SFA-AGR-082-08

“PISAY” PREMIERES AT PHILIPPINE EMBASSY PARIS

22 February 2008 – Philippine Ambassador to France Jose Abeto Zaide reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the Filipino community and French cinemastes in Paris were privileged to be among the first to view Auraeus Solito’s award-winning film, “Pisay”, as the Philippine Embassy sponsored a special screening in the presence of the director himself and several of the film’s actors.

Prior to its Paris cinema date, “Pisay” competed in the 14th edition of the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema where it won the Grand Prix du Jury (International Jury’s Grand Prize) and the Prix du Public (Audience Award). The jury praised the movie for its “very high positive energy level, confirming the authenticity of Filipino cinema style and for its remarkable performance of young actors.”

In welcoming the guests, Ambassador Zaide recalled the high points of Philippine films in France, such as Manuel Conde’s “Ghengiz Khan’ which won the Golden Palm in Cannes in the Fifties, the trove of Lino Brocka films in the Seventies, and the latest oeuvre of  Auraeus Solito.  Director Solito said that his latest film, “Pisay”, was his “most personal” film to date and that he was pleased that he could share it with the Filipino community in Paris.

Solito was accompanied by actors EJ Jallorina, Carl Barrameda and Claudine Najera and production designer Hai Balbuena..

Among those who watched were Filipino community leaders, students as well as Filipinos from UNESCO, led by Ms. Minella Alarcon, who as Programme Specialist responsible for physics and mathematics, found the film very relevant and authentic.

The screening of Philippine cinema is part of the Embassy’s efforts to promote Philippine culture in France and was made possible with the technical assistance and collaboration of Sanlikha Collective, a group of Filipino artists based in Paris. It is the second film to be screened at the Embassy, the inaugural one being Abner Mercado’s “Sagamartha” which competed in the Autrans Mountain Film Festival in December 2007. END

/wingret