Let’s talk about Auraeus.

Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros) and Pisay are among his known films. And like a kickass rockstar, he did the the MTV of Huling El Bimbo. Busong, the first part of his trilogy that tackles issues in Palawan, went to the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight. What inspired the works of art of this award-winning filmmaker can be seen in the films he’s most fond of and his perspective of cinema. “My Cinema is ritual. A ritual of rebirth and recalling of our people’s true nature,” he shares.

1. What’s the last movie you saw in cinema and with whom?

Palitan by my fave indie filmmaker Ato Bautista. Watched it with budding actor Mico Madrid. Finally, a beautiful erotic film with great characters like the way they used to do it!

2. What’s the next movie you’re going to watch on big screen?

Maybe Cloud Atlas.

3. Who’s that actor/actress you wanna sleep with hahaha

Secret. Baka mangyari eh…. lol

4. Is there a film that made a huge impact in your childhood in one way or another?

Star Wars, when it came out in the newpapers, I thought R2D2 and C3-PO were giant robots like ULTRAMAN. Was so disappointed to see them human size. Hahahha…. But I still enjoyed the adventure!

5. What film genre are you most comfy watching?

Epic films or Sci Fi.

6. What movies have made you cry like stupid?

400 Blows by Francois Truffaut. When I saw it, I cried buckets and decided to be a filmmaker after (I was a theater director before this moment).

7. What’s your all-time favorite film (foreign and local)?

Ran by Akira Kurosawa and Turumba by Kidlat Tahimik. Both showed a people’s culture, one was epic while the other quiet.

8. If you are to pitch a movie, what story are you going to tell?

I can’t tell , baka maudlot eh.

9. Do you follow the works of a certain director?

I’ve seen almost all of Kurosawa’s films and Kidlat Tahimik’s. Kurosawa made me realize that you can capture culture with spectacle and without being boring. Kidlat showed me the possibility of intellectual indigenous cinema. He paved the way for me to be unafraid of my indigenous voice.

10. Why should the Philippines watch regional films?

Because regional filmmaking shows our true soul as a people from diverse cultures.

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Aureaus Solito, or Kanakan–his tribal name, is an indigenous-independent filmmaker. “A double indie!” he says.

Cinema Rehiyon 5 is co-presented by UPLB Foundation Inc. and Pelikulab. The much-awaited film festival will be in UPLB on February 5-8, 2013.

Cinema Rehiyon is the flagship project of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts–Cinema Committee.