Tarantino wades through Manila floods

August 21, 2007

Acclaimed Hollywood director of "Pulp Fiction" and "Kill Bill," Quentin Tarantino was forced to wade in Manila's flood waters and use a pedicab in order to get to Malacañang Palace to receive an award from Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Wednesday.

The pedicab is a three-wheeled vehicle with a side-car driven by human pedal power, common mode of transportation in the Philippines used for short distance travel or during floods in the country.

Tarantino, the guest of honour for the 9th Cinemanila International Film Festival, was about to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award when an elevated southwest monsoon dumped rain in the Philippine capital, Manila, Wednesday morning.

The director was already late for the award ceremony due to traffic caused by the rain in Metro Manila when he was forced to leave his limousine and take the pedicab to the Presidential palace, some 1.5 kilometers away.

Tarantino was wearing the Barong Tagalog (the Filipino formal wear), black pants and black shoes when he took the pedicab. While he was being transported in the barely covered pedicab to the Presidential Palace, another downpour occurred. Tarantino arrived at the palace wet from the downpour and had to change into black jogging pants.

The director was being honored for his contributions in cinema. He was quoted as saying, during his week-long visit to the Philippines, that he admires Asian cinema and will need to study it more.

Tarantino is currently writing a book on Asian cinema and will feature Filipino cinema.