Unknown to many, there are independent filmmakers hereabouts who have won awards without joining local and national competitions. Benguet Boys, as they call their production outfit, comprises three locally bred film graduates of De La Salle University – College of Saint Benilde, namely Patrick Wong, Enzo Ventura, and Victor who produced “Atin ang Langit” or “Ours is the Sky.”
According to Wong, the producer and cinematographer, the film was inspired by the greenhouses that have become popular in many parts of Baguio and Benguet. Their curiosity about this new farming technique is their thesis film theme after they discovered how it worked.
Ventura, who wrote the story and script, used three unsuccessful farmers played by Jemuel Satumba, Joel Garcia, and Lau Apostol to show the effect of the traditional method of planting dependent on the weather. The three friends waited for the rains to stop before they could begin their vegetable gardens and observed the greenhouse that was not affected by the storm.
They saw the lush and healthy vegetables grow steadily without any soil inside the “white plastic house” amidst the external climatic conditions. The hydroponics farmers, played by Enzo Ventura, Baged Cruz, and CJ Villanueva, wore white suits and carried magnifying glasses to check the growth of their produce. They did not get dirty while tending to the plants, unlike farmers who work under the sun and dry weather conditions.
Before, the rain would ruin their growing plants or stop them from working in their fields, leaving them without any harvest or profits for three or more seasons. When one of them dies, the two others decide to construct their own white roof and walls because they no longer want to wait for nature to stop them from cultivating their cabbage successfully.
Wong said that the film is intended to engage the farmers of Benguet in a conversation about their traditional farming styles and on experimenting with a method that works better. This comes with their advocacy to help save Benguet farmers and their farms.
The 20-minute film has won several awards: NABFILMEX 2022 Best Editing (with nominations for best in cinematography, best actor, best production design, best sound and music); NGILNGIG Asian Fantastic Film Festival 2022 Special Mention Award; NEW YORK INDIE SHORTS Award 2023 Semi Finalist; Cinema Rehiyon 2023 Official Selection for Best of the Regions; Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival 2023 Official Selection; and Korea International Short Film Festival 2022 Best in Cinematography and finalist for Best Short Film.
These accolades and nominations are evidence of the excellent cinematography and technical details of the film. The music and scoring by Mik Pineda sung by Zandrina Quizon is notably well done.
Although the work has been dedicated “para sa mga patuloy na naghihintay” or to those who continue to wait, it is in the files of Patrick waiting to be shown to those who would care to view this gem of a short film.