‘Bloom Where You Are Planted’ becomes first documentary to win Best Film at Cinemalaya

MANILA, Philippines, October 14 ------ “Bloom Where You Are Planted” won Best Film at the 21st Cinemalaya, marking the first time that a documentary has taken home the biggest honor at the country’s leading independent film festival.

Director Noni Abao was ecstatic upon receiving the Balanghai trophy for the Full-Length Category for his documentary that sheds light on the plight of land rights activists in Cagayan Valley — a project that was six years in the making. “Bloom Where You Are Planted” was cited for “transforming the struggle for land, peace and dignity in Cagayan Valley into a meditation on home, hope and resilience.” “I’m happy because a story like this has long been needed. For it to be given a platform and an award means that Cinemalaya recognizes the farmers’ lack of land ownership and the violations of human rights,” Abao told The STAR in a post-awards interview.

What’s next for the film? “We’ll try to submit it to the (Movie and Television Review and Classification Board)… We have no plans for a commercial screening. Our ultimate plan is to bring it to the communities. Because where else is it better to show the film than to the people who actually experience the story? So they can see that this story is their story.”

Source: philstar.com