Films have a “larger-than-life” way of depicting the world, cultures and races, and life itself. This writer, for one, learned different, yet insightful perspectives on life and love from the following contemporary and critically acclaimed films screened at the recently-held Cine Europa in Ayala Center Cebu:
FC Venus (Finland)
I can say that Filipina women in general can very well relate to the story of “FC Venus” as we all have our own set of hang-ups about the obsessions of the men of our lives—whether husband, boyfriend, brother or father—such as perhaps their senseless habit of drinking, smoking, going out with their barkadas, engaging in sport activities that hardly interest women like boxing, racing, basketball and even getting inconsiderately addicted to PC games.
FC Venus is a combination of both comedy and drama, depicting the interesting lives of modern-day men and women, of their successes and failures—and of the very masculine game of football.
The story revolves around women’s battle against football—their men’s obsession—as they feel that their lives and relationships have been constantly affected by how significant the game is in their men’s lives.
Since their men cancelled dates just for football, bored their women by playing football on a wedding day and even ignored marital obligations once their favorite football show would air, the women have grown fed up. And so, the women convene and make a wager that if they are able to beat the men in a football match, it will mark the end of football for the guys.
And so to ensure their victory, the women train hard. They call their team “FC Venus” as opposed to the men’s FC “HeMan” team. But through the tedious trainings they have undergone, the women actually end up liking the game and eventually sharing the same obsession with the men.
The movie concludes that with love and understanding, everything could find a compromise. Personal issues could be dealt with by giving each person who wronged you a chance to correct their mistakes. It tells us that love is a continuous battle for happiness and second chances. Men and women may have different mindsets and set of priorities but with love, a middle ground wouldn’t be hard to find.
La Mome (France)
This interesting movie from France tells the story of Edith, a singer who harbors a gloomy past that haunts her throughout her life.
From the cutthroat streets of Paris to the limelight of New York’s concert halls and stadiums, Edith’s career soars high like a sparrow. She gets called Edith Piaf (the little sparrow) with her petite structure.
But her violet blue eyes mirror the sadness of her past, after being dragged from one place to another and thus robbed of the opportunity to be loved by people who have showed her what the world looks like in an unmasked reality. Despite her successes, life continues to be not easy for Edith. Life is a constant battle for her—to sing and survive and to live and love.
It is not hard to relate to her story as Edith loved her craft more than anything else that even in her last breath, she lingered in her most precious memories on stage.
As a woman, Edith is the kind who easily falls in love and would do everything she could to please her man. But that love of hers would turn into an obsession, that even if the person she loved died, she continues to love him and mourn for him so much so that her career is affected, and so is her own perspectives on life, music and God.
The film made me reflect that in life we cannot have the best of everything.
One unforgettable line from the film goes: “The reason that we stay hurt is that we still continue to love even if love has actually ended.”
Just Sex and Nothing Else (Hungary)
The story of Dora in this Hungarian film reflects the anguish of women who are not able to find the perfect man, who can become the father of a child they had ever so longed to bear.
In a cynic’s so-called “egoistic-men’s world,” Dora’s character mirrors the wishes of many women who are searching for a decent man to love and start a family with—only to fail many times.
Dora is a 30-year-old playwright who decides to give up on men after discovering that her lover is already married. But because of her desire to bear a child, she starts to look for a perfect donor but on the condition that their relationship will only be “just sex and nothing else.”
Desperate and at the same time worried that she might not be able to find the right guy before her ovulation period ends, she turns to the main actor of their stage play, a handsome eyewear model.
But Dora fails to anticipate that both of them can actually fall for each other. But because of the infamous playboy image of the actor, Dora ignores her feelings and instead accepts another man’s proposal, this time their play’s musical scorer, who promises her a happy and stable married life she has longed to have.
Filipinos can easily appreciate love stories like this movie. But unlike the ones I’ve watched, this one is less cheesy and more or less realistic in approach.
The movie shows that perfect relationships and perfect men may only exist in our illusions and prejudiced expectations. It also shows that love can begin and develop if the two people involved realize that relationships take sensibility for it to work.
There are actually basis for one’s cynicism about love or relationships like heartaches brought by break-ups, failed love affairs, so on… but despite these unfortunate circumstances, love still gives people the hope that eventually, happiness will be found in the end.
Facing Windows (Italy)
Every woman dreams of having her own family and living a simple, uncomplicated life. But Giovanna, a bookkeeper in a chicken slaughterhouse, faces a moment in her life wherein she has to choose between her family and a man she just met.
Married to a man who has a precarious job, she slowly becomes overburdened by her graying marriage. After reflecting on her life thanks to the help of an old man named Davide, whom they found in the streets after he lost his memory, Giovanna decides to make her life better than to leave everything behind.
Lorenzo lives across Giovanna’s home. Giovanna gets fascinated by the guy and watches his activities from her window. After meeting him personally, she finds out that Lorenzo has fancied her as well and has constantly monitored her daily routine, too. But before their impulsive attraction for each other becomes full-blown, her concern for her own family brings her to her senses and so, she decides to turn down Lorenzo’s proposal to go away with him.
Davide also has his own love story and from him, Giovanna learned that there are certain things in life that are not just possible and that there are decisions that would either make or break you.
The old man also fuels Giovanna’s passion for baking, which she does as her sideline after work. “Don’t turn your passion into a hobby,” Davide tells her. And so Giovanna decides on quitting her job in the slaughterhouse and pursues her passion for making pastries instead.
A one-liner that I won’t forget in this film goes: “Don’t be afraid to demand to make your life better.”
Indeed, we do have chances to make our lives better, but the decision to do so would have to depend on ourselves in willing it to happen. We may either regret it or live with it, but still life has to go on no matter what trials and hardships will come our way.
Cine Europa 10 was presented by the European Union, the Arts Council of Cebu Foundation Inc. and the Ayala Cinemas. It was also shown in cooperation with Boysen, Duty Free, Directories Philippines Corporation and Metro Gaisano.