Khavn de la Cruz’s Philippine Bliss @ the UP Vargas Museum Grand Piano Project

Khavn de la Cruz again invades UP with 2 of his current works, the film “Philippine Bliss” which was shot entirely at the UP B.L.I.S.S. Housing Project and this collaboration with Alwin Reamillo’s installation-in-progress “The Nicanor Abelardo Grand Piano Project”

An installation, a film screening and a live score interactive experience only on July 15 5:30pm at the UP Vargas Museum

PHILIPPINE BLISS

This is not a film by KHAVN.

Synopsis:
“Philippine Bliss” tells the tale of six modern-day Filipinos living in a single neighborhood, a housing project called B.L.I.S.S., started by the former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos during the Martial Law era. These people, whose names allude to familiar characters from Jose Rizal’s novels, narrate their private yet vivid stories of loss, longing, and Third World despair, all intersecting in a public arena that is their packed community. Theirs are lives seen with an oftentimes comic eye, unabashedly bound by a wild and brimming sense of Filipino hope.

Running time: 70min

Cast & Crew:

NEIL ELPUSAN as Simon Crisostomo
REINIER LUCIEN as Elias
JV KATIPUNAN as Tasyo
MENK CRUZAT as Sisa
THERESE CARLOS as Maria
LARA TARRANCO as Clara
DAMASO as Itself

JP HERNANDEZ as the djembe player
ATOY REYES JR. as the steel trader
PEDRING X. SANTOS as the junkyard dog
NINA DANDAN as client 1
CHERISH BRILLON as client 2
ENUH IGLESIAS as client 3

Directed, Written, & Produced by KHAVN
Editing & Sound Design by LAWRENCE S. ANG
Cinematography by ALBERT BANZON
Music by RIA MUNOZ
Songs by REYCARD DUET, LARRY MIRANDA , RUBEN TAGALOG, & SYLVIA LA TORRE
English Subtitles Written by JOEL TOLEDO
Sound Recording by JONATHAN BATOY
Production Management by BANNED MOVIES PILIPINAS
Casting by CHERISH AILEEN BRILLON
Catering by ANNA CHRISTINA IGLESIAS
Stills by ANA CARINA DANDAN

Watch the Philippine Bliss trailer on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GnnU8JcQJg

Khavn De La Cruz is a filmmaker, musician and writer who has won numerous awards both here and abroad. His current films will be featured at the Paris Cinema International Film Festival (France), Osian's Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema (India), Motovun Film Festival (Croatia) & Sarajevo Film Festival (Bosnia&Herzegovina) this July and August. His “Overdosed Nightmare” and “Ultimo” will also be featured at the Cinemalaya Film Festival with screenings on July 15 and 19 9pm. For more information, contact oracafe@rocketmail.com, bien@bannedmoviespilipinas.com or visit www.khavndelacruz.com.