His name is Khavn (pronounced either as "Kh-han" or "Kha-vin", or depending on what he wants to call it this time; and to discuss what it means is to take up 10 paragraphs already, so we won't), and is one of those you can call "multimedia" artists. He plays a mean piano, writes songs with melodies that Ben Folds Five, the Beatles, and Elvis Costello would not disown, writes Palanca Award-worthy poetry, and shoots experimental short films that win awards both here and abroad. He's also known as the proprietor of Oracafe, that joint on Kamias Road, Quezon City, you go for beer, music, and manghuhula (oracles).

His latest effort is his self-produced full-length digital feature "The Twelve", which stars Angel Aquino and a motley cast of artist-friends. It's about the Apostles' reincarnations awaiting the Second Coming of Christ at the end of the century, with the narrative structured into drinking scenes and musical vignettes --- think "Waiting For Godot" meets "The Last Supper" meets MTV. For some strange reason, he goes under different aliases here: Jesus Cave as director; Nicolas Jump as screenplay and lyrics; and Khavn as musical scorer. But they are all one and the same orange-haired dude.

Khavn studied film in the Ateneo De Manila, and will be the one of the first to build an altar to his independent film guru Kidlat Tahimik, a major influence as far as guerilla-style moviemaking is concerned. Of the genres he flirts with, Khavn is most comfortable in the cinematic medium as he is able to integrate all of them --- the music, the writing, and everything.

"Those were the electives that interested me when I was in third-year college ["film production" and "screenwriting"] besides literature classes. I remember writing in an org write-up that I wanted to make a short film before I die; looks like I haven't made one yet. I also remember seeing and being inspired by this film about a giant pencil killing a writer by Joey Agbayani [shown on Probe while I was in high school]. Also, reading an article about Kidlat Tahimik [what a name!] when I was still a computer science major," he narrates, when asked about what got him into films in the first place.

He terms the bold, creative ideology used for "The Twelve" as the "Zero Minute Film School." Shooting in your backyard, borrowing gear from friends and asking them to star in it or provide some other service are essentially some of the things this philosophy advocates.

In a written manifesto that would give any film teacher a cardiac arrest, Khavn wrote: "Some famous filmmaker once said that all the technical stuff you need to know in order to make movies can be learned in a few weeks. Robert Rodriguez, the maverick filmmaker who directed "El Mariachi", said that you can learn it in 10 minutes. They were both being generous.

"The truth is you don't need to learn anything. You already know what you need to know. End of school.

"The only question you have to answer is do you want to make a film? If no, then don't. It's a free world. If yes, then make one. You don't have any excuses."

[For a complete copy of "The Zero Minute Film School", click here. Tomorrow night (June 28, 2000), he screens "The Twelve" at Oracafe in a gig he calls a "film concert" --- meaning a film screening with a live band playing the soundtrack. He will perform with his band, Midnight Cereal.]

TODAY
"Young Pinoy Artist"
June 27, 2000

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