Cinemalaya 2011 NIÑO

NIÑO by Loy Arcenas

The once illustrious Lopez-Aranda family has faded. Celia, once the darling of Philippine opera, and Gaspar, a distinguished ex-congressman, lacked the shrewdness to maintain their once elegant status. Saddled with a failed marriage, a vanishing career and mounting debt, Celia sold her share of their house to Gaspar, now bedridden. She managed to stay for free in exchange for being Gaspar’s caregiver. Gaspar loves listening to Celia’s arias. This idyllic arrangement is shattered when he slips into a coma. His daughter, Raquel, comes home from the US, determined to sell the house to salvage her own economic woes abroad. This signals Celia’s impending homelessness. With only a few heirlooms to sell, she is at her wits’ end. A fervent believer of the Sto. Nino, she hopes for a miracle. She dresses up her grandson, Antony, in Sto. Nino robes to prepare him for the coming fiesta. She insists this will invoke a miracle that will awaken Gaspar and stop Raquel from selling the house. Antony’s father, Mombic, while processing his travel papers to work in Dubai, tries to strike a deal with Raquel in selling the property without his mother Celia’s knowledge. Merced, Mombic’s sister, reluctantly takes on the burden of taking care of Celia and a household sliding to ruin. The family members clash in a confrontation that reveals their weaknesses and their hopeless ideals. Mombic leaves his son to the care of his mother and sister, Merced, the only family member who quietly accepts her fate. As a final ditch to awaken Gaspar, Celia holds a tertulia, inviting her aging opera singer friends. They sing arias, oblivious to the ravages of time, crippled reminders of a glorious past. In the middle of a chorus, Gaspar quietly dies, sealing the fate of his sister and the mansion that once was called Villa Los Reyes Magos. Celia looks out into her once beautiful garden. She sees Antony, still in his Sto. Nino robe, playing in the garden, offering a little illusion of hope to a past that can never be rekindled.

CAST:
Fides Cuyugan Asensio,
Shamaine Buencamino,
Tony Mabesa ,
Raquel Villavicencio,
Art Acuna,
Diana Malahay,
Joaquin Valdes and
introducing Jhizhelei Deocareza

CREATIVE & PRODUCTION STAFF :
Director-Loy Arcenas,
Screenplay-Rody Vera,
Story-Rody Vera & Loy Arcenasa,
Producer-Daniel Arcenas & Philippe O. Chambon,
Director of Photography-Lee Briones & Jay Abello,
Line Producer-Krisma Fajardo,
Assistant Director-Issa Lopez,
2nd Assistant Director-Ed Lacson Jr.,
Production Designer-Laida Lim,
Production Managers-Philip Buena, Ron Capili,
Editor-Danny Anonuevo,
Sound-Mike Idioma,
Music-Jerrold Tarog.

16 July/Sat, 11:00AM at the Greenbelt 3 - Cinema 5
16 July/Sat, 6:15PM at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theatre)
17 July/Sun, 9:00PM at the Bulwagang Pambansang Alagad Ng Sining (CCP MKP Hall)
18 July/Mon, 1:30PM at the Greenbelt 3 - Cinema 5
19 July/Tue, 12:45PM at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theatre)
20 July/Wed, 6:30PM at the Greenbelt 3 - Cinema 3
21 July/Thu, 12:45PM at the Tanghalang Huseng Batute
21 July/Thu, 3:30PM at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theatre)
22 July/Fri, 12:45PM at the Bulwagang Pambansang Alagad Ng Sining (CCP MKP Hall)
23 July/Sat, 9:00PM at the Tanghalang Huseng Batute (w/talkback)