“Barcelona-Manila: New Paths for Intercultural Cinema”

Audiovisuales Sin Fronteras is a project led by the Escuela Superior de Cine Audiovisuales de Catalunya, el Instituto Fomento Contenidos Creación, Escándalo Films and Fabbrica Europe Foundation. It has been created with the aim to understand the social commitment from dialogue and new spaces of intercultural communication through audiovisual creative training.

Screenings:

Panaginip (2012), 25’, VOSE/VOSI
Fiction short film made by Mateo Ramírez Louit in Spain with Filipino and Spanish technical and artistic team.

Bote, plastik at diario (2008), 11’, VOSE
Documentary short film directed by Andrés Morte Terès and made by students of ASF in Manila.

Debate facilitated by:
Andrés Morte Terès, President and Director of Programmes of ASF. He has also been co-founder of Fura dels Baus, Director of Mercat de les Flors and creator of Barcelona Plató.

Mateo Ramírez Louit, Film and Audiovisuals Graduate by the Escuela Superior de Cine y Audiovisuales de Cataluña (ESCAC). The short film he presents has been selected in several international festivals, the most recent one was Cannes.

Kay Abaño, Film and Audiovisuals Graduate by the school TAI of Madrid. She will present her new audiovisual work called Voces produced by Audiovisuales Sin Fronteras.

Vanessa Castro Marasigan, Spanish actress of Filipino descent, she has studied drama at the Nancy Tuñón School of Barcelona. She is the main character of the short film Panaginip. She has acted in several soap operas: La Riera, Gavilanes.

Presented by:
Gaëlle Patin Laloy, in charge of the Asian Communities Programme of Casa Asia

Date

Thursday, 14th of June 2012, at 7 p.m.

Venue

Casa Asia Headquarters
Tagore Auditorium
Av. Diagonal, 373
Barcelona

Ticket

Free admission with limited capacity.

Organiser

Casa Asia and Audiovisuales Sin Fronteras.

Contact

casaasia@casaasia.es

Mahilig ka bang kumanta? Sali na sa Coro Asiático de Barcelona!

Kung ikaw ay mahilig kumanta at may edad na 18-45 taong gulang, sali na! Ipadala lamang ang iyong pangalan, edad, nasyonalidad, email at telepono sa email na ito: gpatinlaloy@casaasia.es.

Para malaman ang tipo ng boses mo, pumunta ka sa Casa Asia, Avenida Diagonal, 373, Barcelona sa Lunes, 23 ng Abril 2012, alas 8 ng gabi.

Ang korong ito ay isang proyektong interkultural ng Casa Asia na naglalayong magtampok ng mga awitin mula sa iba’t ibang bansa. Ang koro ay pamumunuan ni G. Carles Josep Comalada, isang batikang propesor ng koro at naging direktor ng Actea Cor Femini, isang koro na nagwagi ng iba’t ibang premyong nasyonal at internasyonal.

Ang pag-eensayo ay gaganapin tuwing Lunes, 8:00 – 9:30 ng gabi sa Casa Asia.

Rizal, el escritor en la Biblioteca Nacional de España

La Exposición estará en la Biblioteca Nacional de España, Madrid hasta el 12 de febrero de 2012. Para más información sobre la exposición y el ciclo de conferencias acerca de Rizal, visita este link: http://www.bne.es/es/Actividades/Exposicionesactuales/jrizal.html

La Biblioteca Nacional de España acoge la exposición Entre España y Filipinas. Jose Rizal, escritor, organizada por la Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo, con la colaboración de la Biblioteca Nacional de España y comisariada por Dª. Mª. Dolores Elizalde, investigadora científica del Instituto de Historia del CSIC. La muestra que coincide con el 150 aniversario del nacimiento del héroe filipino y se encuadra dentro del programa del Tricentenario de la BNE.

José Rizal (1861-1896) fue un gran líder político y social, hombre ilustrado y humanista, profundamente comprometido con la sociedad filipina. Fue considerado impulsor de la modernización y de la construcción nacional de su país. Se licenció en Medicina y en Filosofía y Letras, y ejerció como médico oftalmólogo. Fue investigador de historia y gramática llegando a hablar más de diez lenguas y un incansable viajero.

Más allá de su dimensión política y social, Rizal fue un destacado literato, autor de dos grandes novelas, Noli me tangere y El filibusterismo. También cultivó otros géneros: poesía, ensayo, artículos periodísticos, libros de viajes y fue autor de un amplio epistolario.

El objetivo de esta muestra es profundizar en su faceta como escritor de las letras hispánicas, valorándole como un Galdós de los trópicos y contextualizándole en el ambiente intelectual de aquellas Filipinas ilustradas del siglo XIX. Con ese propósito, en la exposición se desarrollan las siguientes áreas: El marco colonial, Memorias de juventud: los años de formación, Un mundo ilustrado, La sociedad de Rizal, Argumentos para un escritor y Mi último adiós. Revolución y ruptura. Texto de la Biblioteca Nacional de España.

X Festival Asia en Barcelona

El cuadro original que protagoniza el cartel de esta nueva edición del Festival Asia lleva por título Naadam en referencia al festival del mismo nombre que se celebra cada año en la capital de Mongolia, para conmemorar la independencia del país. El cuadro es obra del reconocido pintor Badamjavin Chogsom, nacido en 1930 en Taishir de Gobi-Altai, Mongolia. Data de 1972 y está expuesto en la Galería Nacional de Arte Moderno de Mongolia.

•Esta 10ª edición dirige su mirada a Asia Central y, como cada año, muestra la diversidad y la riqueza de las culturas asiáticas a través de una programación multidisciplinar orientada a todos los públicos: música en vivo, danzas, teatro, talleres, juegos, demostraciones y cine.

•Con motivo de la celebración del 10º aniversario del Festival Asia, toda la programación de esta edición será gratuita.

•Venidos de Asia para la ocasión, destacan la formación Turan —espectáculo inaugural de música tradicional de Kazajstán—, Mamer —cantautor de culto en la escena independiente china de etnia kazaja—, Sorum —grupo integrado mayoritariamente por mujeres y basado en la música tradicional coreana—, Pe’z —célebre banda japonesa que fusiona jazz con pop-rock, funky, ska y sonidos latinos— y Humera Arshad —una de las cantantes pop más reconocidas de Pakistán. Y, procedentes de Ulan Bator, los luchadores del Festival Naadam de Mongolia.

•En total, más de 30 propuestas entre espectáculos internacionales e iniciativas artísticas y demostraciones de las comunidades asiáticas residentes en Cataluña.

Si queréis saber la programación del Festival, podéis consultarla en este enlace: PROGRAMA CASA ASIA

Spain through the eyes of a travelling Pinoy

Plaza España, Barcelona

 

Why Spain?

“Spain because our cruise was departing from the port of Barcelona.  We took the opportunity to go around Barcelona before the cruise since Barcelona is also known to be one of the most visited places in Europe.  Spain was also a highly recommended place to visit by family and friends.”  

What was your first impression of Spain before coming here?

“Interesting food and culture. We thought that many people would be practicing Catholics since Spain was the one which introduced the religion to the Philippines.”

How long was your stay in Spain?

“Total of 8 days.”

Any favourite place(s)?

“Barcelona! It is a definite must-see.  It is very tourist-friendly.  Easy to go around the city because of the efficient transport system.  Lots of interesting places to see. They have a well-established infrastructure to support the tourism industry.  I also love the food in Spain.”

Was it an organized trip or you did it on your own?

“Yes, we organized the trip on our own. Using booking.com to book our hotels and getting the 2-day Bus Touristic package to go around the first 2 days.   We also used internet to research on the nice places.”

Who were your travel buddies?  

“I travelled with family.  I was with my husband and 2 kids (ages 7 and 4).”

How did the trip go? Was it hassle-free?

“Yes. We did not encounter any problems during our trip.”

Did you go beyond your budget? 

“Definitely! We went over our budget for food because we wanted to try many kinds of restaurants.  We also overspent with our transportation expenses since we rode the cab when we were too tired to walk to the train station or if kids were already sleepy.”

Do you have friends in Spain?

“Yes, Nick and Fe Martin-Smith – British. They have a small orchard at Camarles, Tarragona. They drove us to Lourdes and back to Tarragona.  And Nats Villaluna Sisma – Filipino! Nats was our tour guide at night and gave us a lot of useful tips about Barcelona.”

Any peculiar things that caught your attention during your trip?

“We noticed a lot of graffiti on the wall.”  

What was the most unforgettable moment from the trip?

“I like the solemnity and magnificence of Montserrat.  We were able to enjoy the place because we stayed there overnight.   There were very few people left in the late afternoon.  I love the tapas – small plates of big gastronomic surprises. I also love churros con chocolate.  Ciudad Condal had many friendly Filipino staff. My kids loved Port Aventura.  This place delighted us. My kids also loved their visit to Tito Nick and Tita Fe’s small orchard because they are very much into ‘Plants vs. Zombies’ these days.  They were so excited to see different kinds of plants…especially the sunflower. They also picked oranges for the first time. My 7-year-old enjoyed Camp Nou because he is a football fan.  He was so excited to get the new FCB Qatar Foundation shirt.”

Bloopers along the way? 

“We went up to the top of the Sagrada Familia only to find out that we cannot use the lift going down. It was torture for us going down the winding staircase! 15 floors down with a 4-year-old in my arms is NO JOKE! Haha…”

Going back to your first impression of Spain, what can you say now after your visit?

“Upon hearing Sunday mass, we noticed that there are very few practicing Catholics.  We went to church at the Sagrada Familia, which is a very big church, but the mass was just held at the back part of the church behind the altar of the main church.

What did you learn from the trip? 

“We learned that tourism can really help a country’s economy. We also learned that it’s hard to stick to your budget when in Europe.”

Any recommendations and tips to those who are planning to visit Spain in the future?

“They should look at the cruises that depart from Barcelona.  If you want a more religious and spiritual journey, Montserrat is a must.  They should stay at the hotel (Hotel Abat Cisneros) right outside the Basilica. For those with kids, Port Aventura will not disappoint you.  They have rides for kids of all ages.  Its well-maintained and a delightful adventure for the whole family.

Are you coming back?

“Definitely! Not anytime soon but will definitely save up for another European vacation!”

Montserrat

Ay-Ay Tanalgo is from Quezon City. She works as an Assistant General Manager of a restaurant chain in the Philippines.  She came to Spain in May 2011 with her husband, JM Tanalgo and their two kids, Mico and Diego where they checked out Barcelona, Montserrat, Port Aventura and Camarles in Tarragona. Nathaniel Sisma Villaluna

All streets lead to Gràcia!

by Kay Abaño

Filipinos already know the Ciutat Vella (Old Town) of Barcelona very well as most live in this part of the city. Everyone knows Calle Joaquin Costa, MACBA, Plaza San Agustin, and of course, the famous Las Ramblas. Others are more familiar with Avenida Parallel, Nou de la Rambla, and El Molino. These are just some of the typical streets and landmarks to be found in areas that have become home to Filipinos in Barcelona for decades. (In fact, since Rizal’s time! Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. Del Pilar and others used to live in the Barrio Chino, an area of what is now known as El Raval). What many Filipinos don’t know much about, though, are other neighborhoods or ‘barrios’ of Barcelona that could just as much cater to our tastes and special interests.

Filipinos LOVE celebrations. Food, live music, dancing, singing, food, drinking, and colorful decors in the streets… have I mentioned food? Yes, we Filipinos love all these. Why else would we be called the Fiesta Islands if we didn’t?! Well, this week, a beautiful part of Barcelona is celebrating its annual town feast filled with all the things we Filipinos love, and we are all invited!

Our friend Irene will tell us more about why it’s worth visiting the Fiesta Mayor de Gracia!

Irene Cervera is a 35-year old “Gracienca”- born, raised and bred in the barrio of Gracia. She is the founder of the organization Animal Latitude (link: http://www.animallatitude.org/), which provides information and training courses about wildlife around the world, their habitats, conservation, rescue and rehabilitation.

ABF: What is the Fiesta Mayor de Gracia?

Irene: The Fiesta Mayor de Gracia is one of the most awaited summer festivals in Barcelona. It is a week of street parties all over the Gracia neighborhood, with different activities like concerts, fire runs, children’s art workshops, and many more for each day and night. (see link below) This year’s celebration will run from the 15^th – 21^st of August.

ABF: Why is it popular and important?

Irene: It is most known for the very colorful and creative street decorations worked on with complete devotion by its residents, each year surprising us with different themes and their unique use of materials. It is also a very good example of the strong ties and collaborative spirit of its residents, some of whom prepare all year for this important event.

ABF: Which streets are your favorites?

Irene: My favorite street is Calle Joan Blanques for its creativity in concept and use of colors, lights and recycled materials. Their ideas are usually based on more abstract concepts like poetry, making it more emotionally touching and inspiring. Another is the Plaza Rovira because in 2009 they decorated the entire square as if it were under the sea, with plants, animals and other sea creatures floating all around. I generally love anything that has to do with nature.

CALLE JOAN BLANQUES

PLAZA ROVIRA

CALLE VERDI

IN THE PHILIPPINES, we have our very own Pahiyas Festival.

 Pahiyas Festival is a colorful feast celebrated every 15th of May by the people of Lucban, Quezon, Philippines in honor of San Isidro Labrador. It is the farmers’ thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest with a grand display of colorful rice wafers, fruits, vegetables, and handicrafts adorning every house in the town.  wikipilipinas.org

Pinoy Pride Smile of the Week

Subtlety,  elegance and Filipina beauty in Plaza España. Our kababayans who participated in the Gay Pride Parade in Barcelona, Spain yesterday made our country proud as they turned heads and attracted camera flashes both from passersby and participants alike.  Some even congratulated them for their participation. No flashy outfits, just traditional Philippine dresses and beaming smiles would suffice to get the attention of the crowd and receive compliments such as: ‘¡Qué monas!’ (How pretty!)

Equally beautiful and has also brought pride to the Philippines after reaping awards and good reviews in New York, Berlin, Singapore, Las Palmas, Toronto, Quebec, Rotterdam as well in Manila is the movie Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (The Bossoming of Maximo Oliveros). This film is one of the movies included in FIRE!! Muestra de Cine Gay y Lesbiano de Barcelona and will be shown on July 01, Friday, 19h30 at Auditori Tagore, Casa Asia, Avenida Diagonal 373, Barcelona, Spain. Free entrance. Limited seats only. DIT. Photo by Kay Abaño

Here’s the trailer:

Putukan o Basaan?

Kabilin-bilinan ng mga tiyahin ko noong nakatira pa ako sa Sta. Mesa, Manila na huwag na huwag dadaan sa San Juan sa araw ng San Juan dahil wala silang sasantuhin, lahat mababasa, kagaya ng nasa larawan. Nagbabasaan din sa Baylan sa Batangas, Punta-Taytay, Bacolod City at sa Camiguin. Ito raw ang bersyon natin ng mga water festivals ng mga kapitbahay nating mga bansa. Bilang isang predominanteng Katoliko, ipinagdiwang ito ng Pilipinas upang alalahanin si San Juan (Bautista) ang nagbinyag kay Jesus.

Kung sa bandang Greenhills ay nagkakabasaan lang, sa mga beach sa Barcelona, hindi lang nagkakabasaan, nagkakaputukan pa.

Ganito ipagdiwang ang San Juan dito. Sinasalubong ng maraming paputok, konsiyerto, parties, picnic sa beach, at kung anu-ano pang putukan. Imbes sa Bagong Taon magpaputok, ginagawa nila ito sa bisperas ng Sant Joan (ang Catalan para sa San Juan)

Ang pinakatampok sa gabing ito ay ang pagsisindi ng mga hogueras (bonfire), isang antigong ritwal na ginagawa rin sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng Europa upang ‘bigyan pa ng puwersa ang araw’ na unti-unting hihina pagdating ng winter season.

At bago dumating ang mga buwan ng taglamig, ngayon muna ay marami ang lalabas, kakain ng coca at iinom ng cava at magpa-party all night long upang ipagdiwang ang kapanganakan ni San Juan o kaya naman ang opisyal na simula ng beach season.

*****

Marami-rami na rin ang memorable experiences ko sa mga gabi ng San Juan. Dahil sa maraming tao, maraming alkohol sa katawan, maraming nagsu-swimming, maraming distractions, marami rin ang nananakawan. At isa na ako dun, yung nanakawan.  Sa anim na taon ko sa Maynila at matapos akong maakyat-bahay, akala ko na-develop na ang anti-theft instincts ko, at isa pa, ako ang tipo na kapag nagdi-dinner sa labas, yakap-yakap ko ang bag ko kahit deodorant lang ang laman nito. Ang sama kasi ng pakiramdam kapag nanakawan, lalo na yung hindi mo alam.  Buti na lang, noong gabing iyon, ang kupas na knapsack ko lang ang mapapakinabangan ng magnanakaw.

*****

Nanakaw na rin ang aking inociencia. Akala ko naman kasi kuwitis lang ang pinapaputok, ang iba lahat pinapaputok. Baka siguro hindi pa sapat ang init ng mga bonfire, kaya may iba nagpapainit ng konti.  Akala ko sa tinagal-tagal ko sa Barcelona, zero na ang culture shock, mas open-minded na ako. Hindi ko na pinapansin at hindi na ako namamangha sa mga nagpa-public display of affection at hindi na rin nagtatalon sa tuwa kapag nagpupunta sa nudist beach. (Hindi naman kasi lahat ng mga naghuhubad nakakatuwa). Wala na sa akin yung mga naghahalikan sa kalye na halos kainin na nila yung isa’t isa, yung halos magkapalit na sila ng mukha. Wala na sa akin yun.  Pero ibang usapan na yung mag-live show sa harapan ko, yung puwede mo siyang kalabitin at puwede kayong mag-heart-to-heart talk, at sa harapan ng mga children at parents at the whole wholesome family na gumagawa ng mga kastilyong buhangin sa dalampasigan. Mabuti na lang at malamig pa nga at hindi nila kinailangang tanggalin ang kanilang mga damit. At mabuti na lang mas maingay ang mga paputok.

Hindi ko na hinintay na makarating pa sila sa heaven o kaya sa Greenhills, baka magkabasaan pa. DIT

*****

Sa mga gustong makakita kung ano ang itsura ng beach na pinaggaganapan ng Revetlla de Sant Joan sa Barcelona, puwedeng i-google o i-check ang tourism website ng Barcelona o kaya naman panoorin na lang ang latest video ni Shakira–Loca. Marami ngayon nito sa Barceloneta.

Busiest maternity ward, where else?

It may look more like an overcrowded squat but this is actually a maternity ward.

The ward is at Dr Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila in the Philippines where some 300 new mothers crammed three to a bed.

It is one of the busiest maternity wards in the world with an average of 60 births a day but it can record as many as 100 in 24 hours.

‘Sometimes, during high season, 13  to 16 babies are in the delivery room at the same time,’ Arlene Matanguihan, a resident doctor, told the Guardian.

‘It’s chaotic but an organised chaos. We can still manage – no baby drops out on the floor.’ Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk

Spain’s Anti-discrimination and Equal Treatment Proposal

Leire Pajin, Spain’s Minister of Health, Social Policy and Equality

Last month, the Cabinet of Spanish President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero approved the submission to the Parliament of the draft of the Law on Equal Treatment (Ley de Igualdad de Trato), a legislative initiative which was part of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (Partido Socialista Obrero Español) electoral program and goes in line with  its commitment to promote equality in Spain through legislation.

The full text of the Anteproyecto de Ley Integral para la Igualdad de Trato y No Discriminación can be downloaded in pdf at migualdad.es

The said website says that “Spain has made great progress in recent years in terms of equality and non-discrimination. This proposal takes another step further and aims to guarantee this right.  This law intends not to let ‘anybody get away with discrimination’, that Spanish society be active with a change of attitude that rejects any form of discrimination for any reason, and to enable all people to exercise their right to non-discrimination, to guarantee respect for and appreciation of social diversity.”

The Ministry has also opened an email where people can send their comments and suggestions regarding the bill: buzon-dgiecd@migualdad.es.

Some media outfits which have rightist orientation may warn us that this bill could violate other fundamental rights. The more moderate media, on the other hand, claim that this is not as complete and accurate as it should be.  As the Zapatero goverment has usually done, this could be incomplete, a law in its first phase and to be finished later on, given that they can get a new legislature.

From here we invite everyone in Spain, born or residing here, to read the Draft carefully, and make the necessary comments and suggestions. Francisco Javier Gutiérrez