Rule of Thirds
fmonfort@theguidon.com
Two films by Filipino directors were screened in Cannes, France this year. Raya Martin’s Now Showing was showcased in the Directors’ Fortnight while Brillante Medoza’s Serbis was in the festival’s competition. Serbis vied for the Palm d’Or, Cannes’ top prize, against films by directors such as Clint Eastwood and Steven Soderbergh. But after debuting in what is regarded as one of the most prestigious and influential film festivals in the world, will it be screened in local cinemas? And if ever it does, will people actually watch?
This is not Mendoza’s first time to screen at the fest. Last year, his Foster Child also screened at the Director’s Fortnight. That film and his previous films, which have been nominated for, and won, awards locally and internationally, have also run here but only in limited releases.
Martin, only in his early twenties, has had three features and a documentary screen in different venues around the world. In 2005, he was hand-picked to be one of six residents in the Cannes Film Festival’s Cinéfondation. Locally, however, his films have only been screened during film festivals and have never been commercially released.
It’s unfortunate that their films, and those of other filmmakers like them, fail to get the attention they get abroad in their own country. It’s a cultural brain drain, where films made by Filipinos become exports for foreign audiences.
Although these films are still screened locally, they are met by limited audiences, most of whom are film buffs and cineastes. With only a limited number of screenings (in film fests and alternative venues) and very little promotions to hamper their reach, these films attract only those who are really interested.
But why should people watch such films? What is in it for them?
It would be ignorant to argue, however, that everyone should watch these films. Forcing people to become audiences should not be the case. But still, it cannot be denied that, ideally, these films should get a wider audience at home.
After all, these films tell our story. One way or another, films by Filipino filmmakers speak of the Filipino soul.
People shouldn’t watch these films because they are “art films,” and certainly not because they are “indie.” Neither should their international acclaim nor collection of awards be reasons for watching them.
It’s important that Filipinos watch these films because they have great potential to change us. These films about us, our culture, our nation, our history, have the capacity to change the way we see the world around us, and more importantly, the way we see ourselves. It can shake us out of our comfort zones, present us new perspectives, and even empower us.
But how can the status quo change? How can the Filipino audience, many of whom do not give attention to this alternative cinema, start watching?
I think that this is in the hands of these filmmakers. However, instead of making great films, I think what is more important, as Lino Brocka was once quoted as saying, is to make a great audience.
To make an audience, who are on a diet of trite melodramas, teen romances, and Hollywood blockbusters, begin appreciating films like Serbis and Now Showing can be as important as winning the country a Palm d’Or.
