MANILA, Philippines – “I’ve always dreamed of having my first feature be about my hometown,” Joshua Caesar Medroso told Rappler when asked about the provenance of Kantil , his debut feature at the 20th edition of the Cinemalaya Film Festival. Added the director: “Barangay Tibungco has always been a part of my identity as a filmmaker and as an artist. The place and the people there — my friends, neighbors, [and] relatives — are all influential in discovering and honing my voice.
” But more than serving as an ode to his hometown, Medroso, through Kantil, hopes to put stories from the south front and center, considering that space, apart from funding, is often a glaring roadblock for many filmmakers outside the Metro. “Mindanao is a treasure trove of stories that is yet to be discovered,” he said. “With this film, with Cinemalaya amplifying our story, I was given the opportunity to do something I love with the people I care about, but also, hopefully, allow an opportunity for more stories in our regions to be seen.
” Produced on a shoestring budget, Kantil centers on two star-crossed lovers, Paleng and Eliong, whose romance remains uncertain as the former’s coastal town faces the threat of demolition. But things take an interesting turn when a fisherman comes across “a mysterious alien shell lurking in a trench” — a discovery that intrigues the rest of the community, including the couple. Play Video Medroso noted in his director statement on the Cinemalaya site that the film thematically touches on the “alienation, dehumanization, and displacement” the Filipino poor endures.
He explained: “The Philippines claims to move in the name of ‘progress’ but, in reality, robs the marginalized of opportunities to move with it. Apart from intimidation and physical abuse, landowners in tandem with local governments resort to inhumane methods like burning down houses, eradicating them from their homes like rodents — forcing them into relocation sites without proper access to water and electricity.” Past this, Medroso queers the narrative and approaches it through the science fiction genre, which he has developed a penchant for since childhood.
“A huge part of my affinity to cinema comes from watching retro sci-fi films. I can still vividly remember how watching these kinds of films affected the way I viewed storytelling in general, how it pushed the art of storytelling through ingenious means such as matte paintings, synth music, and so on,” shared the director. Medroso said further: “Our country also has very little exploration in the genre.
I’m not sure why that is, perhaps because when we encounter something that hinges towards science fiction, we almost always immediately approach it through a mystical lens. That Filipino behavior is actually something that we also considered in Kantil , and that’s why Kantil ‘s approach to the genre is seemingly unusual. No war.
No global invasion. Just a small town fighting for their place in the world. But at its core, [it’s] still very ambitious as any sci-fi film.
” I spoke to Medroso recently to learn more about his craft and intentions. The conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity. You said this project is personal to you as someone who has grown up in Tibungco, Davao City, to which Kantil ‘s filmic world anchors.
Can you talk more about this experience and how Tibungco has shaped your life? A behind-the-scenes shot on the set of Kantil. Photo from Cinemalaya’s website When I was still making short films, their common denominator is the fact that they have always been about Tibungco. I think this stems from that idea that when you are a regional filmmaker, your identity really is tied to where you are born and raised.
When I was growing up in the coastal slums of Tibungco, I had to face these constant threats of demolition. Now more than ever, with more commercial harbors, coastal roads, and bridges being built, the looming threat of displacement really is getting closer. That was the initial reason why I had to make this film.
The experience all throughout, from writing the story up until editing, was very surreal in a way that the community truly understood what the story was about because this is the truth that we really wanted to put out. Throughout the process, I’m always moved by this sense of volunteerism from the crew down to the extras, the kind of energy that I have felt even in my younger years when I was still dreaming about this. Some kind of unique faith that really propelled me as an artist and as a storyteller.
A lot of people took on multiple hats, carried on despite the raging heat. Honestly, while we have colleagues in Kantil who have much experience in filmmaking, Kantil is made mostly by people who are first-timers in filmmaking. And I am very, very proud of what they have accomplished with me.
Let’s revisit your early beginnings in filmmaking. When did you realize that being a filmmaker is something you hope to pursue more seriously? The first film that really opened doors for me in the film community is the short film Trabungko . It’s about the myth that is also present in Kantil .
It began as a small video project that was supposed to be shown at a local pageant here but it mutated to this film that I look back on with a smile. It premiered five years ago at the Mindanao Film Festival. I think that’s when I realized I wanted to pursue film more seriously.
I am not a film graduate, nor was I very well exposed to the film community, but I’m always brought back because of my love for films, and by extension, my love for filmmaking. Trabungko was that one project that started it all, followed [by] some more short films that took off in their respective stages, [which] then ultimately led to where we are now. Can you share your approach to the visual language of Kantil ? Kantil is a very, very difficult film to do.
We tackle multiple topics and we jump from one genre to the next. It is truly ambitious and grand. I knew my approach to the film would be unique to what I usually do.
It had to be mysterious. It had to be secretive. It had to mirror the experience of discovering an unfamiliar object.
I knew that in many scenes, I will have to steal [from] the audience the opportunity to experience the events fully, the violence will be obscured, the conversations are almost like we’re eavesdropping. Like the main character Paleng, I will have to steal the audience’s senses to fully experience it. It is a very, very unique approach.
During the preproduction phase, when I was discussing the look of the film with my director of photography, Arbi Barbarona, we knew Kantil would need to have a different kind of personality look-wise. We decided to use an anamorphic lens we had bought off of Facebook marketplace and add it to the array of lenses they put together to complete Kantil ‘s look. It was truly mesmerizing to see the camera team work, and even now, I am still in awe with the shots.
It was what the story required, and the team delivered such an incredibly unique visual imagery, with the beauty of the place and the people at the heart of it. Apart from the queer romance at its center, the film also interrogates displacement and encroachment as well as notions of keeping a community ‘s culture alive. I wonder how such thematic preoccupations informed your script while you were still working on it.
How much of the text changed during Cinemalaya’s film lab? STAR-CROSSED LOVERS. A still of Kantil’s Paeng and Eliong. Photo from Cinemalaya’s website The Cinemalaya film lab was truly helpful in realizing the potential of Kantil ‘s narrative.
Honestly, without the people helping and guiding me through this huge maze of a story, I would not be able to make Kantil at all. What I got from this whole process, especially during preproduction, including the film lab, is allowing myself and my story to be as grounded as possible. Kantil being this grand, complex story, I admit that I have had my ambitious nature take over, especially since this is science fiction and there is a lot of room for me to explore.
But I realized that I couldn’t navigate it alone. I have created this world with such colorful characters in a seemingly intricate game of chess. During the film labs, Direk (Director) Jun Lana, along with the finalists of batch 20, initially helped me whip the story up to shape and see the magic there.
Their patience and enthusiasm in the material really is inspiring. Among the many things we’ve discussed are the role of the magical shell in truly shaping the futures of these characters, the romance between the main characters, and the importance of a lasting impression when the film ends in the theaters. Any artistic or cinematic influences that shaped your vision for Kantil ? As far as cinematic influences go, I’d still go back to my first love: retro science fiction films.
Films like 2001: Space Odyssey , Blade Runner , even lesser popular films like Enemy Mine , or Saturn 3 , or Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun , films that build a world and envision a future. Some other influences also that I should note are Arrival , and the wondrous works of Apichatpong Weerasethakul. These films perfectly show the power of incorporating sci-fi and mythical elements in investigating the deeper trenches of being human.
Terrific poster for the film, I have to say. How did you come up with it? The official poster of Kantil. Photo from Cinemalaya’s website I’d like to give a shout-out to Jed Descutido, our extremely talented designer for our poster.
I just wanted something that would encapsulate the space and the sea elements of the story and meld them into this gorgeous abstract cosmic imagery, something that shows the grandeur and the simplicity of the narrative at the same time. I only told him to make something where the sand feels like the stars, and we ended up with what we have now. Until now, I’m still in awe of what Jed has come up with.
How demanding was the filming process? What were the team’s biggest hurdles? More than a dream, making Kantil really was a challenge. We really pulled this thing together through the skin of our teeth. People took on multiple hats in production.
Sir Perry Dizon, one of our actors here, is also our production designer. Edmund Telmo, our main actor, is also our editor. It’s these things that helped us immensely, given our resources, given the financial struggles [that] weighed us down.
But with all of these things said, what I am proud of with Kantil is the fact that it’s built by the people of my barangay. Most of the actors are my friends, neighbors, even my own father. Just a day before filming, I told my crew that it will be very demanding, especially since we are filming at the height of an ongoing heat wave in the country.
But we pushed through. I am forever indebted to their generosity and hard work. What role did the Davao film scene have to reach the film’s completion? Another group of people that I should also thank is the Davao film community.
They have always shown support from the start, knowing this is the first Davao Cinemalaya film in a while. Everybody, experts in the field, as well as my peers in the region, helped in assembling the right people, building manpower, and creating this partnership with the local council to get this project finished. What are your hopes for filmmakers from the regions? I guess I am not alone in saying that I really do hope stories and storytellers from the regions, especially those in Mindanao, are given more platforms and opportunities like our counterparts in Luzon.
I hope there are more film-related events like film labs, film festivals, and more, where everyone can both learn the ins and outs of filmmaking as well as commune with one another, furthering a stronger and well-rounded community here. I also hope more filmmakers from the regions are given support, could be from the state or the local governments. Any kind of support already means a lot to us.
It’s very, very rare that we are given opportunities like the one I had with Cinemalaya, but if I’m going to be honest, I wish the journey with Kantil is much gentler to everyone involved. Part of what made this journey such a challenge is the financial constraints we had to endure to get this going. I hope this film opens some kind of consciousness that while we have a rich pot of stories yet to be discovered, we [also] have a rich pot of storytellers that need inspiration, space, and chance.
– Rappler.com.
