For its 22nd edition, the Pelicula: Spanish Film Festival will involve moviegoers in proactive efforts to help preserve nature as the world deals with climate change.
The annual film fest will feature an initiative that lets watchers help in tree-planting efforts in partnership with nature conservation organization Haribon Foundation and sponsored by Spanish infrastructure firm Acciona.
For each moviegoer of the “Pelicula en Verde” program of the festival, a tree will be planted by Haribon in Tanay, Rizal.
The “Pelicula en Verde” program is the headline of Pelicula 2023.
It will feature five films with themes mainly about nature and the environment. These are:
Alcarràs
Release: 2023
Director: Carla Simón
An ensemble drama about an extended family of Catalan farmers who, after generations of harvesting the same land, face eviction and an uncertain future.
As Bestas (The Beasts)
Release: 2022
Director: Rodrigo Sorogoyen
A French couple finds themselves trapped in a heated dispute with their provincial Galician neighbors in Spain.
El Olivo (The Olive Tree)
Release: 2016
Director: Icíar Bollaín
When her non-speaking grandfather stops to eat, Alma decides to recover an ancient tree that the family has sold against his will in an attempt to bring back his spirits.
Fonos
Release: 2021
Director: Gabriela Badillo Sánchez
Amidst the loss of her grandfather, Cloe blocks out her feelings and all sound from her world until an encounter awakens a memory in her that forces her to confront her emotions.
Tierra (Earth)
Release: 1996
Director: Julio Medem
A cosmic love story of a confused guy torn between two opposite women — his homely wife Angela and teenage mistress Mari.
Instituto Cervantes Manila director Javier Galván said that the “Pelicula en Verde” program aims to help create awareness about the importance of nature and to preserve the planet Earth.
He said that it is a “big need” since the world is already feeling the consequences of climate change.
Galván added that “Pelicula en Verde” will show ecological films.
When asked what made Instituto Cervantes Manila spearhead such an initiative, he said that environmental concerns are “not only a matter of one country.”
“It’s a matter of humanity. Of course, many people are worried about that. We are suffering already,” Galván said to reporters.
“This year, in Spain and in the Philippines, we reached the highest temperature ever recorded. A lot of bad things [are] happening among nature… even awareness is not enough. Every action, every project [about saving nature], we should implement,” he added.
“We must all be on the move [to protect] nature and avoid life on the planet [from disappearing],” Galván further said.
“Pelicula” is a project by the Instituto Cervantes Manila that has been around since 2002.
It is an annual celebration of cinema in the Spanish language which showcases the latest and critically acclaimed films by directors from Spain and Ibero-American countries.
For this year, 23 films handpicked by Instituto Cervantes Manila will be featured in Shangri-La Plaza‘s Red Carpet Theatre from October 5 to 15. These include the movies under the “Pelicula en Verde” program.
Similar to previous editions, this year’s film program was carefully curated and selected from a range of genres which includes drama, comedy, horror, thriller, family, musicals and animation.
Admittance is free on a first-come, first-served basis.
For updates and further details about the rest of the film fest entries, viewers can visit the Facebook and Instagram pages of Instituto Cervantes Manila and the website of Pelicula itself.
