SIFF and the Septic Tank
The first of the films I saw at the Seattle International Film Festival was The Woman in the Septic Tank, the Philippines representative at this year’s Oscars. It’s a mockumentary, a send up of 2 young film makers trying to create the perfect film to be accepted by festivals around the world. 3 sequences stand for the whole movie they’re making. Each time they imagine a new style, or a new twist, we see the scenes played through that new lens. Eugene Domingo is a famous actress and comedienne in the Philippines. She plays herself, and she gives her all to the film. Kean Cipriano and JM de Guzman are the young film makers, Rainier and Bingbong. The whole thing felt too in-joky to me, like something you and the guys at the lab would throw together for a roast of a director. Not one I would recommend, unless you’re part of that festival in-crowd. The septic tank was telegraphed, like a gun onstage. The only bit of suspense was when you’d hear the splash. Movie Trailer