"Nakakatakot ang MTRCB ngayon, parang bumalik tayo sa panahon ng mga prayle!"

That's the title of Billy Balbastro's article today at Abante, and I agree.

Our good friend Auraeus Solito who impressed Montreal World Film Festival with his first film, Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros hopes to bring to the screen through digital camera the awardwinning script (in the Viva’s FSR Scriptwriting Contest), Tuli at the Cinemanila filmfest.

Jimmy Flores’ story about a manunuli and his daughter and their barrio is a vehicle to bring to the surface life, values and tradition, with touches of lesbianism.

Carlo Aquino gets a good break as an uncircumcised babymaker with Desiree del Valle as the daughter who rebelled against a fixed marriage. Vanna Garcia completes a unique triangle. Bembol Roco, Luis Alandy, Jess Evardone, Ama Quiambao and Eugene Domingo head the supporting cast.

It’s a pity that in order that Tuli can be shown at SM theaters, it must get an R-13 rating.

"Maraming eksena ang ayaw nila. Basta lesbianism daw, X ito kaagad. Parang bumalik tayo sa panahon ng mga prayle. Nakakatakot ang MTRCB. Wala silang galang sa integrity ng pelikula at artistic endeavor ng mga artista’t direktor," a director tells us.

Now the question: If we see Tuli in the theaters right now, can we still appreciate the film and its message after all the many cuts? To think that we are talking about an entry in an international filmfest like Cinemanila.

Even Topel Lee tells us that he was shocked when the MTRCB didn’t like some scenes in his movie Dilim when there’s no sex nor violence in this film which stars Rica Peralejo, Mario Magalona and Emilio Garcia.

"Gusto lang namin sumali para naman mapapanood sa festival ang pelikula namin," Topel told us. And he got a taste of MTRCB this way.