"La Funeraria Toti"

La Funeraria Toti should be buried.

I tagged along Nelson Canlas who covered the event, to watch the premiere of "La Funeraria Toti" - a film which supposedly tackled the HIV/AIDS dilemma as reflected by a several intertwining life stories.

But I almost slept through the whole duration of the film. I was willing to overlook the conscious acting (most of the actors were graduates of GMA's Artist Center) and the form (digital, form as not really being more important than substance) and camera shots (poor lighting, shaky shots with no apparent justifications) because I thought the objective of the film to articulate the dilemma was promising enough.

But it still did not deliver.

The cardboard characters did not do well to articulate the vision. In the end, as one officemate commented after seeing the film, "Natakot ako tuloy makipag-sex," the achieved effect was the opposite. It frightened, more than it made understandable, the dilemma of someone who has HIV/AIDS.

The only bright spots of the film were the acting of Isay Alvarez and Soxy Topacio.

Ah, Soxy Topacio. Boy, was he funny!

Topacio, before the start of the film, received an award from the organizers of the Pink Film Festival. I don't remember anymore the award (was it the Golden Gay Award? hehehehe) but that is irrelevant. It was I think for his positive portrayal of gay roles in his career or whatever.

"Sana hindi lang Ten Outstanding Young Men or Women lang ang in-award nila, sana meron din para sa mga tulad natin," Topacio said.

Anyway, in his speech, Topacio related, that unlike some homosexuals, he did not have a traumatic experience being one.

"Ang alam ko nagi-enjoy ang mga nanay ko kapag nagdadamit-babae ako," said Topacio.

He asked a priest once, considering that some homosexuals are ostracized: "Father, akala ko all encompassing ang pag-ibig ng Diyos," he told him.

"Oo naman," said the priest. "Mahal kayo ng Diyos. Basta, hindi kayo nakikipagtalik sa mga lalaki," the priest admonished him.

To which he retorted: "Father, kaya nga ho bading kami e nakikipagtalik kami sa kapwa namin. Kasi kung hindi, self-pollination 'un! Hehehehehe!" Topacio said.

Self-pollination. Hehehehehe. I should have left the moviehouse on that note.