Annapurna Pictures has released the official trailer for If Beale Street Could Talk, Academy Award-winning writer/director Barry Jenkins’ first film since the Best Picture Oscar-winning Moonlight. If Beale Street Could Talk is his adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel – the first English-language feature film based on the work of the author, to whom the movie is dedicated. The film starring KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Colman Domingo, Teyonah Parris, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Beach, Ed Skrein, Diego Luna, Dave Franco, and Pedro Pascal opens in select theaters on November 30.
Set in early-1970s Harlem, If Beale Street Could Talk is a timeless and moving love story of both a couple’s unbreakable bond and the African-American family’s empowering embrace, as told through the eyes of 19-year-old Tish Rivers (screen newcomer KiKi Layne). A daughter and wife-to-be, Tish vividly recalls the passion, respect and trust that have connected her and her artist fiancé Alonzo Hunt, who goes by the nickname Fonny (Stephan James). Friends since childhood, the devoted couple dream of a future together but their plans are derailed when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit.
Through the unique intimacy and power of cinema, If Beale Street Could Talk honors the author’s prescient words and imagery, charting the emotional currents navigated in an unforgiving and racially biased world as the filmmaker poetically crosses time frames to show how love and humanity endure.
Films
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Watch Beautiful Trailer + Poster for Barry Jenkins’ IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
Annapurna Pictures has released the official trailer for If Beale Street Could Talk, Academy Award-winning writer/director Barry Jenkins’ first film since the Best Picture Oscar-winning Moonlight. If Beale Street Could Talk is his adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel – the first English-language feature film based on the work of the author, to whom the movie is dedicated. The film starring KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Colman Domingo, Teyonah Parris, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Beach, Ed Skrein, Diego Luna, Dave Franco, and Pedro Pascal opens in select theaters on November 30.
Set in early-1970s Harlem, If Beale Street Could Talk is a timeless and moving love story of both a couple’s unbreakable bond and the African-American family’s empowering embrace, as told through the eyes of 19-year-old Tish Rivers (screen newcomer KiKi Layne). A daughter and wife-to-be, Tish vividly recalls the passion, respect and trust that have connected her and her artist fiancé Alonzo Hunt, who goes by the nickname Fonny (Stephan James). Friends since childhood, the devoted couple dream of a future together but their plans are derailed when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit.
Through the unique intimacy and power of cinema, If Beale Street Could Talk honors the author’s prescient words and imagery, charting the emotional currents navigated in an unforgiving and racially biased world as the filmmaker poetically crosses time frames to show how love and humanity endure.
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QUEEN OF THE WORLD, Landmark Documentary on Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to Debut on HBO
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President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are welcomed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to Buckingham Palace in London, April 1, 2009. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza[/caption]
“Queen of the World,” the Landmark Documentary on Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, tells the story of how the Commonwealth and its growth have been a central focus and passion throughout Her Majesty’s life. The documentary will debut MONDAY, OCT. 1 (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO, which has U.S. rights to the film.
Produced by Oxford Films, QUEEN OF THE WORLD will offer unique insights into Her Majesty The Queen as a figure on the global stage in her role as head of the Commonwealth, an association of free and independent nations that were once part of the British Empire, and the baton she is passing to the younger members of the Royal Family as they continue to build upon her legacy. Today, there are 2.4 billion Commonwealth citizens, which is almost one-third of the world’s population.
Filmed over more than a year with privileged access to The Queen, her family, her staff and her residences, the documentary tells the story of how the Commonwealth and its growth have been a central focus and passion throughout Her Majesty’s life.
QUEEN OF THE WORLD features behind-the-scenes moments with The Queen and other members of the Royal Family, including Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Princess Anne; Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge; Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex; and the Countess of Wessex.
As the family and world leaders discuss the importance of the Commonwealth to The Queen, the film documents the ways she passes her knowledge and experience to the younger generations.
Drawing on footage from The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh’s private film archives and treasures of the Royal Collection, QUEEN OF THE WORLD will offer a unique perspective on The Queen’s early years as Head of the Commonwealth, when she had the symbols of the then-eight Commonwealth countries embroidered on her Coronation gown. That number had grown to 53 countries by the time the Duchess of Sussex had flowers representing the nations of the Commonwealth embroidered on her wedding veil in 2018.
The documentary begins in 2017 with Her Majesty The Queen recording her annual Christmas message to the Commonwealth before what will be a momentous year for both the Royal Family and for her “family of nations.”
QUEEN OF THE WORLD spotlights some of the programs that The Queen hosts every year to give opportunities to people from around the Commonwealth. At Buckingham Palace, a team of young professionals from the Caribbean join a program inspired by The Queen’s desire to give a helping hand to rising stars in the hospitality industry in countries where tourism is vital to the local economy. The group is given advice before its first royal introduction, to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. It’s a lively encounter as Prince Harry, The Queen’s new Commonwealth Youth Ambassador, tells them, “You guys have spent way more time in Buckingham Palace than I ever have – and you’ve only been here two weeks!”
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is reunited with her wedding gown and veil for the first time since her wedding day, as Royal Collection specialists prepare the dress for a new public exhibition. She reflects on her wedding day, on the importance of the Commonwealth and on the symbolic significance of the floral Commonwealth emblems sewn into her silk veil.
With access to private home movies, QUEEN OF THE WORLD shows the role that the Royal Yacht Britannia played in The Queen’s early tours of the Commonwealth, when it served not just as a floating palace and traveling embassy, but also as a home away from home. Princess Anne watches footage of her and her brother, Prince Charles, as young children on their first trip on the Royal Yacht after six months apart from their parents during the great post-Coronation Commonwealth tour, in which The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh traveled 40,000 miles around the globe.
The film also follows a special event at Buckingham Palace during London Fashion Week. The Countess of Wessex explains the significance of the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange, in which designers and artisans from each of the 53 Commonwealth countries create and display new looks. The designs are shown at Buckingham Palace at an exhibition attended by the Countess and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Beatrice and many key figures from the global fashion industry.
As the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex prepare to head for the Pacific on their first major Commonwealth tour together, a new chapter in this remarkable global story is about to unfold.
Oxford Films also produced the documentary “Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy,” which debuted on HBO in 2017.
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Gustav Möller’s Thriller THE GUILTY is Denmark’s Entry in Oscar Race for Best Foreign Film [Trailer]
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The Guilty[/caption]
Gustav Möller’s minimalist thriller ‘The Guilty‘ has been selected as Denmark’s official entry for the 2019 Foreign Language Oscar category. ‘The Guilty’ is Gustav Möller’s feature debut. The film was selected from a shortlist that included Bille August’s ‘A Fortunate Man’ and Hlynur Pálmason’s ‘Winter Brothers.’
The Guilty’ by Gustav Möller takes place over one single night at an emergency call center, following a policeman’s race against time to save a kidnapped woman, with the phone as his only tool. The film won the Audience Award at its world premiere at Sundance and has since met with a warm critical reception across the board.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXeeVRazqFM
In Denmark, 139,000 tickets have been sold since it premiered in June, and in France, so far 260,000 cinema-goers have seen the thriller. The film is to be released in US theaters on 19 October by Magnolia Pictures, which also saw the US launch of the three Danish Oscar nominated films ‘A Royal Affair,’ ‘The Hunt’ and ‘A War.’
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the five nominations for the title as Best Foreign Language Film on 22 January. The 2019 winners will be announced on Oscar Night taking place in Los Angeles on 24 February.
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Screen Media to Release ‘audacious, psychotropic’ Horror Film LUZ [ Video]
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Luz[/caption]
Tilman Singer’s audacious, psychotropic horror film LUZ, which made its North American bow at Fantasia Film Festival, and will have its US premiere at Fantastic Fest this week will be released in theaters across the US in first quarter 2019 by Screen Media.
LUZ begins as a young female cabdriver (Luana Velis, in the title role) drags herself into the brightly lit entrance of a run-down police station. A demonic entity follows her, determined to finally be close to the woman it loves. Shot entirely on 16mm, this first feature film from Singer pays homage to horror masters Cronenberg, Argento and Fulci, while infusing a fresh take on the genre all of his own.
LUZ is written and directed by Tilman Singer, produced by Dario Mendez Acosta and Singer and stars Luana Velis and Jan Bluthardt.
Filmmaker Tilman Singer concluded:”To see this kind of reaction to our film, visit festivals and now release it in North America is a little bit like shooting a movie itself; It’s hard to fully grasp. Producing LUZ I had no idea where it would go and I am excited for the life that it will have.”
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Netflix Debuts Chilling Horror/Thriller APOSTLE Trailer
Netflix premiered the trailer for the chilling horror/thriller Apostle, starring Dan Stevens and Michael Sheen, that will have its World Premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX. Apostle which is written and directed by Gareth Evans (THE RAID) will debut globally on Netflix on October 12.
London, 1905. Prodigal son Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens) has returned home, only to learn that his sister is being held for ransom by a religious cult. Determined to get her back at any cost, Thomas travels to the idyllic island where the cult lives under the leadership of the charismatic Prophet Malcolm (Michael Sheen). As Thomas infiltrates the island’s community, he learns that the corruption of mainland society that they claim to reject has infested the cult’s ranks nonetheless – and uncovers a secret far more evil than he could have imagined. Written and directed by Gareth Evans (THE RAID), Apostle is a harrowing occult fable where the only thing more horrifying than madness is the sinister reality behind it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1JdWOqc9Q8
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IFC Midnight to Release Emma Tammi’s American Frontier Set Horror THE WIND from TIFF2018 [Trailer]
Emma Tammi’s narrative feature film The Wind which made its World Premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival to an enthusiastic Midnight Madness crowd has been acquired by IFC Midnight for release in the US. The Wind will next screen this weekend at Fantastic Fest.
With The Wind, director Emma Tammi and writer Teresa Sutherland have embarked on a nightmarish yet empathetic exploration of domestic solitude, skillfully conjuring — in bone-chilling visual and sonic strokes — an indescribable spectre that seems to emanate from the abyss of the night itself. Hailed by critics as a femme-centric western and supernatural horror, the film stars Caitlin Gerard, Julia Goldani Telles, Ashley Zukerman, Dylan McTee, and Miles Anderson. The Wind not only features an array of talented female creatives at the helm and in front of the camera, it also showcases the work from production designers Hillary and Courtney Andujar, set decorator Elsbeth Mumm along with film editor Alexandra Amick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DPKc8j0ekM
“Emma Tammi’s impressive debut into narrative filmmaking starring a break out performance from Caitlin Gerard packs the kind of fierce ingenuity we are continually searching for when we distribute films. We’re thrilled to bring such an intelligently crafted and distinct vision in the horror genre to audiences around the country,” said Jonathan Sehring and Lisa Schwartz, co-presidents of IFC Films/Sundance Selects.
“IFC’s history of cultivating large audiences for smart, genre-bending films makes them the ideal partner to bring this beautiful, thought-provoking, and ultimately horrifying film to market. It is an important time to champion storytelling that takes risks, and IFC emboldens those narratives that challenge and move us, while entertaining. We are very excited to be part of the family and look forward to working with their talented team to bring The Wind to the U.S. audience,” said in a statement from director Emma Tammi with producers Christopher Alender and David Viste.
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Mutant Frogs Invade in STRANGE NATURE Trailer Starring John Hennigan
Based on true unsolved outbreaks of wildlife mutations, fall fright-fest Strange Nature marks the directorial debut of fx maestro James Ojala (Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Thor, Tron: Legacy) and stars Lisa Sheridan, Stephen Tobolowsky, wrestling superstar John Hennigan, Tiffany Shepis, and Carlos Alazraqui. The film follows Kim (Lisa Sheridan) and son Brody who find themselves in the middle of a horrendous phenomenon where deadly offspring mutations spread from animals to humans, after moving in with her estranged hermit father in the backwoods of a small town
Strange Nature leaps into theaters from Sep 22 (Los Angeles with other cities to follow).
A children’s hiking group in rural Minnesota discover several live, mutated frogs along a pond.
In the same area, a single mother, Kim, and her 11-year-old son, Brody, have just moved in with her estranged father, Chuck. It’s not long before they too start witnessing strange occurrences including a disemboweled deer and the family dog’s deformed puppies.
As the fear rises the rumors begin to fly. Some blame the intimidating disfigured hermit father and daughter who live on a surrounding lake. Environmental science points to the water sources. Possibly causes are pesticides, parasites or both. As the chaos spreads it becomes clear that Chuck’s cabin is a hotspot ground zero for these mutations.
Trent, a grade school science teacher investigating the cases begins to fall for Kim while trying to protect her and Brody from whatever is coming next. Suddenly, a couple of teenagers go missing. Their mutilated bodies are found only a mile away. The attacks are so brutal it doesn’t seem humanly possible.
Then another. Could it be a man or a beast?
Finally, the unthinkable: the first human baby is born with similar horrid birth defects as the animals. Ultrasounds show an increasing number of abnormal fetuses with similar defects on the way. Upon delivery, the mothers start getting sick. Extremely sick.
Fearful for her unborn child and family, Kim searches for answers and a safe escape…
if there is anywhere safe.
Strange Nature builds to an uncompromising climax of the terrors affecting a nice, quiet town and possibly future generations everywhere.
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Watch Susan Sarandon Struggle to Rescue her Son from Terrorists in VIPER CLUB Trailer
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Susan Sarandon and Edie Falco in VIPER CLUB. Courtesy of YouTube Premium and Roadside Attractions[/caption]
YouTube and Roadside Attractions today dropped the trailer for Viper Club starring Susan Sarandon as ER nurse Helen Sterling who struggles to free her grown son, a journalist captured by terrorists in the Middle East. After hitting walls with the FBI and State agencies, she discovers a clandestine community of journalists, advocates, and philanthropists who might be able to help. The film directed by Maryam Keshavarz also stars Matt Bomer and Edie Falco, and will be released in theaters on October 26, 2018.
At her job, veteran emergency room nurse Helen Sterling (Susan Sarandon) is unflappable: she can navigate crises at her hospital with strength and grace. On the inside, though, she’s starting to fall apart. Her son, a freelance journalist named Andy (Julian Morris), has vanished while covering a war zone in the Middle East, and she’s just gotten word from the kidnappers making demands she doesn’t even begin to know how to meet.
Helen first seeks help from the FBI, who demands she tell no one, and warns her it’s illegal to pay terrorist organizations. The State Department is even less help. When she is contacted with a ransom demand for twenty million dollars, her government handlers tell her to stall the terrorists with negotiations, even though they seem to have no plan to rescue Andy.
Unable to share any of her ordeal with her colleagues at work, Helen finds herself connecting with a young patient critically injured in a mass shooting, and the hesitant new resident, Dr. Rahimi (Amir Malaklou), a recent immigrant from Iran. She’s plagued by memories of her lifelong connection to her son, a relationship fraught with Andy’s perpetual need for independence and adventure far away from the sheltered life his mother built for him.
Andy’s ex-girlfriend, Iraqi-American reporter Sheila (Sheila Vand) brings Helen a morsel of hope: a secret fraternity of international journalists called the Viper Club might be able to help. Sheila puts Helen in contact with photojournalist Sam (Matt Bomer) and with Charlotte Spencer (Edie Falco), a wealthy New Yorker whose son also was kidnapped by terrorists. Helen grows close to Andy’s network of friends and colleagues and starts to understand the man her son has become.
Desperate, determined, and disenchanted with bureaucracy, Helen must decide whether to follow the rules of ineffective government officials or to join with her newfound community to get Andy back at all costs.
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Netflix Releases Quincy Jones Documentary Trailer Featuring Mary J. Blige, Tony Bennett, Bono, Will Smith,
Netflix released the trailer for the documentary Quincy, described as an intimate look into the life of icon Quincy Jones, ahead of its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival on September 9.
The film directed by Quincy’s daughter Rashida Jones along with Alan Hicks, seamlessly threads personal vérité moments with private archival footage to reveal a legendary life like no other. A unique force in music and popular culture for 70 years, Jones has transcended racial and cultural boundaries; his story is inextricably woven into the fabric of America. Beyond his own acclaim as a trumpeter, producer, conductor, composer and arranger, Jones’s inimitable gift to discover the biggest talents of the past half of the century is unprecedented. He has mentored and cultivated the careers of young talents, from Lesley Gore and Michael Jackson to Oprah Winfrey and Will Smith.
Quincy features Quincy Jones, Mary J. Blige, Tony Bennett, Bono, Will Smith, Jay Z, Peggy Lipton, Paul McCartney, Oprah Winfrey and many others. The film will launch globally and in select theaters in New York and Los Angeles on September 21.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT7gn6nhsAc
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BICYCLE THIEVES (1948) to Open Klasikoa, Restored Classic Program at San Sebastian Film Festival
Bicycle Thieves (Ladri di biciclette) (1948), by Vittorio De Sica, an emblematic film of Italian neorrealism and considered one of the best movies in the history of cinema, will open Klasikoa, a yearly rendezvous with a restored classic at the San Sebastian Film Festival.
The film, considered one of the best movies in the history of cinema, winner of an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1949, chronicles the misfortunes of a man on his first day at work whose essential element for keeping his job is stolen: his bicycle. André Bazin, in his famous analysis of the film, in his work What is Cinema?, describes it as cinema in its pure state and concludes on the subject of the plot: “in the world in which this workman lives, the poor must steal from each other in order to survive.”
The film has been restored by the L’imagine Ritrovata laboratory, part of Italy’s Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna, a global benchmark in film research, conservation and restoration. The restored copy was presented in the Cannes Classics section at the last Cannes Festival, followed shortly afterwards by its screening at Bologna’s Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival, as part of its Ritrovati e Restaurati 2018 / Recovered & Restored 2018 section.
BICYCLE THIEVES (LADRI DI BICICLETTE)
VITTORIO DE SICA (ITALY)
Cast: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell, Elena Altieri, Gino Saltamerenda
In post-war Rome, Antonio, an unemployed worker, lands a simple job putting up posters on the condition that he has a bicycle. With great difficulty, he manages to buy one, only to have it stolen on his first day of work. This is the start of an adventure whereby Antonio will try to recover his bicycle, with his son Bruno, while his wife Maria waits at home with their other child. Desperate, Antonio tries to steal a bike, but is arrested by the police.
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Award Winning LIYANA Exec Produced by Thandie Newton Sets Release Date [Trailer]
The new trailer and poster debuted this week for the award-winning genre-defying documentary LIYANA directed by Aaron and Amanda Kopp and executive produced by actress Thandie Newton. The acclaimed film which has won over 25 film festival jury and audience awards will begin its 25+ city theatrical run with a special screening at New York’s IFC Film Center on October 9 before opening at the Maysles Documentary Center on October 10. Los Angeles and additional cities will follow.
Under the guidance of acclaimed South African storyteller, Gcina Mhlophe, five orphaned children from Swaziland collaborate to craft a collective fairytale drawn from their darkest memories and brightest dreams. Their fictional character, Liyana, is brought to life in innovative animated artwork as she embarks on a perilous quest to rescue her young twin brothers. The children’s real and imagined worlds begin to converge, and they must choose what kind of story they will tell – in fiction and in their own lives.
This genre-defying film weaves an original animated hero’s journey with poetic documentary scenes to create an inspiring tale of perseverance. LIYANA is a tribute to creativity, the strength of the human spirit, and the healing power of storytelling.
LIYANA is the critically acclaimed feature directorial debut of award-winning filmmakers and cinematographers Aaron Kopp & Amanda Kopp. They both shot for the Academy Award nominated campus assault documentary THE HUNTING GROUND. Aaron, who was raised in Swaziland, also shot and co-produced the Academy Award winning documentary SAVING FACE, which earned him an Emmy nomination. LIYANA features an original score by South African composer, Philip Miller, and stunning animation by Nigerian artist Shofela Coker, illustrating Liyana’s journey as told through the children in Swaziland. Executive produced by award-winning actress, Thandie Newton, LIYANA has screened at more than 80 film festivals around the world including the British Film Institute’s London Film Festival and MoMA DocFortnight.
The film has been hailed as, deeply moving and beautifully crafted by The Hollywood Reporter and lush and uplifting by the New York Times. Critics across the country say the film is brilliant, masterful, an inspirational cinematic experience, and that LIYANA stands a strong chance of making Oscar buzz throughout the year.
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Filipino Film GOYO: THE BOY GENERAL Sets US Release Date [Trailer]
Following its successful release in its native Philippines, GOYO: The Boy General (Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral), a film written and directed by Jerrold Tarog will open theatrically in New York on September 21, with Los Angeles and other key US cities to follow.
GOYO: The Boy General is a historical biopic that focuses on the last months in the life of Gregorio del Pilar (Paulo Avelino), one of the youngest generals of the Philippine Revolution (against Spain) and the Philippine-American War. He was the most trusted ally of Emilio Aguinaldo, the Philippine President and Commander-in-Chief during the Revolution and War. GOYO is the next installment, following the surprise 2015 blockbuster hit HENERAL LUNA, a film that chronicled Revolutionary General Antonio Luna’s life (and which also had a US theatrical release in October 2015).
After five months of relative peace, the U.S. Army begins its final push to crush the Philippine army and capture Aguinaldo. Goyo faces the biggest challenge of his life as he oversees the large caravan of officers, soldiers and civilians making their perilous escape through the mountains of the Northern regions.
The hovering presence of death and failure throughout the journey ultimately calls into question Goyo’s accomplishments and public popularity. The boy general is forced to grow up and ask the only question that matters during times of war: What does it really mean to be a hero?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYK_6W_seNg
Director’s Statement – Jarrold Tarog:
For many, Gregorio del Pilar was a true hero of the revolution, but for some, he was nothing more than an arrogant henchman of Revolutionary President Emilio Aguinaldo. Yet his willingness to give up his life reveals a level of determination and perhaps humility that cannot be easily dismissed. For someone so young and popular to face death head on, Goyo, as del Pilar is known to his friends, deserves to be examined using both a wider and a more intimate lens.
As the second part in the envisioned historical trilogy that began with HENERAL LUNA (2015), GOYO: ANG BATANG HENERAL continues an attempt to examine our faults as a people by using the past as a reflection of the present. With multiple points of view and the same characteristic freedom to move between historical fact and fiction as in HENERAL LUNA, GOYO expounds on themes of maturity and responsibility, contrasts the naivete of youth with sobriety of adulthood, and attempts to ask questions about our readiness for a task of nation building. How does one attain honor when facing certain death? What should a man like Goyo hold close to his heart when forced to make the ultimate sacrifice?