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Classical music finds place in Indie filmBy VERA Files | The Inbox Sat, Aug 3, 2013 By Pablo A. Tariman, VERA Files

The real- life stories of the countrys leading artists past and present are rich goldmine for cinemamaterials.

It is a sad observation that mixing classical music and cinema at least in the Philippines is

deemed not a good combination at the box office.

In the mid-80s, the late filmmaker Marilou Diaz-Abaya started shooting a film on classical musicians

with the likes of Richard Gomez, Dina Bonnevie and Charito Solis playing the roles of violinist,

pianist and soprano, respectively. Real life tenor Noel Velasco was supposed to be in it.

When the producer heard an operatic aria while viewing the rushes, she was horrified by the sound.

Is that part of the film? she asked Abaya.

Yes po, she replied.

The film was promptly shelved.

Poster of Boses. One is reminded of this episode as one viewed the

homecoming screening of Ellen Ongkeko Marfils Boses in the ongoing Cine Malaya Independent

Film Festival at the CCP. Believe it or not, the film is now enjoying commercial run in SM Cinemas.

On the whole, the film is a good introduction to the violin as violinist Ariel Basco (played by real life

violinist Alfonso Coke Bolipata) comes face to face with an abused child, Onyok, played by Julian

Duque.

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To be sure, the music tended to over-dramatize the story but then again it is the only music where

moviegoers can easily connect with the characters and their story.

The gem of a young actor in this film is Julian Duque who plays the abused child. The face all at once

elicits piety and the fact that he has to act without dialogue made him an even more astounding actorin this film.

Playing a section from Vivaldis Four Seasons with his true -to- life mentor Bolipata in the films

finale, Duque is a real acting find and a natural one at that.

One notes that Duque was soloist in the same piece with the Pundaquit Virtuosi and the Philippine

Youth Symphonic Band in one concert where the main attraction was pianist Cecile Licad in

Beethovens Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Flat Major, Op. 19. It was the same year (2008) Boses was

shot.

Marfils film is a brave one indeed and it is to her credit that she was able to wield the story of mans

inhumanity to his own son with the powerful strain of classical music which alas, figures in Filipino

films once in a blue moon.

( VERA Files is put out by veteran journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. Vera is Latin

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