BACOLOD film director Kurt Soberano’s short film “Sa Balay ni Papang,” (In My Father’s House) was among the 20 entries in the sixth Hanoi International Film Festival held in Hanoi, Vietnam on November 8 to 12, 2022.
Soberano represented his fellow artists and the Philippines in the said film festival which was participated by nine foreign film directors and eleven from Vietnam.
This film was produced by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Sine Halaga, and the Negros Cultural Foundation headed by Director Elvert Bañares.
The story was traced back to 1982, a 14-year-old movie fanatic from an underprivileged family in the Municipality of Manapla coincidentally witnesses the production shoot of the film “Oro, Plata, Mata” in his hometown.
Full of determination he approaches the director, Peque Gallaga, in the hopes of landing a job that would help in providing for his family and feed his passion.
It was at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic that he thought of writing about this film, induced by the death of the esteemed and renowned film director the late Peque Gallaga.
“It was part of the depression caused by the pandemic and his (Gallaga) passing away during that time, but I think, the main reason that I made this film is that usually when I feel strong emotions like this, I tend to write it out,” he said.
The day after Gallaga died, Soberano decided to write and write and even consulted a colleague about it, and in a month or so, the story was finished.
“It is an honor to be part of such a prestigious event,” Soberano stressed, adding that being selected to compete in any category of this festival is already an achievement in itself.
“I met a lot of filmmakers who made me understand filmmaking on a whole different level. It made me appreciate my craft even more and inspires me to do more and do better in my future projects,” he shared.
He offered this opportunity to be enlisted in the international film fest to God, to his fellow artists who were part of the filming, to the NCCA, and to his family.