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Thursday, November 18, 2004
Pinoy gay film 'Bath House' to be launched
GRUPONG Sinehan, in cooperation with the Remedios Aids (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) Foundation and ProGay Philippines, presents "Bath House," another trailblazing gay male film by indie director Cris Pablo, one of the country's first pioneers of commercially successful digital full features.
"Bath House" exposes the heartless scorn that society imposes upon gay people and how gay people have somehow absorbed these biases to become even more cruel to fellow gay men. But the film comes out with a moral about love and fidelity hidden in gay men grown tired of club sex in the dark.
As with his first digital outing "Duda/Doubt", Pablo asserts that promiscuity is not a be-all and end-all of being gay. "There will always be something that would fill the emptiness caused by fear, uncertainty and grief in not being able to come out in the open. Being closeted and low self-esteem should not be recycled excuses for trying to date everyone in the city."
The movie "Bath House" hews closely to the signature autership of Pablo's internationally acclaimed "Duda/Doubt" which earned for him two Best Director nominations for both the 2004 New York Asian American Film Festival and the Barcelona International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.
The broody tale takes unwanted young campus nerd Rico (Ray An Dulay) through roller coaster tumbles of a dreary relationship with Cris (Jet Alcantara). The ageing former heartthrob acts as his mentor in the lessons of sexual awakening along the dark hallways of Klub Hombre, a private sex club somewhere in Manila.
Along the way, a smorgasbord of gay male stereotypes who haunt the cavernous steam rooms clad only in towels and false illusions about themselves and their desires recreate a bitchy monster in Rico, far removed from his humble beginnings.
The film is now being crafted by the intrepid production house Grupong Sinehan on a shoestring budget, video and audio equipment that have seen better days and huge helpings of heroic dedication and volunteer spirits from gay and lesbian artists and their heterosexual supporters this month.
The producers once again court the support of the gay and lesbian community to the independent tradition of this guerilla film project. Grupong Sinehan requests cash donations, food and drink, vehicles and transport, editing services, costumes, wardrobes and other necessary support for the production, editing, marketing and audience mobilization expenses.
For serious offers of help, please call Mark of Grupong Sinehan at 0927 5249436 and landline 4368987 or Oscar of ProGay at 0921 3398955 and landline 3673109. Visit the website http://progayphilippines.blogspot.com or email progay@yahoo.com. (PR)
(November 18, 2004 issue)
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