Page 31 - Hello Philippines November 2015 'B' issue

November 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition ENTERTAINMENT
4th Impact makes it to Top 7 in X Factor UK
AFTER impressing the judges and
the live audience this week despite
health problems of one of its members,
All-Filipino girl group 4th Impact
makes it to the Top 7 of international
competition “X Factor UK.”
The results were revealed on Sunday,
November 15 (Monday, November 16 in
Manila). Joining 4th Impact in the Top 7
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BE careful what you wish for. You
just might get it.
That’s exactly what happened to
Dodong, a drag queen who wins a
barangay gay pageant in their small
town after he answered the question,
“What is the essence of being a
woman?” with “Motherhood.”
As a result of his participation in
the pageant, Dodong draws the ire
of his father that prompts him to run
to the woods and sob to a lone bright
star or a “bulalakaw” in local parlance.
Soon after, Dodong realizes that he is
pregnant.
Directed by Ara Chawdhury, “Miss
Bulalacao” is one of the nine competing
entries in the ongoing Cinema One
Originals film festival. And if the early
favorable reviews are anything to
go by, the black comedy is one of the
festival’s must-see features.
The Cebu-based filmmaker, whose
heist comedy short “Operation Prutas”
wonthe grand prize andBest Director at
this year’s Sinulog Short Film Festival,
said she got the inspiration for “Miss
Bulalacao” from her own experiences
growing up in her hometown of Naval,
Biliran as well as from various films,
and even the popular videogame
franchise, “The Sims.”
“I was pregnant and bored so I
looked around me and thought of what
I could shoot in my mom’s village. We
lived with our helper’s family and an
addition to the family was our maid’s
& Scoop CELEBRITY
are Anton Stephans, Reggie and Bollie, Che
Chesterman, Mason Noise, Louisa Johnson,
and Lauren Murray.
The remaining acts will be performing
on the X Factor UK live tour, which will run show of X Factor UK this week despite a
from February to March next year.
Monica Michael from the Girls Category
and Max Stone from the Over 25 Category
said goodbye to the X Factor judges and
husband’s son who, when he first came
to us, was flamboyant and proud. I
already knew the husband beats the
wife every now and then. So it wasn’t
hard to imagine why the boy stopped
singing Regine Velasquez songs every
morning. I thought, maybe if he was
the pregnant one, his dad would go
easy on him,” Chawdhury recalled.
In deciding on telling this particular
story from the pageant milieu,
Chawdhury, who is also a published
poet and journalist, said she has always
been intrigued by one particular
question often asked in beauty contests.
“To me, ‘What is the essence of being
A scene from ‘Miss Bulalacao’.
the live audience after double elimination
last Sunday.
4th Impact gained praises after they
proceeded to perform in the third live
member’s health issue backstage, minutes
before the performance.
According to reports, Celina fainted
and an ambulance was called for her, but
she was eventually cleared to perform in
front of the live audience.
The group was given a choice not to
perform and just use their rehearsal tape,
but they declined the offer and proceeded
to impress both the audience and the
judges with their live cover of Beyonce’s hit
“Work It Out.”
Judge and Group category mentor
Cheryl Fernandez-Versini was undeniably
proud of the girls for standing back up in
the midst of unfortunate circumstances.
She said, “I’m so proud of all of you for
getting up in those circumstances. You had
the chance to use the rehearsal tapes but
you said no.”
“We suffer things like this. There’s
things you have to just do and you guys
did that tonight without the professional
experience,” Versini added. n Bianca Rose
Dabu / KBK, GMA News / November 16, 2015 / 4:38 pm
a woman’ goes down in the history
of Philippine pageantry as one of the
most poorly answered questions that
ever won a crown. What would you
say? What makes women what they
are? Motherhood, that popular fuzzy
feeling answer seemed inadequate
to me, especially after I’d become a
mother myself,” she pointed out.
“What about the women who decide
not to birth? What of the infertile?
What of the hermaphrodites and the
transgendered? Who decides? Do
we only exist as we are perceived? It
seems unfair for women to be defined
by limited opportunity, in light of the
myriad ways we express our identities,
opinions and emotions. It seems unfair
to discredit individuality.”
A film about identity “and whatever
it is that is the essence of being a
woman,” “Miss Bulalacao” stars
Cebuano-bred performance artist
Russ Ligtas in his first lead role. Of
the experience. Russ says “Even as
someone who is part of the LGBT,
shooting the film revealed so many
things about my own prejudices. I am
humbled to be part of it.”
Indie director, writer and character
actor Ferdinand Mesias, a fixture in the Chawdhury is also hoping that “Miss
thriving Mindanao cinema, gets his
biggest acting role as Dodong’s father,
Poldo.
“He has a heart hidden beneath all
of it kasi. As a father, a husband and a before receiving provincial status in
lover, he feels very deeply. He was just 1992. So the island is besieged by
hindered by the way he was raised. He
felt he had to keep up the macho thing
all the time.” Mesias noted.
Seasoned actress Tessie Tomas,
who recently won Best Actress at the
QCinema International Film Festival
for Lem Lorca’s “Water Lemon”, is proud
to be part of the cast. Being a native
Waray, she was glad to reconnect with
her heritage.
“Miss Bulalaco is a cleverly wacky
story that challenges our beliefs on
faith. I am proud to be a part of it.
Kaupay na man la!” she exclaimed.
Another veteran actor, Mon
Confiado who is particularly
www.hello-philippines.com 31
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memorable in his few scenes, is thrilled
that regional films,which used to be
vibrant during the 1970s, are now
being revived in a big way.
“Kakaibang kuwento. Nakakatawa
pero hindi siya nagpapatawa.
Nakakaiyak pero hindi ito nagdadrama.
Mababaw pero malalim ang kuwento,”
Confiado said of “Miss Bulalacao.”
Nakakatuwa na bumabalik ang sigla ng
mga regional films.”
And yes, in addition to presenting
a compelling story that she hopes
audiences would appreciate,
Bulalacao” is also accurate in its
portrayal of life in the storm-besieged
region.
“Biliran used to be part of Leyte
storm, and we shot right in the middle
of Habagat season. I am hoping this
film also sheds some light on the
culture and attitudes of people who
have to survive on family bonds and
community spirit,” she added.
Also starring Chai Fonacier and
Nanette Inventor, “Miss Bulalacao”
will be screened on November 14
at Resorts World Manila (1:10PM),
Glorietta (2:45PM) and SM Megamall
(4:50PM); November 16 at SM
Megamall (12:30PM); and November
17 at Glorietta (12:30PM) and Trinoma
(3:30PM). n Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com /
November 14, 2015 / 4:51 pm