John Sayles' AMIGO and A Moment in the Sun out at last.




Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Follow a new blog about AMIGO



http://baryoamigohq.blogspot.com
is the new blog from Cooper Resabal. Cooper wore many hats in the making of AMIGO. He worked with Rolly and his team in locations, explaining this crazy process of filmmaking to the villagers of Toril and environs. Then Cooper joined the AD Dep, as interpreter to the village extras and local cast when the limits of John's Tagalog and our AD Kokoy's Boholano required some direct intervention. Cooper became our friend (and maybe Guardian of AMIGO) and now with Dieter and Bee is organizing the Bohol premiere of AMIGO in February.
Here's a wonderful picture of me with Cooper on the day we cut down bamboo.

John Sayles "monumental" new book A MOMENT IN THE SUN

John's book is being excerpted in McSweeney's Quarterly, as a booklet in a little inside-front-cover pocket of Issue 37 which should be out in early March 2012. Keep your eye out for it. Because you can't read the text on the booklet cover displayed here, below you can read a description of the chapters McSweeney's has culled from the Big Novel.

"It’s 1897,  Hod Brackenridge has left behind a miner’s life to follow news of gold to the Yukon. But with a new century looming, and war on the way, fate will soon throw him in with the criminals and con men that prey on hopeful men like him. And then it will take him much further than that. 

The four chapters included here form just one thread of A Moment in the Sun’s first act. Spanning five years and half a dozen countries, John Sayles’s latest novel takes the whole era in its sights—from the white coup in Wilmington, North Carolina, to the bloody dawn of U.S. interventionism in Cuba and the Philippines. Built on the voices of a breathtaking range of exiles in search of opportunity, the full book is a tremendous chronicle of a pivotal time. This is a story as big as its subject: history rediscovered through the lives of the people who made it happen. 

John Sayles’s previous novels include Pride of the Bimbos, Los Gusanos, and the National Book Award–nominated Union Dues. He has directed seventeen feature films, including Matewan, Eight Men Out, and Lone Star, and received a John Cassavetes Award, a John Steinbeck Award, and two Academy Award nominations. His latest film, Amigo, was completed in 2010."

80 degrees with scattered clouds

That's the temperature in Mar del Plata today. Here in Clinton Corners NY it's 22 with snow on the ground. Before the memory fades, meet some of our friends and companions from Mar del Plata.
Above you'll see Pablo Conde with his handsome boss, José Martínez Suárez. Pablo is the Programmer and José is the President. They are a great pair.
Left above is John with Helga Landauer. Helga made a beautiful movie called A Film About Anna Ahkmatova. One of the pleasures of Mar del Plata was having the time to actually see movies and this is a movie we really enjoyed and would not have discovered outside a very good festival.

And then right below that is John with filmmaker Cristina Raschia and me and Hal Hartley, the other tall American director. Cristina was our host in Buenos Aires. Here we are at El Maipú- delicious empanadas and Sorrentinos (little pillow-like raviolis).
I'm only sorry that I have no pictures to show you of Fernando Martín Peña or Alvaro Buela. Fernando is planning a Sayles retro at MALBA, the MOMA of BsAs, where he is the film curator and then we are going to visit Alvaro in Uruguay. 2012. Join us.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

LA/AFI

Here's where I begin to be photographed with the Who's Who of Filipinos in the US! Me with Winston Emano (David Magdael & Associates) whose work with Fil-Am Arts helped to fill the beautiful Grauman's Chinese Theater.
Then it's me with my first Consul General ever! Con Gen Mary Jo Aragon is so gracious and helpful. And for a change, look who's taller!
Thanks to all our friends for making our stay in LA fun: Carolyn and Nancy were our hosts and the rest of you are too many to mention.

After the whirlwind

We are finally home, after so many trips to film festivals. Too many airports, too many airplanes, too many seats that don't recline, but we've had a chance to show AMIGO to many of our good friends.
Here I am with Fiona Mitchell at the London International Film Festival. Why didn't I take pictures with Ros and John Hubbard, Jonathan Rutter, and the MacNair family, proper? Missed my chance.
From LIFF the best film was THE ARBOR by Clio Barnes. I hope some US distributor has the brains to buy it for release here.