By BOY VILLASANTA (ABS-CBN INTERACTIVE)
What do you do after a government agency bans the screening of your independent film? Well, you organize a symposium on freedom of expression and commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Declaration of Martial Law.
The symposium was held at what should have been the screening venue of "Rights", a collection of short films by various filmmakers, showing vignettes about the country's human rights situation, the Robinsons Galleria Cinema 3.
After the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board effectively banned the screening of the human rights film with an X-rating, the filmmakers and producers instead held the forum as an alternative event.
It is notable that the banning of "Rights" coincided with the anniversary of the Declaration of Martial Law by then President Ferdinand Marcos on September 21, 1972. Television stations, newspapers and freedom of speech along with them, were effectively shut down by the military after the declaration.
Movie industry "dead"
Feisty director Behn Cervantes attended the event and took the opportunity to throw sarcasm over the "carcass" of Philippine mainstream cinema.
“Mabuti nga at patay na ang mainstream cinema. Mabuti nga, (It's good that mainstream cinema is dead. Good.),” said Cervantes, who condemned the local movie industry for failing to give the Filipino viewers sensible films.
“The local movie producer isn’t helping the industry any better because they don’t allow the artists to grow. What they do is control freedom of expression of the artist as filmmaker which kills the industry.
“Ang mga producer din ang pumatay sa local movie industry. Sila ang dapat sisihin. Wala naman talagang bakya films, ang meron lang ay bakya producer. Down with them.”
(Our producers killed the local movie industry. They should be blamed. There are no bakya films, only bakya producers.)
Cervantes is no newcomer when it comes to defending free expression. He was jailed twice during the martial law regime of Ferdinand Marcos, first because he staged a play at the University of the Philippines criticizing the Marcos administration.
The second time was when he and filmmaker and Lino Brocka (deceased since 1991; proclaimed National Artist for Film posthumously in 1997) were arrested after they joined a transport strike in Cubao in the mid-80s.
Indie future
Cervantes on the other hand praised the efforts of independent filmmakers. He encouraged indie filmmakers to continue making films that are truly relevant to Filipinos.
“It is the immediate concern of any indie filmmaker to address the social ills of this country. Young filmmakers should not worry about censorship. They should make films that convey messages of hope in their own style.”
He also pointed out that Filipino audiences are hungry for films that produced as works of art, instead of simply commercial vehicles for producers and celebrities.
“On the third year of Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, CCP (Cultural Center of the Philippines) conducted a survey about the reaction of the audience after watching entries to the Cinemalaya and it was quite a revelation.
"According to the study, people come and watch Cinemalaya because of its films. They watch them as film, as an art form. So it means, film is script. It doesn’t matter who are in it. Nagkataon lang na nando’n si Mark Gil o sinumang artista for that matter (It so happened that Mark Gil or some other star is in it).”
What do you do after a government agency bans the screening of your independent film? Well, you organize a symposium on freedom of expression and commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Declaration of Martial Law.
The symposium was held at what should have been the screening venue of "Rights", a collection of short films by various filmmakers, showing vignettes about the country's human rights situation, the Robinsons Galleria Cinema 3.
After the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board effectively banned the screening of the human rights film with an X-rating, the filmmakers and producers instead held the forum as an alternative event.
It is notable that the banning of "Rights" coincided with the anniversary of the Declaration of Martial Law by then President Ferdinand Marcos on September 21, 1972. Television stations, newspapers and freedom of speech along with them, were effectively shut down by the military after the declaration.
Movie industry "dead"
Feisty director Behn Cervantes attended the event and took the opportunity to throw sarcasm over the "carcass" of Philippine mainstream cinema.
“Mabuti nga at patay na ang mainstream cinema. Mabuti nga, (It's good that mainstream cinema is dead. Good.),” said Cervantes, who condemned the local movie industry for failing to give the Filipino viewers sensible films.
“The local movie producer isn’t helping the industry any better because they don’t allow the artists to grow. What they do is control freedom of expression of the artist as filmmaker which kills the industry.
“Ang mga producer din ang pumatay sa local movie industry. Sila ang dapat sisihin. Wala naman talagang bakya films, ang meron lang ay bakya producer. Down with them.”
(Our producers killed the local movie industry. They should be blamed. There are no bakya films, only bakya producers.)
Cervantes is no newcomer when it comes to defending free expression. He was jailed twice during the martial law regime of Ferdinand Marcos, first because he staged a play at the University of the Philippines criticizing the Marcos administration.
The second time was when he and filmmaker and Lino Brocka (deceased since 1991; proclaimed National Artist for Film posthumously in 1997) were arrested after they joined a transport strike in Cubao in the mid-80s.
Indie future
Cervantes on the other hand praised the efforts of independent filmmakers. He encouraged indie filmmakers to continue making films that are truly relevant to Filipinos.
“It is the immediate concern of any indie filmmaker to address the social ills of this country. Young filmmakers should not worry about censorship. They should make films that convey messages of hope in their own style.”
He also pointed out that Filipino audiences are hungry for films that produced as works of art, instead of simply commercial vehicles for producers and celebrities.
“On the third year of Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, CCP (Cultural Center of the Philippines) conducted a survey about the reaction of the audience after watching entries to the Cinemalaya and it was quite a revelation.
"According to the study, people come and watch Cinemalaya because of its films. They watch them as film, as an art form. So it means, film is script. It doesn’t matter who are in it. Nagkataon lang na nando’n si Mark Gil o sinumang artista for that matter (It so happened that Mark Gil or some other star is in it).”
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