An honest and deliberate attempt at self-reflection is sometimes all it takes for some obvious truths to slowly sink in. In my case, the discovery of the inherent ills of Western pop culture happened in batches; in interrupted bouts of conscious culture consumption in which I felt disillusioned seeing the way Hollywood films portrayed non-Western […]
In a school cafeteria in Dhaka, a girl sat alone at a table next to a window. Everybody else sat with their respective groups, and the girl–who was nervous and hungry, and not in the least bit immune to the kind of inevitable isolation that usually afflicts new students in their first few days of […]
There is surface, and then there is depth. It was the 1950s when gay-themed films that so often saw portrayal from the King of Comedy Dolphy permeated every television of every household. Back then, the Filipino gay man only bifurcated into one-dimensional roles: the loud and flamboyant parloristang bakla who works in cheap salons, and […]
The first thing to notice was the utter smallness of the door. Bordered by a frame of dark, distressed wood, it reveals a sizeable patch of dim light when opened—one so completely removed from its surroundings so that it appeared as if it were hovering. Behind that square of light are white granite walls and […]
It’s the golden age of unexpected twists, and in an era when many are comforted by what’s traditional for its default familiarity, the unconventional provokes: relentlessly evocative of something distinctive, gripping, and different. Carving a name for itself, it’s a mixed bag of both surprise and flavor. And perhaps, in its compelling case of paradoxical […]
Maher Mohammed Al Raee spends his afternoons in calm contemplation. With a mug of tea in one hand and a cigarette in the other, he settles comfortably in his chair, surveying his idyllic neighbourhood, and taking in the afternoon breeze and figures that flit through the streets: Tricycles, cars, the occasional passerby. A look of […]
Now on its fifth year, Art Fair Philippines sets its sights on some of the country’s busiest locations, opting for countless extensive multi-media installations, exhibits, and talks around multiple spots in the metro rather than the much more insular and distilled hubs that housed a few paintings and sculptures in its previous iterations. Homes to […]
With time and place promptly set, and eager attendees gradually flocking to Circuit Makati, the almost morose, unexpectedly bleak atmosphere in the early evening of February 18 was not the subject on everyone’s minds. Instead, guests braced themselves for the incoming barrage of films and live performances that was promised by the Green Media Group […]
The age-old adage describing the comforts of good food and good company is about to take on an interesting addition this Saturday, February 18, at Circuit Makati with the Green Media Group’s Tagpo: Isang Pagtitipon, a celebration of local food, music, and film. The premise is simple: Highlights of the local art scene provide […]
Mow’s comedy bar, a faintly lit room nestled inconspicuously within the basement of a Chinese restaurant, houses a crowd of about twenty people hoping to have a few laughs. Huddled around wobbly steel tables and equally flimsy bar stools, they make attempts at conversation as The Strokes’ Reptilia blares through the speakers set up in […]