The extended lock-downs of the last two years affected families in various ways, one of which was “forcing” them to spend more time together than ever. Thus, it was just a matter of time before filmmakers decided to cast their children in their movies, with the non-stop artist that is Khavn probably being the safest bet. Luckily for him, it seems his household have nurtured at least two future stars, with his son Katch23 as Gunam-gunam, and his daughter, who is playfully nicknamed 1Delacruz, as Guni-guni, being more than worthy protagonists of his latest short.
“Gunam-gunam X Guni-guni Rumi X Phantasm” is screening on International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, and is also available through the This Is Short Platform
The script is adapted from the book “Supporting Materials for Teaching the Filipino Language”, written by Khavn's mother, Kelly Clarinda (a former elementary teacher), with her also functioning as the narrator of the film, reading passages of some of the poems she compiled in the past. The short follows the path of a children's movie, although in a fashion that is unique as it is chaotic, through a collage-like approach, of radically different segments, all of which have the two kids in focus. Initially, the two of them are interacting inside the house, with the camera following around in a rather intense speed, while occasionally, bell-like sounds form the soundtrack of these sequences. Then, the two of them start playing in a backyard of sorts, while the next one has them dressed in rather motley clothes, eating ice cream cones as cinematically as possible. With their masks on, Guni-guni is chasing after Gunam-gunam, with the latter looking rather cool, despite the “dire” situation. Occasionally, drawings that seem created by children are superimposed on the screen.
The next segment has Gunam-gunam dancing while wearing a rather extreme mask, while holding a toy gun, in perfect antithesis to Guni-guni, who is holding a purse, in a message that seems to state that boys will be boys and girls will be girls, no matter their age. The next episode has the two of them in a taxi of sorts, while the narration seems to present one of Khavn's central comments for the film: “Difficult to be humane easy to be an animal”. The short then moves inside the house once more, in a room filled with books and a piano in the middle, where Guni-guni is dancing, while Khavn also appears rather briefly. The next one sees the two kids in an empty plot that seems to be used as a dumping ground.
The most visually impressive parts come next, with one looking pretty much like a horror movie with children, with the masks the two protagonists wear, the rapid succession of scenes, courtesy of the frantic editing of Lawrence S. Ang, and the rather intense music raising the tension, and subsequently, the angst, significantly. The next episode shows the two protagonists in front of a chess board, with the pawns looking like they are made of play-dough, before it changes to a stop-motion animation, as all the pawns become one. The next ones include Gunam-gunam completely wrapped in paper (could be bandages) and the two kids wrestling, with the vignettes continuing till the end.
Khavn directs, writes, and composes the soundtrack of a film by kids (Katch23 is also mentioned as cinematographer in the credits, as is Charlie Sage, Khavn's other daughter) but not necessarily for kids. The chaos that dominates the Filipino's movies is here once more, as are the intense feelings it evokes, which extend from laughter and amusement for the children's shenanigans, to angst during a number of segments, particularly through the combination of music and editing. At the same time, and considering the protagonists and Khavn's mother's role in the movie, one could say that “Gunam-gunam X Guni-guni Rumi X Phantasm” also functions as a tribute to his family. What is certain though, is that the film is one of the most impressive “pandemic shorts” we saw during the lockdown.
