SERENADE

Synopsis

A rare chance to see old fashioned courtship, where singing was once used to woo a woman. SERENADE is a lovely portrayal of a side of the Philippines rarely seen on the screen. Florante, a classically trained guitarist returns to the Philippines after 12 years and rediscovers harana - a long-forgotten Filipino tradition, when men sang under the window at night to fearlessly declare their love for a woman. He finds three of its last surviving practitioners - a farmer, a fisherman and a tricycle driver - and asks them to travel with him to perform. As word spreads around Manila of leathery faced men whose style of expressive singing touch the hearts everywhere they performed, it culminates in recording the first authentic harana album in the last 50 years. But can harana be restored to its former glory or is it doomed to vanish silently into the night forever?

Genre

Music Documentary

Cast & Credits

• Director:  Benito Bautista
• Producer:  Fides Enriquez, Fides Enriquez, Florante Aguilar
• Scriptwriter:  Benito Bautista, Florante Aguilar
• Cinematographer:  Peggy Peralta
• Editor:  Chuck Gutierrez
• Composer:  Florante Aguilar
• Participant:  Celestino Aniel, Felipe Alonzo, Florante Aguilar, Romeo Bergunio