On its 10th edition, slated from November 17-26, 2022, QCinema International Film Festival celebrates the classics anew. Newly restored versions of unforgettable films by two celebrated directors will be screened in the festival.
Mike de Leon’s classic movies Itim (The Rites of May) (1976), which is also his debut feature, and Kisapmata (In the Wink of an Eye) (1981) will be screened in QCinema’s Digitally Restored Classic Section together with Wong Kar-wai’s romantic drama In The Mood for Love (2000).
The new restoration of Itim premiered recently at Cannes Film Festival in the Cannes Classic section wherein a special selection of best-restored prints is shown to encourage people to explore the history of cinema around the world.
The film, which was voted the best film of the decade (1970-1979) by Gawad Urian, stars Charo Santos, her first film project, together with Tommy Abuel, Mario Montenegro, and Mona Lisa.
The 107-minute psychological drama follows the story of a young photographer from Manila who returns to his hometown to visit his paralyzed father. During the visit, he documents the local Holy Week rites and meets Teresa, a mysterious woman who is haunted by her sister’s death.
Kisapmata, another Mike de Leon gripping masterpiece, is based on the murder-suicide case of the Cabading family in 1961. It was inspired by Nick Joaquin’s crime report “The House on Zapote Street. ” Using his pen name Quijano de Manila, Joaquin’s account was published by the Philippine Free Press magazine. De Leon’s film is labeled as one of the most horrifying films in Philippine cinema history.
The multi-awarded film also stars Charo Santos, with Vic Silayan, Jay Ilagan, and Charito Solis.
Aside from QCinema, the films will also have screenings at Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), which is doing a Mike de Leon retrospective entitled “Mike de Leon, Self-Portrait of a Filipino Filmmaker” the entire month of November. MoMA, in its website, revered Mike de Leon as “one of Filipino cinema’s most fiercely political and dramatic storytellers in his own right.”
Completing the QCinema’s Digitally Restored Classics section is the 4K restored version of 2000 romantic drama In The Mood for Love by Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai, who is best known for the non-linear narratives and unique cinematography in his films.
Considered by many as one of the best romantic movies ever made, the film stars Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung, who play two brokenhearted people finding solace in each other’s company. The film is also often listed as one of the greatest films of all time and one of the major works of Asian cinema.
The restored version was first presented in celebration of the 20th anniversary of its release in 2020 and has played to sold-out cinema screenings and festivals around the world.