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PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY March 1 - 15, 2019
By Alan Samuel
Birds of Passage (PG) **
Divided Loyalties!
Modern business meets traditional culture in Birds
of Passage. Paradise will never be the same. Decidedly
different this Columbia gem from Taro PR. Ones your
way at select cites and at Vancouver Vancity Cinemas
for a limited run.
One of the good things about Birds of Passage
is that truly it is different. And somewhat robust. Set
in the heady world of drugs two Columbia families up
to their necks in territorial rights and ancient almost
folkloric culture see their lives shattered. Missteps and
miscalculations involving some youthful indiscretions
sees two warring warlords go gunning for each other.
And at the Centre of it all is a family matriarch with
some sort of channel to the traditional Gods.
Unlike most crime stories set in Urban
America you have to give it up to directors and writers
Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra for taking us deep
into the villages of Columbia and fleshing out some
unconventional gangsters whose roots in tradition
and best practices learned from their elders really
resonates. Here the characters are all diverse and
unique with pent-up rage among the youth and a
reasoned approach among the adults well balanced
and engaging.
Despite the English subtitles Birds of Passage
is well acted and unique and a neat offering from
Latin America with a historical presence not to be
overlooked.
Nadine Lustre
resplendent in ‘Ulan’
The
largest
video-on-
demand service in Southest
Asia, HOOQ has partnered with
Viva for “Ulan,” its first original
production.
Said
Milette
Rosal,
marketing head of HOOQ in
the Philippines, “‘Ulan’ is a great
piece, quite unpredictable and
it really supports our agenda
which is to look for great
stories that will become great
production.
“Everything about it is
great, starting with the director,
Irene Villamor, who has had
great hits, our lead stars,
Carlo Aquino, an award-wining
actor, and Nadine Lustre, the
multi-media princess. This
is Nadine’s breakaway movie
that’s gonna catapult her into a
serious leading lady. We really
feel it.
“If you go online, you will see
that the support for Nadine is
tremendous, people are saying
we’re buying it because of the
mysterious
merchandising.
Nadine’s really growing up that
the taste of the audience has
become elevated and world-
class,” Milette Rosal, head of
marketing, Philippines.
Indeed, with the dreamlike
“Ulan,” director Irene Villamor
presents something different to
audiences.
The “Sid and Aya” director
has made an actress of Nadine
Lustre, who is resplendent as
Maya, the orphan girl with a
rich imagination and a longing
for true love. Growing up with
a superstitious Lola (Perla
Bautista), Maya witnesses a
tikbalang wedding, sees her
classmates turn into eggs, and
even talks to Aning, a banshee-
like figure who speaks of pain
and love.
Maya has had her heart
broken a couple of times,
works in a dead-end job under
a lascivious boss, and lives with
her aunt and uncle she does not
feel a connection to, so it’s no
surprise she finds solace in her
imagination. When someone
like Carlo Aquino’s seemingly-
perfect character Peter comes
along, Maya’s jaded heart
begins to hope again. But then,
she learns just how complicated
life is. (Malaya)
TEST NO. 3: Geography & Travel
1. Where on Earth is 0” Latitude, 0”
Longitude
a. In the Atlantic Ocean
b. In the Pacific Ocean
2. Contrary to the image conjured up by the
band Toto in its hit song “Africa,” you can’t see
Mount Kilimanjaro from the Serengeti.
a.
True
b.
False
3.
What was founded in1791 as the first planned capital city in the
world?
a.
Tripoli
b.
Ottawa
c.
Washington, D.C.
d.
Brussels
4.
What’s the only river in the world that crosses the Equator twice,
flowing northwards and southwards across the line?
a.
Ganges
b.
Mekong Yangtze
c.
Congo
5.
“Where it all begins,” is the tourism slogan of which country?
a.
Greece
b.
China
c.
Kiribati
d.
Egypt
6.
Built in 1372 and standing about 56 meters, what European
structure is famous for its imperfection?
7.
What large sandstone formation in central Australia is also known
as Ayers Rock?
8.
If North Korea is the DPRK, what country is LPDR?
9.
What US Midwest city shares its name with the deepest point in
the Atlantic Ocean?
10.
What’s the popular name of the overland route linking Europe to
Asia that was mostly taken by Westerners with long hair and love beads
from the mid 1960s to the late 1970s?
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