PH Embassy Screens “Perfumed Nightmare” as Opening Salvo to Filipino Cinema Promotion in India
The screening of the classic Filipino film titled, “Perfumed Nightmare" (Mababangong Bangungot) by Kidlat Tahimik in the Philippine Embassy in India. (New Delhi PE photo)
NEW DELHI 14 March 2024 – The Philippine Embassy in New Delhi’s campaign to promote Filipino film was off to a strong start as the classic Filipino film "Perfumed Nightmare" (Mababangong Bangungot), by National Artist for Film Kidlat Tahimik was screened at the Embassy grounds on 07 March.
The screening enjoyed the valuable support of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), under its Philippine Embassies Assistance Program.
The 1977 debut opus of the acknowledged father of Philippine independent cinema, “Perfumed Nightmare” sees the director in a self-starring comedy-drama about a Laguna jeepney driver enamored with the U.S. space program who travels to the West and has his illusions challenged. He later comes to reject the rapid encroachment of technology and returns to the Philippines.
Initially conceptualized during Tahimik’s period of residence in Germany, the film premiered at the 1977 Berlinale Forum, where it gained critical acclaim for its creative storytelling and portrayal of Filipino culture, rural life, and icons such as the Filipino jeepneys.
The film was enthusiastically received by the audience of New Delhi-based Filipinos and their families, joined by Embassy personnel.
“India is home to one of the world’s most vibrant film industries, with an avid film-going audience. Filipino films afford us an avenue for connecting our the Philippines and India through the language of film. This partnership with the FDCP is an invaluable component of our broader cultural, economic and tourism promotion toolkit”, said Ambassador-designate Josel F. Ignacio.
A salo-salo (buffet) of Filipino delicacies complemented the visual feast enjoyed by the audience.
The activity was the first in a series of Filipino film screenings being held by the Embassy over the coming months, featuring well-curated cinematic experiences drawing from the FDCP’s treasure trove of acclaimed classic and newer Philippine films. END
Philippine Ambassador-Designate to India Josel F. Ignacio in his brief speech regarding the classic Filipino film "Perfumed Nightmare" by Kidlat Tahimik. (New Delhi PE photo)
Highlights of the screening and its promotional poster for the screening. (New Delhi Photo)
For more information, visit https://www.newdelhipe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/Philippine-Embassy-in-India-348528665275556/.