Ploning

Ploning

Theatrical Poster
Directed by Dante Nico Garcia
Produced by Jourdan Sebastian
Guia Gonzales
Written by Bj Lingan
Dante Nico Garcia
Starring Judy Ann Santos
Cedric Amit
Mylene Dizon
Bodjong Fernandez
Gina Pareño
Eugene Domingo
Narrated by Tessie Tomas
Distributed by Panoramanila Philippines Co. (film)
GMA Records and Home Video (DVD and VCD)
Release dates
  • April 30, 2008 (2008-04-30)
Country Philippines
Language Cuyonon
Filipino
Tagalog
Taiwanese

Ploning is a 2008 Philippine romantic family drama film based on a popular Cuyonon song of the same title about a girl's hidden feelings in a man's point of view. It starred veteran actress Judy Ann Santos and was directed by Dante Nico Garcia, who won a directing award in Singapore through the film. The filming was done in the municipality of Cuyo in Palawan, which is, incidentally, the director's hometown. The film is the official entry of the Philippines for Best Foreign Language Film of the 81st Academy Awards.

Story

The story of Ploning begins when a mysterious Taiwanese fisherman, Muo Sei, lands in the otherwise sleepy town of Cuyo, Palawan. When he arrives, he immediately looks for someone named "Ploning". In the town, Ploning is known as a hardworking and thoughtful woman who, despite her age and beauty, decided not to marry. It is later revealed that she had once loved a man named Tomas fourteen years ago. This man, however, left her for a better career in Manila and she was left heartbroken, waiting for him to return.[1][2]

Despite this setback, life still goes on for Ploning. She continued her roles as a dutiful daughter to the town patriarch Susing, a committed supporter to the grieving Intang, an honorary sister to her extended family, Nieves and Toting, a wise ally to simpleton Alma, a supporter to the broken-hearted Siloy, and a co-mother to the half-paralyzed Juaning. She was so successful in caring for the town that no one seemed to notice the absence of rain.[1][2]

One day, she decides to care for a boy name Digo, son of the bed-ridden Juaning and brother to the strict Veiling. Throughout their lifetime, their lives together would be perfect as Ploning seems to have forgotten about Tomas. This, however, is shattered when she suddenly decides to leave to look for Tomas in Manila. Digo, overcome by grief, seeks help in the town guest, the nurse Celeste, who, coincidentally, also had a lover named Tomas back in her hometown, Manila. Due to her deep devotion, Ploning rejects the notion that this Tomas and her Tomas is the same person and continues to plan to leave. On the day of the town fiesta, rain finally arrives, and with this celebration comes Ploning's disappearance while a secret finally emerges. That secret is that Mou Sei is the small child called Digo.[1][2]

Production

An aerial view of the Cuyo archipelago.

The filming of Ploning was entirely done on the municipality of Cuyo in Palawan. It was directed by Dante Nico Garcia, who incidentally, is a native of the town. According to him, the film is based on his childhood memories of the town. When he wrote the screenplay for the film with Benjamin Lingan, he decided to use his native tongue, Cuyonon.[3] He had stated that the inspiration for the character Judy Ann Santos played in the film is based on a Cuyonon folk song about a girl's hidden feelings, originally sung by a male but was first recorded by a female. This led him to think of a story of a woman singing the song while remembering her lover.[4]

Shooting of the film was done in various locales of the town. This includes the pier, the waiting place of Ploning; and Intigan beach. The basketball court, meanwhile, provided for a setting for the first meeting between Digo and Celeste, while Emilod was the location for the esposada (bridal shower), which took three nights to shoot. A cemetery was purposely built for the film and the locals decided to preserve it as a tourist attraction.[3] The film was produced by Panoramamanila Pictures Co.,[5] which, despite its fledgeling status, tried its best to authenticate the production of the film. Cashew nut brittle, the town's delicacy, as well as the harvesting of salt in an asinan was showcased in the film. Cuyo's Pagdayao Festival, an Ati-atihan-like celebration usually celebrated on August 27, was also featured as the town fiesta.[3]

Cast

The cast of Ploning is played by veteran actors as well as newcomers to show business.[3] Veteran actress Judy Ann Santos got the title role. Compared to her other roles, which are very dramatic (particularly that of Mara in Mara Clara),[6] her character in the film is seen as mellow and reserved. Numerous comediannes are also cast in the film, such as Gina Pareño (as Intang), Eugene Domingo (as Juaning), Ces Quesada (as Nieves), and Tessie Tomas (as Seling), whose dramatic performances seem weird in contrast to Santos'. The role of Celeste is supposed to have been given to Iza Calzado but Mylene Dizon took the role instead when scheduling conflicts between the film and Joaquin Bordado were not resolved.[3][7] Other cast members include newcomers Lukas Agustin (as Siloy), Ogoy Agustin (as Veiling), Cedric Amit (as Digo), and Bodjong Fernandez (as Mou Sei) as well as established actors Ketchup Eusebio (as Badocdoc), Ronnie Lazaro (as Old Veiling), Jojit Lorenzo (as Basit), Tony Mabesa (as Susing), Spanky Manikan (as Tsuy), Crispin Piñeda (as Toting), Meryl Soriano (as Alma), Beth Tamayo (as Divina), and Joel Torre (as Mayor Siloy).[2]

Inspiration

The inspiration for the film came from the folk song "Ploning."[4] A fragment is shown below:[8]

Cuyonon Filipino English

Ploning, nga labing maleban
Ang guegma mo Ploning
Nga ing kandaduan
Lisensia ko Ploning
Kung sarang tugutan
Mapamasyar ako
Sa marayeng lugar

Ploning, puro kabutihan
Ang irog mo Ploning
Na 'yong kandaduhan
Pasensya na Ploning
Kung iyong payagan
Mamamasyal ako
Sa malayong lugar

Ploning, full of goodness
Your love, Ploning
Which you have locked in
Pardon, Ploning
If you would allow
I'd like to take a stroll
In a faraway place

Release

Ploning premiered in limited release from April 30 to May 6, 2008 with Filipino subtitles in the Philippines before going to wider release and subsequent worldwide screenings with English subtitles.[9] The film was shown during the 6th Paris Cinema International Film Festival on July 5, 2008, as part of a showcase which featured Filipino films such as Himala and Kubrador.[10] It was then seen in the Hong Kong Asian Independent Film Festival on November 16 and 21 and the 39th International Film Festival of India on November 28 and 30, 2008.[11][12] Before 2008 ended, Ploning premiered at the Asian Festival of First Films in Singapore on December 9, where it received a Best Director award and a Best Screenplay/Script nomination.[13]

In the United States, Ploning was shown during the 20th Palm Springs International Film Festival held in Palm Springs, California on January 12 and 13, 2009, with lead star Judy Ann Santos and director Dante Nico Garcia in attendance.[14] It was part of the For Your Consideration program at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center in Rafael, California, where it was screened on January 18, 2009 with director Garcia in attendance.[15] It was then seen at the 10th Newport Beach Film Festival in Newport Beach, California on April 26, 2009.[16]

DVDs and VCDs of the film were released during the Christmas season by GMA Records and Home Video.[17] These contain the film as well as bonus features such as the trailer and behind the scenes productions. There are Tagalog/Filipino subtitles but no English subtitles.

Reception

The Cinema Evaluation Board (CEB) graded Ploning with an "A" evaluation, entitling it to a 100% tax rebate on its earnings.[9] Meanwhile, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) gave it a "General Patronage" rating. After it was officially selected for the Academy Awards, it was reported that the Philippine government had given one million pesos (twenty thousand US dollars) in support of the film.[18] Various celebrities were also noted to have supported the film.[19][20] The film gained critical praise after Dante Nico Garcia won the Best Director award while he and Benjamin Lingan were nominated for the Best Screenplay award during the Asian Festival of First Film Awards in Singapore.[21][22]

Judy Ann Santos, the film's star, was involved in a minor controversy when her home network, ABS-CBN, refused to promote Ploning and instead chose to promote the film When Love Begins.[23] This led to disputes between her manager, Alfie Lorenzo, and the network though both parties have since reconciled.[24] On August 2008, she returned to Cuyo to grace the screenings and was awarded as the town's "adopted daughter."[21]

Ploning's road to the Oscars ended when the Top 9 shortlisted entries (later narrowed to the Final 5) for the Best Foreign Language Film category was announced but the team behind Ploning remained positive and appreciative of the experience. [25] On January 18, 2009, ABS-CBN aired the primetime television special Pangarap ni Ploning (Dream of Ploning), which chronicled the fundraising events mounted to finance the lobbying efforts for the film's Oscar bid.[26] Then, on February 22, 2009, lead star Judy Ann Santos and director Dante Nico Garcia launched the Ploning Foundation to help future filmmakers raise funds for the promotion of the chosen Philippine entry similar to what they did for Ploning.[27]

Awards and nominations

Soundtrack

The soundtrack used composes only of Cuyonon folk songs arranged and performed by the musical group SINIKA.

  1. "Esmeralda"
  2. "Pondo, Pondo"
  3. "Konsomisyon"
  4. "Ploning"

Media Release

The series was released onto DVD-format and VCD-format by GMA Records. The DVD contained the movie the full-length trailer of the movie. The DVD/VCD was released in 2008.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Ploning: Story". Ploning Official Website. Retrieved 2008-05-15.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Ploning: Cast". Ploning Official Website. Retrieved 2008-12-24.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Dimaculangan, Jocelyn (2008-02-26). "On the Set: "Ploning" in Cuyo, Palawan". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved 2008-12-24.
  4. 1 2 Dimaculangan, Jocelyn. "Judy Ann Santos brings life to the folk song "Ploning"". Retrieved 2008-12-24. (Tagalog)
  5. ↑ "Ploning: Meet the Team". Ploning Official Website. Retrieved 2008-05-15.
  6. ↑ Oliveros, Oliver (2008-05-15). ""Ploning" holds gala premiere at the Meralco theater". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved 2008-12-24.
  7. ↑ de Calma, Archie (2008-04-21). "Iza Calzado sees no jealousy issue between BF Gerry Garcia and leading man Robin Padilla". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved 2008-12-24. (Tagalog)
  8. ↑ "Listen Ploning: A Cuyonon Folk Song". Retrieved 2008-05-15.
  9. 1 2 Miralles, Nitz (2008-04-29). ""Ploning" graded "A" by Cinema Evaluation Board". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved 2008-05-15. (Tagalog)
  10. ↑ "Paris Cinema Festival honors Filipino films". GMA. 2008-07-07. Retrieved 2008-12-24.
  11. ↑ "unknown". Retrieved 2008-12-24. (Chinese)
  12. ↑ "unknown". Archived from the original on October 26, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-24.
  13. ↑ "Award Winners of AFFF 2008". Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-24.
  14. ↑ "News in 2008". Retrieved 2008-12-24.
  15. ↑ "Ploning - California Film Institute". Cafilm.org. 2009-01-18. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  16. ↑ "Newport Beach Film Festival 2009 : Ploning". Newportbeach.bside.com. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  17. ↑ "Ploning on DVD". Philippine Star. 2008-12-25. Retrieved 2008-12-24.
  18. ↑ "Ploning bid for Oscars gets P1M aid from govt". GMA News. 2008-12-04. Retrieved 2008-12-24.
  19. ↑ "Celebrities donate prized items for Ploning". GMA News. 2008-11-30. Retrieved 2008-12-24. (Tagalog)
  20. ↑ Llanera, Melba (2008-12-07). "Judy Ann Santos admits begging for Ploning". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved 2008-12-26. (Tagalog)
  21. 1 2 3 Dimaculangan, Jocelyn (2008-12-12). "Dante Nico Garcia of Ploning named Best Director in Singapore". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved 2008-12-24.
  22. ↑ "Film o przemocy w sekcie najlepszy na azjatyckim festiwalu debiutów". Retrieved 2008-12-24. (Polish)
  23. ↑ de Calma, Archie (2008-04-27). "Judy Ann Santos hurt by ABS CBNs strictly business stand on Ploning". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved 2008-12-26. (Tagalog)
  24. ↑ Llanera, Melba (2008-11-07). Ann Santos finally renews-contract-with-ABS-CBN "Judy Ann Santos finally renews contract with ABS-CBN" Check |url= value (help). Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved 2008-12-26. (Tagalog)
  25. ↑ "Left out of Oscars, 'Ploning' is unfazed". INQUIRER.net. 2009-01-15. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  26. ↑ Ryan Agoncillo (2009-01-14). "FIRST READ ON PEP: "Ploning" fails in its Oscar bid". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  27. ↑ Jocelyn Dimaculangan (2009-02-23). "Judy Ann Santos to be paired with Ogie Alcasid in Regal film". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  28. ↑ "PEP: Ploning is RP entry to '09 Oscars". GMA. 2008-09-01. Retrieved 2008-12-24.
  29. ↑ "7th Gawad TANGLAW honor list revealed". Philippine Entertainment Portal. 2009-01-15. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  30. ↑ "Ploning and Boses dominate 6th Golden Screen Awards nominations". Philippine Entertainment Portal. 2009-03-09. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  31. 1 2 "Indie film Boses wins six trophies at 6th Golden Screen Awards". Philippine Entertainment Portal. 2009-05-01. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  32. ↑ Alex Datu (2009-04-27). "Gawad PASADO 2008 nominees unveiled". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  33. 1 2 3 4 5 Noel Orsal (2009-05-13). "Gawad Pasado winners unveiled". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  34. ↑ "Teachers name 'best movies for students'". INQUIRER.net. 2009-05-08. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  35. ↑ File photos (2009-03-26). ""Baler" leads with 13 nominations in 25th Star Awards for Movies". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  36. ↑ Noel Orsal (2009-05-29). "Sharon Cuneta and Jericho Rosales win top honors in Star Awards for Movies 2009". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  37. ↑ "32nd Gawad Urian nominees unveiled". Philippine Entertainment Portal. 2009-08-06. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  38. ↑ "57th FAMAS Awards finalists revealed". Philippine Entertainment Portal. 2009-10-05. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  39. ↑ "27TH LUNA AWARDS NOMINEES RELEASED". Film Academy of the Philippines. 2009-09-16. Retrieved 2009-12-06.

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