“A Journey Home”: Smash-hit family film
Sun.Star Davao, Dec. 19, 2009
The Davao Christian High School Parents-Teachers Fellowship (PTF) recently held a successful sold-out special screening of “A Journey Home” at the Gaisano Mall of Davao’s Cinema 1.
“A Journey Home” is an independent, full-length digital film produced by Manila-based Jubilee Evangelical Church (JEC)-Youth for Christ Ministry in commemoration of its 10th anniversary.
It is a heart warming story of Dante Santos, an overseas Filipino worker who comes home to the Philippines after being laid off from his job in Taiwan. Upon learning about the death of his estranged wife through a newspaper obituary, he goes to the wake and meets his children, Raffy and Kristine, whom he abandoned for another woman 20 years ago.
It was not easy for Dante to win back the trust of Raffy who resented his father deeply. Raffy’s loving wife Gayle asks Dante to stay at their home while he tries to recover from a minor accident and finds work.
In the process, Dante gets to know his family better and endears himself to his grandchildren, Jake and Tinka. He also starts to renew his relationship with the Lord which led to finding filial love and forgiveness and strengthened family ties.
Throughout the 110-minute movie, I cried, laughed and experienced a roller coaster of emotions as the Santos family struggled to mend their broken relationship.
TV character actor and theater practitioner Soliman Cruz was both engaging and entertaining as Dante. His witty punch lines elicited riotous laughter from the audience in the most unexpected scenes.
On the other hand, Toni Gonzaga as Gayle showed her versatility as a performer by superbly portraying the role of a young mother and wife. In this movie, she proves that being a comedienne, singer and host are not her only strengths. She has a lot of promise as a dramatic actress as well.
Other cast members of the film include Joem Bascon (Raffy), Athena Tibi (Kristine), Lance Raymundo (Henry), John Manalo (Jake) and Trisha “Cha-cha” Canete (Tinka), Lara Morena (Emmy) and Tia Pusit (Tita Nenita).
Talented young director Paul Soriano brilliantly directed this light family drama, his first full-length feature film. Paul trained under Paul Haggis (the writer for the movie “Crash”) and has likewise directed several TV commercials and music videos, including the ABS-CBN summer station ID.
What’s so amazing about this movie is that it was produced by amateur film producers from the JEC Youth for Christ Ministry at a budget of P2 million pesos as a “love offering” and means of evangelization. The film aims to “bring families together to bring relationships a step further and allow the realization of what matters most in life”.
The movie has been privately screened in several cities in the Philippines without cost through the partnership of different organizations.
“A Journey Home” is the grand winner at the Gideon’s Flame Christian Film Festival for 2009.
For screening booking inquiries, please call the J.E.C. Marketing Head Ms. Cherie Ong at tel. no. (02)8067172 or Ms. Andra Lee, (02) 7184460.
E-mail mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.
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