Brillante retrospective in Lisbon

MANILA, Philippines - Director Brillante “Dante” Mendoza is having a retrospective in Lisbon, Portugal until Jan. 25. The event is organized by the Indie Lisboa, organizer of the Lisboa International film festival which is held every April.

Direk Dante and I left Manila last Jan. 17. Before going to Lisbon last Jan. 20, we were in Paris for three days. Swift Productions, producer of direk Dante’s Serbis, Kinatay and Lola, organized a press junket for Lola, which will open in France this spring.

Direk Dante was interviewed by broadcasters from French TV stations and journalists from Telerama, Cahiers du Cinema. Last week, French critic Max Tessier did his interview in Manila for Positif. Another batch of interviews are scheduled second week of March also in Paris.

Last Jan. 17, Didier Costet surprised us with a meeting with French actress Isabelle Huppert. Huppert chaired the jury at last year’s Cannes Film Festival where Direk Dante was named Best Director for Kinatay.

Our meeting took place at the world-renowned Hotel Lutentia Paris which is turning a century year old this year. Huppert arrived promptly in our meeting. She came in a simple pink sweater and a pair of pants. She wore almost no make-up.

She took a quick break from her rehearsal. She is busy preparing for her role as Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire to be staged by Krzysztof Warlikowski at the Theatre de l’Odeon in Paris from Feb. 4 to April. 

I asked her if she has an understudy and she said none. She will be performing everyday except Monday.

It was my third encounter with Huppert. The first was during the Cannes Film Festival awards night party last May and in Sao Paolo, Brazil last September. She was, as always, very accommodating and wonderful.

Before Lisbon, direk Dante was given retrospectives in Cleveland, Rome, Paris and Sao Paolo. 

He will be in Berlin, Germany from Feb. 4 to 11. He will hold filmmaking classes at the Berlin Television and Film School. He will also be given a retrospective in Berlin.

Meanwhile, after competing in last year’s Venice Film Festival and winning Best Feature Film at the Dubai International Film Festival last November, direk Dante’s latest masterpiece, Lola, scored three nominations at the Fourth Asian Film Awards set in Hong Kong on March 22.

Lola is nominated for Best Film, Best Director (for Mendoza) and Best Editing for Kats Serraon.

Last year, direk Dante’s Serbis gave Gina Pareño the AFA Best Supporting Actress award and Mendoza was named Best Director.