CINEMALAYA 2014: ‘K’na the Dreamweaver’ exploring Filipino culture

MANILA, Philippines - Working on an independent film is nothing new with the lead stars of Cinemalaya entry “K’na the Dreamweaver.”

Mara Isabelle Lopez was part of last year's Cinemalaya movie “Debusyon” and won her first best actress award in Cinema One originals entry “Palitan” in 2012.

While her leading man, RK Bagatsing who was part of Cinemalaya for the first time, worked on four indie films namely “”Supremo,” “Slumber Party” where he played his first lead role, “’Sitio,” and “Guerilla is a Poet.”

Yet these experiences didn’t make working on “K’na the Dreamweaver” a breeze for them since they have to face one big challenge: using the T’boli language all throughout the film.

“Learning the language was the most challenging,” Mara said in an email interview with philSTAR.com. “We met with our language coaches several times prior to the shoot, and we went through the whole script more than 30 times, I think!”

To learn the language, Mara said she had a voice recording of the script in T’boli.

"That helped a lot. So after a while, Direk Ida was surprised coz I was already throwing adlib lines! I knew what the lines meant so there was emotion in every line I threw.”

RK, meanwhile, said that aside from learning the language, it took time for him to be comfortable in actually speaking the T’boli language.

“It wasn’t easy being comfortable saying your lines out loud especially in South Cotobato, Lake Sebu where all native T’boli’s live. They’re closely watching our every move and listening to us while filming,” he explained.

Despite all the hardships, the lead stars believe that this film is worth their full time and energy.

“K’na is the first ever feature film about the T’boli people and shot entirely in their language,” RK said. Supporting this, Mara said, “it’s a masterpiece, a simple love story, a film that will show a part of the Philippines that is unexplored.”

A writer in The Philippine Star's Starweek and a musician, Ida Anita de Mundo debuts as a director in the film.

The 10th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival runs from August 1 to 10.

Here is the list of the screening schedule and venue of "K’na the Dreamweaver":
August 2
06:15 PM | CCP Main Theatre (Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo)
09:00 PM | Trinoma Cinema 1

August 3
03:30 PM | CCP MKP Hall
04:00 PM | Fairview Terraces Cinema 5

August 4
12:45 PM | CCP Studio Theater (Tanghalang Huseng Batute)
01:30 PM | Alabang Town Center Cinema 4
01:30 PM | Greenbelt 3 Cinema 4

August 5
04:00 PM | Greenbelt 3 Cinema 5
06:30 PM | Trinoma Cinema 1

August 6
03:30 PM | CCP Main Theatre (Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo)
09:00 PM | Trinoma Cinema 4

August 7
01:30 PM | Fairview Terraces Cinema 5
03:30 PM | CCP Studio Theater (Tanghalang Huseng Batute)

August 8
06:30 PM | Greenbelt 3 Cinema 5
09:00 PM | CCP MKP Hall

August 9
12:45 PM | CCP Little Theater (Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino)
04:00 PM | Trinoma Cinema 4

August 10
04:00 PM | Alabang Town Center Cinema 4
04:00 PM | Greenbelt 3 Cinema 4