A Filipino film shot in flood-prone Malabon by a multi-awarded director and his favorite cinematographer has been lauded by an international jury for being "masterly shot under difficult conditions."
The film Lola earned for Odyssey Flores the Best Cinematography award at the 31st Durban International Film Festival. The festival was held in South Africa from July 22 to August 1, 2010.
Directed by Brillante Mendoza, Lola (Tagalog for "grandmother") beat 19 other entries for the Best Cinematography plum. It was the only film megged by a Filipino that entered the main competition.
The Best Feature Film award of the Durban IFF went to the Iranian film The White Meadow directed by Mohammad Rasoulof.
Lola is inspired by real-life stories. It depicts the intertwining lives of two grandmothers whose grandchildren are on opposite sides of one crime: a mobile phone robbery-turned-murder. Lola Puring (played by Rustica Carpio) tries to raise money to bail her grandson accused of the crime, while Lola Sepa (portrayed by Anita Linda) seeks funds to bury her grandson who was the victim of the crime.
In their citation, the international jury stated: "Masterly shot under difficult conditions, the cinematography in Lola uses a captivating documentary style that frees the camera to assume unusual positions, allowing it to open and explore the spaces of everyday life of the characters. The camera-work places the viewer in the middle of the film's world and makes it a physical experience for the audience."
Odyssey Flores also served as the cinematographer for Brillante's other award-winning films: Kaleldo (2006), Foster Child (2007), Serbis (2008) and Kinatay (2009).
This award comes at the heels of another recognition earned by Lola two weeks ago. The international jury of the 8th Asian Film Festival unanimously chose Lola as the Best Film among 18 films competing in the main section. The film fest was held in Rome from July 10-17.
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