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Real Florido’s ‘1st Ko si 3rd’ brings mainstream vibe to indie film

Nova Villa and Freddie Webb meet at their tryst in 1st Ko Si 3rd (Publicity photo)
Nova Villa and Freddie Webb meet at their tryst in 1st Ko Si 3rd (Publicity photo)

Why should a film with yet another take on marital infidelity warrant a slot in a category called New Breed during the recently concluded Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival?

The theme is so commonplace, so mainstream, it makes you wonder why writer/director Real Florido chose 1st Ko si 3rd as his Cinemalaya entry.

But then again, it’s actually rather strategic for indie filmmakers to take on a well-worn theme because they are also vying to get their message across to a bigger audience.

Fresh new era

Hence, the co-opting of mainstream themes could be the fresh new face of independent cinema.

No longer confined to so-called “poverty porn” or heavy, somber themes (and approaches), indie movies can break free from its clichéd reputation. They can tell compelling stories to draw in a wider audience—just as mainstream movies do.

This is what 1st Ko si 3rd brings to the table.

Theatrical poster
Theatrical poster

Hilarious and charming

It is a light, hilarious and charming take on how the idea of infidelity is wide reaching—touching even seniors in the twilight of their lives. The thought of resurrecting a past love—your first love, no less—remains as enticing as ever, age be damned.

This seductive idea befalls retired government employee Cory, who faces the prospect of living the remaining years of her life tending to the house she shares with her longtime husband Andong.

An important character from her past, Third, surfaces and gets her heart pounding. Third is her first love and she begins to think hard about rekindling that past romance even at the risk of leaving her decades-long marriage.

Stellar performances

Like the theme, the premise of the movie is mainstream but less so, the exploration of the return of a first love among seniors.

And the veteran actors who star in the movie give stellar performances, as befits their stature.

Nova Villa delights in her first-ever lead role as Cory, Dante Rivero impresses as her husband Andong and Freddie Webb (yes, Nova’s famous onscreen partner in the 80s hit sitcom Chicks to Chicks) makes his mark as the mysterious paramour.

Indie and mainstream appeal

We also commend the director who has succeeded in infusing 1st Ko si 3rd with both indie and mainstream appeal—expanding the reach of the movie and striking a universal chord.

1st Ko si 3rd shows how independent cinema is shifting nowadays.

This change grows the audience and frees the filmmaker to pursue movies the way he or she wants to—without the dictates of big studios or the narrow perception that indie movies are a serious bore.