'Taklub' gets special commendation from Cannes Ecumenical Jury
Since it premiered at the Cannes International Film Festival last May 19, Brillante Mendoza’s “Taklub” (Trap) has been the subject of rave reviews from several prestigious publications.
Les Inrocks, one of France’s most important culture magazines, hailed the film as “a terrifying journey with the victims of typhoons.” The Hollywood Reporter called it an “engaging drama about individuals struggling to mourn lost loved ones and rebuild their normal lives at the same time.”
In its review, Hollywood bible Variety said the film leaves “a lingering sense of loss and helplessness.”
It came as little surprise then that Mendoza’s work was honored with a special commendation from the Ecumenical Jury, an independent award-giving body composed of Christian filmmakers, film critics and other film professionals that has been honoring feature films from major international film festivals since 1973.
The film was cited for Mendoza’s “sensitive portrayal of individuals and communities in the Philippines fighting to continue living despite natural disasters exposing them to suffering and death.”
“Taklub,” an entry in the Un Certain Regard section of Cannes, is one of only three films honored by the Ecumenical Jury which this year is composed of Barbara Lorey de Lacharrière (France), President Chiara Fortuna (Italy) Andrew Johnston (Canada) Marie-Nicole Courboulès (France) Jolyon Mitchell (United Kingdom) and Jonathan Guilbault (Canada).The two other films are Nanni Moretti’s “Mia Madre” from Italy which is entered in Cannes’ Official Competition and is adjudged the winner of the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury 2015 and Stéphane Brizé’s “The Laws of Contract” from France, also an Official Competition entry which like “Taklub” was given a special mention.
Grimur Hakonarson’s “Hrutar (Rams)”, a film about sheepfarmer brothers from Iceland won the top prize in Un Certain Regard, Cannes’ second most important competition.
“Taklub” was produced by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), in cooperation with the Presidential Communications Operations Office-Philippine Information Agency (PCOO-PIA), with the support of Senator Loren Legarda, who Mendoza acknowledged as the principal advocate of the project.
Mendoza said his film is “the story of survivors in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda, how they survived, how they picked up almost one year after the storm.” It is one of only 53 films selected by Cannes out of around 1,800 submissions from all over the globe.
“Filipinos should be proud of ‘Taklub’ because through this film we are able to inspire by showcasing the resilient Filipino spirit and we also impart the important message of building resilience against disasters,” Legarda said.