DUMALO sina Direk Law Fajardo at Quantum producer, Atty. Joji Alonso sa 51st Toronto International Film Festival dahil kasama sa kumpetisyon ang pelikulang “Silenced Nights”.
Base sa Facebook post ni Atty. Joji, “Direk Law Fajardo and I are at the opening night of the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, struggling to battle jet lag.
The rest of the team is at a layover in Incheon enroute to Toronto. This is my 5th film to screen at TIFF, but my first time to attend the opening ceremony. Couldn’t be prouder to have a film representing the Philippines.”
Nakuwento rin ng producer na nagkaroon ng Press at Market screening ang “Silenced Nights” na dinaluhan ng 73 press at market people.
Baka Bet Mo: Joji Alonso sa oath taking ni Nico Antonio: ATERNI ka na talaga!
“For the first time, I had 73 press and market people in attendance including New York Times’ acclaimed film critic Manolah Dargis (in the past we would be so happy with 20-30 people watching the film).
“Then a quick visit to the TIFF signage for some kodakan of our artists.
Last leg of the day, a black carpet event with our director and lead stars in attendance at the Misty Green World premiere, written and directed by Chris Rock.”
Kasama nina Atty Joji at direk Law ang mga bida ng pelikula na sina Atty. Nico Antonio, Ina Feleo at Lotlot de Leon at ang supervising producers niyang sina Patricia Sumagui, Marinet Lusanta, at Genevieve ‘Bunso’ Bandiola.
Samantala, ikinuwento ni atty Joji ang reaksyon ng mga nakapanood ng Silenced Nights sa TIFF world premiere.
“And the first batch of reviews are in!!!
“Beautiful, raw and heartbreakingly human. Reminiscent of Niemöller’s poem “First They Came.” – this film is an important and powerful must-watch.”
“With Silenced Nights, Fajardo has crafted a shocking and infuriating film that criticizes the police state and its intertwinement with government institutions. While the film may border on becoming too melodramatic, the excellent performances and Fajardo’s visceral direction give Silenced Nights immense power.”
“Silenced Nights” is a very competent movie that, at times, perhaps needed a bit more tension, but in general presents its comments quite eloquently and without any significant faults.”
“What a brave and powerful movie! I could almost smell the place—Happyland in Tondo—and feel the cramped spaces and oppressive atmosphere. I was scared for my life throughout the entire film, deeply empathized with the characters, and felt the weight of our rotten system, which was so painfully and brilliantly captured on screen.
Congratulations to the entire team behind Silenced Nights! What a remarkable film.”
“As a result, this film is a more than timely reminder of what we shouldn’t forget. I may be second-guessing the producers here; but I would venture to say that they see how easy it is for hindsight to romanticize events and periods of the past. From martial law, to this more recent Drug War, people will now comment about how it was more peaceful, or we felt safer. And what’s easy to forget is that guarantees of democracy, and of our justice system, were denied to so many during these times. That the Drug War also became a war of Filipino against Filipino, with one side being allowed to execute and murder countrymen without them being charged or brought to trial, to determine real guilt. Silenced, not just for a night, but forever.”
“The film carries the weight of that realization. It isn’t interested in pretending that authoritarianism happens somewhere outside of us. It asks what we tolerated, what we celebrated, what we ignored, and what we told ourselves so that we could keep going. For a Filipino audience, that complicity is difficult to escape. And perhaps that’s the point.”
“I wonder what my diasporic family would take away from this film, not ever needing to confront the product of passivity so personally as Andoy did. I cried after the credits, during the Q&A, contending with the ingrained fear of the state that has haunted the Philippines for so long.”
“Where fear prevails justice is silenced. A chilling tagline for a heartbreaking and harrowing film.”
“In all, the film is an important reminder that such state violence is not limited to the Philippines, as several cast members stated. As ICE continues to kidnap, torture, and murder people in the United States, Israel’s genocide in Gaza persists, the extractive violence in Congo, and the continued settler violence against Indigenous peoples in places like Canada, Silenced Nights is a reminder that, in the words of Ina Feleo, “stories like these are not just stories but actual reality.”
Ang nasabing pelikula ay iikot muna sa ibang bansa bago ito ipalabas sa Pilipinas.
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