Ultimo

Synopsis

“Farewell, to all I love. To die is to rest,” writes Jose Rizal, and where his poem ends, “Ultimo” begins. It is a black-and-white silent film, with scenes from the director’s meanderings in La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain) inspired by Rizal’s poem, which was written a day before the hero’s execution in 1896. It explores identity and nationhood as viewed through a post-colonial lens.

Director Biography

Be aware: while you’re sitting in the cinema and watching the KHAVN Programme, his next film will be edited, a new poem will be written, a new song composed and another piano played. Diving into his poetry (“Ultraviolins”), his work as a musician and composer is all just logical and straight-lined: Telling and showing his stories on a certain level, where he does not need pictures anymore. In his complete work, Khavn is still fully aware of the history of his country and introduces us to his world, giving us a wild mixture, for years now, of horror, poetry, Philippine history, love, punk, emptiness and voluminous nostalgia. Khavn’s very own argument seems assignable to the generation of the now 37 years old director: “Film is dead, please omit flowers”. And even if there is still film it is all about rhythm, so “Let there be music”.