Mapua Alumnus Returns to Cannes Film Festival 2018
Posted: December 8, 2018, 10:54 A.M.
Mapúa University alumnus Raymund Ribay Gutierrez showcased his latest film “Judgement” in this year’s Cannes Film Festival as a finalist under the Short Film category.
Gutierrez said that he was proud to be a representative of the Philippine film industry in the prestigious film festival.
“It’s like the Olympics for films, and I am honored to have my work featured in the festival and shown alongside the works of so many renowned and respected filmmakers,” he said.
A 2013 Multimedia Arts and Science graduate of Mapúa, Gutierrez created “Judgement,” a story of domestic violence wherein a battered wife, played by up-and-coming indie film actress Max Eigenmann, files a case against her husband, portrayed by Kristoffer King.
“What drew me into making this film is the hope of being able to share some insight on the issue of violence against women and what women go through in their struggle to recover and gain justice. Women who are victims of violence have to endure so much – during their ordeal and afterwards when they need to process their experience,” Gutierrez said. “I feel that violence against women is an important social issue that needs to be more publicly discussed.”
To further drive this point, Gutierrez filmed a number of scenes based on real-life accounts of abuse.
n creating his short film, he said that he wanted to help spread awareness on the reality of domestic violence in Filipino society and the need to address it because of the damage it creates in the lives of many women and their families.
Gutierrez credited his Mapúan education for helping develop and strengthen his persistence and dedication to his craft. He also said that in the course of his studies, he realized that consistency and commitment are important values in the field of filmmaking.
Under the mentorship of award-winning director Brillante Mendoza and renowned scriptwriter Armando “Bing” Lao, Gutierrez was also previously nominated under the same category in the 2016 Cannes Film Festival for his debut film, “Imago.”
*Article and Photos courtesy of Mapúa Corporate Communication Office