With the recent news about the devastation brought by typhoon Odette hitting the headlines, the subject of the Metro Manila Film Festival entry film Kun Maupay Man It Panahon (which opens in theaters nationwide on December 25) is as timely as ever. The globally recognized drama film starring Charo Santos, Daniel Padilla and newcomer Rans Rifol, tells of the aftermath of 2013 supertyphoon Yolanda.
I am one of the enthusiasts of this film since their camera started rolling years ago. And what better occasion to introduce the film to the Filipino audience through the Metro Manila Film Festival opening this Christmas Day.
Let’s watch the trailer first.
Kun Maupay Man It Panahon (English title: Whether the Weather is Fine) is inspired by director Carlo Francisco Manatad’s own experience of looking for his family in Tacloban because he could not reach them for days. After what seemed to be the longest day of his life, Carlo managed to find his loved ones—all 16 of them plus their family dog—alive and well. When the young filmmaker returned to Manila to resume work (he was doing film editing at that time), he could not shake off what he went through.
Kun Maupay Man It Panahon has traveled to 25 international film fests in a span of five months. During that time, it also won Special Mention by the Jury at the Guanajuato International Film Festival in Mexico and Best Director at the London East Asia Film Festival in the UK.
Carlo says, “Our team is thankful for the chance to bring our movie home as it tackles something we must live with. I feel it is important to discuss the reality of natural calamities in this generation we are in. A lot has been said about Filipino resilience especially in the wake of disasters— both natural and otherwise—to the point that it has become cliché.
“Major typhoons have been happening more often so Odette’s occurrence comes as no surprise… I think I speak on behalf of my co-filmmakers when I say that climate change and disaster preparedness are the more urgent issues. These should be addressed by everyone and not be ‘masked’ or neglected by the sentimentality of resilience.
The film had its world premiere at the 2021 Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland where it took home the Youth Jury Prize, and got raves at the Toronto International Film Festival. Canadian film critic Henry Tan of Universal Cinema hailed it for its two major feats: 1) using the dialect of Waray as the dialogue, and 2) bringing attention to how the Philippines responded to the aftermath of Yolanda.
He wrote, “Carlo Francisco Manatad has done a great job in bringing awareness of this historical typhoon event in the Philippines. Whether the Weather is Fine… reminds the audience about the humanity in coming together to help the survivors move forward from a devastation.”
Kun Maupay Man It Panahon is truly an international movie as it is produced by Cinematografica (Philippines), planc (Philippines), House on Fire (France)| iWantTFC (Philippines), Globe Studios (Philippines), Black Sheep (Philippines), Quantum Films (Philippines), AAND Company (Singapore), KawanKawan Media (Indonesia), Weydemann Bros. (Germany), and CMB Films (Philippines).
For the complete list of MMFF entries, watch this.
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