Cinematical

Some words of praise for Cavite:

"[Cavite] ventures into rarely seen terrain - the slums of greater Manila - even as it pays homage to the Hollywood bomb-on-a-bus blockbuster Speed." -- Dennis Lim,  New York Times

"[A] cross between A Single Girl ... and a great episode of 24 ... this is a great, great example of a true indie film: 2 guys, a camera and a script, traveling halfway across the world to a country considered one of the most dangerous places in the world and shoot a feature film. It makes me want to grab a camera, go to a foreign land like Africa or Colombia and start shooting away. But first I'd have to grow a pair of balls." – Moriarty, Ain't it Cool News

"Cavite tackles such pertinent issues as cultural identity, family and terrorism ... guerilla filmmaking at its finest." -- Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter

"For a guerrilla-style, no-budget Yank indie to even tackle issues of jihad terror and naive Western thinking is noteworthy in itself, but [Ian] Gamazon and [Neill] Dela Llana inflame the issues with a gutsy, athletic filmmaking package that shows what can be done with a minimum of tools." -- Robert Koehler, Variety

Wanna see it yet? If you're in New York, email karina AT cinematical DOT com and we'll put you on the list for the free screening Cinematical is hosting tonight in Manhattan. After the film, I'll be leading a short Q & A with the filmmakers. Check out the distributor's spin on the basics after the jump.

Written, directed and produced by the Filipino-American duo of Ian Gamazon and Neill Dela Llana, Cavite can be equally described as a suspense story built upon the politics of extremist Muslim groups such as Abu Saayaf and the Muslim Philippine-American who becomes the next unwitting pawn in their terrorist activities, and as an essay on the cultural and economic status of the Philippines through globalization.  The filmmakers deftly construct the fictional and documentary aspects of the premise, producing a highly charged meditation on the visibility and invisibility of terrorism, the Diaspora, international borders and communications networks.

Produced and directed by Ian Gamazon and Neill Dela Llana. Cinematography: Neill Dela Llana.  Editing: Neill Dela Llana and Ian Gamazon.  Music: Ato Mariano.  In English and Tagalog with English subtitles.  A Truly Indie release.  Running time is 80 minutes. Cavite will open on May 26, 2006 in New York and Los Angeles.  Additional cities on June 16th.