Panaghoy sa Suba

Panaghoy sa Suba (English: The Call of the River or The Cry of the River; Tagalog: Ang Panaghoy ng Suba), is a 2004 Visayan language film produced and directed by Cesar Montano, who also played the lead role.[1][2] Panaghoy sa Suba is an historical romance drama about a love triangle which takes place during the Second World War. Its themes concern Filipino nationalism and the legacies of colonialism.

Panaghóy sa Subâ: The Call of the River
Panaghoy sa Suba poster
Directed byCesar Montano
Produced byCesar Montano
Screenplay byCris Vertido
Story byCesar Montano
StarringCesar Montano
Music byNonong Buencamino
CinematographyEly Cruz
Edited byRenato de Leon
Distributed byCM Films Inc.
Release date
  • December 25, 2004 (2004-12-25)
Running time
120 minutes
CountryPhilippines
Language
Budget₱25,000,000.00
Box office₱15,844,266.01

Plot
Loboc, River

The story is set in Bohol, Central Visayas during World War II before, during, and immediately after, the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines.

Duroy (Cesar Montano) is a banca operator who falls in love with Iset (Juliana Palermo), the most bewitching girl in her village. Iset is an obedient child whose father and materialistic aunt hope that she will marry the American businessman who employs her and thereby achieve wealth and status. The resident American businessman, John Smith (played by Philip Anthony), is an abusive, rude and stingy landowner. He notices Iset's beauty but sees her as a potential mistress rather than a future wife. Islet loves Duroy but obeys her parents.

Ibô (Reiven Bulado), Duroy's brother, is also smitten with Iset. As Duroy adores his family and does not want to get in his brother's way, he stops courting Iset. Duroy is devoted to his family, his mother (Daria Ramirez), Ibô and his sister, Bikay (multi-awarded former child star Rebecca Lusterio). Heartbroken after her husband leaves for an American woman and ill, Duroy's mother dies when they run out of money to purchase her medicine. John Smith sees Ibo talking with Iset at the warehouse and shoots him on the spot. Duroy vows revenge.

When the Japanese invasion begins, many men of the village flee into the mountains to become guerillas. The women and children stay, along with an American priest. John Smith is drafted into the American army and leaves. The Japanese commander who arrives notices Iset but does not attack her as many Japanese military personnel did elsewhere in the Philippines during the war. With the Japanese now in power Iset's aunt wants her to marry the officer.

Several years pass before Duroy and his men launch an attack against the Japanese garrison. The Japanese responded by killing the priest and taking hostages. In 1945, a group of Filipino and American troops arrive to help the Boholano guerrilla force defeat the Japanese troops. Duroy kills the Japanese commander after a long man-against-man battle.

John Smith (mockingly dubbed "White Balls" by Duroy and his friends) returns after the war expecting life to continue as it was before the Japanese invasion. Duroy attacks him but after beating Smith and thoroughly humiliating him tells Smith that he isn't worth killing him. Iset refuses John Smith's clumsy offer to renew their relationship and chooses Duroy.

Cast
  • Cesar Montano as Duroy
  • Juliana Palermo aw Iset
  • Reiven Bulado as Ibô (Duroy's brother)
  • Daria Ramirez as Duroy's mother
  • Rebecca Lusterio aa Bikay (Duroy's sister)
  • Jackie Woo as Fumio Okohara (Japanese Army officer)
  • Phil Anthony as John Smith
  • Caridad Sanchez – Aunt Lahi
  • Joel Torre as Damian
  • Ronnie Lazaro
  • Suzette Ranillo
  • Rommel Montano
  • Dr. Warfe Engracia
  • Ramon Villanueva
  • Chelo Espina
  • Disi Alba

Filming

Panaghoy sa Suba was actor Cesar Montano's directorial debut. The filming was done in Bohol, the Philippines with a mostly Visayan cast.[3][4] One of the producers, R.D. Alba had attended the Los Angeles Film School.

Screening and reception

Panaghoy sa Suba was given an "A" rating by the Cinema Evaluation Board (C.E.B.) of the Film Development Council of the Philippines. The CEB described Cesar Montano's direction as "meticulous but light-handed." It turned "a somewhat rambling and slow screenplay into a poetic, sometimes even magical, current of silent struggle and survival."[5] UNESCO also endorsed the film.[4]

Panaghoy sa Suba was included as an exhibition in the Tous les Cinemas du Monde at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005.[6][7] It has also been screened at film festivals in Berlin, Toronto, Tokyo, Korea and in the Czech Republic at the "Karlo Vary Film Festival".[7] In 2005, it was also shown at the Shanghai International Film Festival and the Festival of Asian Cinema in New Delhi.[8]

Awards

Panaghoy sa Suba won 16 awards and 11 nominations. It was entered in the 2004 Metro Manila Film Festival where it won the Gatpuno Villegas Cultural Award and others including Second Best Picture (to Mano Po III: My Love), Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Musical Score.[5][9] In 2005, at the Gawad Suri Awards in Manila, it won Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress awards.[10]

The film was named Best Picture at the "International Festival of Independent Films" held in Brussels, Belgium. There, Montano was also chosen as Best Director.[11]

At the Golden Screen Awards, Montano won Best Actor for his performance.[12]

The awards for the film include:

  • 2004
  • Film Academy of the Philippine Awards 2005
    • Best Cinematography – Ely Cruz
    • Best Musical Scoring – Nonog Buencamino
    • Best Screenplay – Cris Vertido
    • Best Director – Cesar Montano (nominated)
    • Best Picture (nominated)
    • Best Sound (nominated)
    • Best Supporting Actor – Ronnie Lazaro (nominated)
    • Best Supporting Actress – Daria Ramirez (nominated)
  • Gawad Urian Awards, 2005
    • Best Actor – Cesar Montano
    • Best Cinematography – Ely Cruz
    • Best Direction – Cesar Montano
    • Best Music – Nonog Buencamino
    • Best Picture
    • Best Sound
    • Best Editing – Renato de Leon (nominated)
    • Best Production Design (Pinakamahusay na Disenyong Pamproduksiyon) – Allan Leyres and Ron Heri Tan (nominated)
    • Best Screenplay (Pinakamahusay na Dulang Pampelikula) – Cris Vertido (nominated)
    • Best Supporting Actor (Pinakamahusay na Pangalawang Aktor) – Jacky Woo (nominated)
    • Best Supporting Actress (Pinakamahusay na Pangalawang Aktres) – Rebecca Lusterio (nominated)
    • Best Supporting Actress (Pinakamahusay na Pangalawang Aktres) – Juliana Palermo(nominated)

References
  1. Cry me a river no more for Pinoy film industry Nordis news website 9 January 2005. Retrieved 4 December 2006.
  2. Panaghoy sa Suba (The Call of the River) 2004 www.imdb.com Retrieved 29 November 2006.
  3. Cesar Montano's not-so-impossible dream Newsflash website 2004 Archived 8 January 2005.
  4. Panaghoy sa Suba www.thefreeman.com Retrieved 30 November 2006. Archived November 30, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
  5. "A-rating for 'Panaghoy sa Suba'". inq7.net. Archived from the original on 7 February 2005.
  6. Panagahoy sa Suba (Call of the river) to Cannes Filmfest Archived 2006-12-14 at the Wayback Machine www.newsflash.org Retrieved 30 November 2006.
  7. Cesar Montano’s Panaghoy... to screen in Cannes filmfest www.filipinoreporter.com Retrieved 30 November 2006.
  8. More Pinoy Films To Int’l Filmfests Archived 2006-12-12 at the Wayback Machine www.newsflash.org Retrieved 4 December 2006.
  9. And the winners are... Archived 2008-02-04 at the Wayback Machine www.abs-cbn.com Retrieved 30 November 2006.
  10. The Call of the River Archived 2008-01-12 at the Wayback Machine www.cinemaya.net Retrieved 30 November 2006.
  11. Two Pinoy films triumph at international film fests Archived 2006-04-26 at the Wayback Machine www.abs-cbnnews.com Retrieved 30 November 2006.
  12. Congrats sa mga Winners ng Golden Screen Awards Archived 2008-02-04 at the Wayback Machine www.abs-cbn.com Retrieved 30 November 2006.
  13. Award Winning Movies MMFF Regal Films Retrieved January 30, 2007.
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