Meily is very excited about his debut movie's latest achievement.

"It gave them a fresh perspective of the Philippines," he told Inquirer Entertainment yesterday. "That there's more to our country than what they hear on the news, the kidnappings and the terrorism. That we also make heartwarming, poignant movies."

Meily is wrapping up work on his second film, "Pasyon USA," starring Robin Padilla and co-produced by Sharon Cuneta for Unitel.

"Crying Ladies," the runaway winner in last year's Metro Manila Film Festival, has similarly made waves in other foreign film festivals, including Montreal, Hamburg, and Brussels.

In the Brussels festival, lead star Sharon Cuneta clinched the Best Actress trophy at the 31st International Festival of Independent Film.

The Meily movie is also slated to be showcased at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January.

i wanted to watch since i saw the commercial. i saw a japanese show where they showed real crying ladies in taiwan.

This is the Philippine version.

Whoa...cool! Nice movie siya, in fairness

I think this will also be the Philippine entry to the Oscars 2005

so what is it about?

For foreign films category!

Cool. The movie is great naman eh.

I know but the plot summary?

Taga-iyak sila(Sharon, Hilda, Angel) sa patay na hinire ni Eric Quizon na isang Chinese na naninirahan sa Pilipinas.

Here here

Some critics gave the movie a "very bad" grade. Funny because I enjoyed it. Maybe they just can't relate to the Filipino psyche.

Based on experiece, it is only us Pinoys who can relate to our own jokes and humor..LOL.. There are non-Pinoys too, pero madalang.

Kung sabihin ng iba mababaw ang kaligayahan ng Pinoy, duh.. at least madali tayong makuntento ang hindi mashadong demanding. Simpleng bagay eh, masaya na tayo.

When we saw that movie we noticed that there was this Japanese guy in queue. I dunno if he actually understood anything 2

The big problem is , If that will be our country's entry to the 2005 Oscar award it might not be noticed by the jurors.

Pinoy style - Pray for a miracle! LOL

Not so much expecting for an Oscar.

i like the movie. definitely got out of the same old stupid humor and original plotting

Thank you dear!

that visayan girl was so horny. they portrayed that steretype so exaggeratively.