Above The Clouds - Don't allow yourself to miss this!

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Update - Tickets are sold out! Enjoy this great film!



Update - July 31, 2015: Screening has been moved to August 8! If you have bought tickets for the August 11 screening, TicketWorld has confirmed that tickets may be exchanged or refunded. Just coordinate with an outlet.



Update - July 30, 2015: Tickets are now available at TicketWorld!

Update: Above the clouds will be shown in this year's Cinemalaya. Details below:

The night was being perfect and it was a perfect night to watch a film that I've been waiting for for years. July 21 became historic as this was the first time Above The Clouds was presented to a Filipino audience. According to Direk Pepe Diokno, pre-production started late 2012 and finally, it has reached Philippine shores.
The screening was presented by Yabang Pinoy as part of their Rated YP series and in celebration of A Decade of Yabang Revolution, YABANG PIN10Years. The audience, mostly composed of members of school organizations, were given a crash course on what Yabang Pinoy stands for prior to the screening. You may view all about Yabang Pinoy by going to their website.

Above The Clouds explores the grieving of a teenager who is suddenly forced to live with his grandfather who he hasn't seen since he was a kid. Ruru Madrid plays Andres, the 15 y.o. only child whose parents were taken from him by a storm. The grandfather is played by the Pinoy Rock legend Pepe Smith.

It is fictional work but the best way to describe it is that it is authentic. During Question And Answer, Ruru mentioned that for the whole time they were shooting, he was not allowed to speak to literally anyone, even to his family. This brought out genuine grief, rebellion, sorrow in his portrayal of Andres.
During Q and A
Director and writer Pepe Diokno informed the audience that night that when he was doing the script, he wrote the grand father role for Pepe Smith. Pepe Smith did say that he was not an actor yet with Pepe Diokno's direction, even if there are times that he is nervous, the grandfather was simply candid and yes, authentic.
Legend Pepe Smith
Having only two main actors, it was important that their chemistry on-screen was excellent. It was beyond excellent and it was a privilege to witness that. Direk Pepe Diokno mentioned that during auditions, the moment Ruru entered the room, he had that strong gut feel that he was the one for the role. Pepe Smith seeing his son Beebop in Ruru made it much easier for them to bond.
Direk Pepe Diokno
One word that the film is far from is pretentious. The whole film was simply honest. It didn't need to pretend to be deep to be actually deep. If you are a fan of mise-en-scene, you would notice a lot of elements assist in telling the story. Cinematography was wonderful. Every framing, every camera movement, accented by lighting grabs hold of you. I do not remember any dragging moment in the film. A mix of realism and symbolism reels you in because of the pleasing Production Design. Every sound was just right to make you feel that you are part of the film. Some films are described to be a feast for the eyes and ears. This was such but it was also a feast for the heart.
Ruru Madrid and Gabbi Garcia
Simply put, Above The Clouds is that movie that you would regret if you miss it. Yabang Pinoy's event was a promotional premiere to schools because it aims to bring the film to the schools. If you are part of an interested org or know of org leaders who might want to get involved, please get in touch with Yabang Pinoy through ratedyp.yabangpinoy@gmail.com 

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