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Marjorie J. Darunday
Prof. Shin Dong Kim
Final Paper
Asian Cinema
Philippine Film Restrictions for the Industry
the Filipino families, lovers and friends all over the country. No wonder, theaters are all around its vicinity. However, we would probably wonder why the number of films created every year is badly deteriorating when the demand is quite high.
One good reason should I say is the production cost. Filmmaking even if we say that the digital technology is on its way, the cost is still relatively high. More people are needed to have one film done which means that even though they are for free, we still need to feed them for them to function better. But for me, this is just a fourth of the reasons.
The best film that could understand most and could let the Filipino audience relate is a Filipino film. But this is not what is happening inside the country. Filipinos tend to patronize
However, this absolutely doesn’t mean that Filipino filmmakers are not competitive enough to make quality films. There are local films that had received international awards. Directors as well as the actors are praised outside the country but are less famous for most of the people in the country. This is because most of those are products of the Philippine independent filmmakers. Munting Tinig and Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros to name few.
Independent Film
The rise of the independent films in the
Mainstream Film
And therefore, these are not the films that I was comparing to with the
I had a chance to have a group chat with Bb. Bernal a month before my departure. When asked about the level of her authority in her films, she was not hesitant to admit that there are lots of restrictions. “ Eh business to eh, kaya kailangang alamin at sundin ang trip ng masa” (This is business, so we need to know and follow what the people want). But are those really what the masses want? Or is it because many of our filmmakers are restricted?
These days, we cannot see any historical with a touch of politics/religion-subversive films in the country to criticize the government and the governing people that are from the mainstream cinema. It is because; these two are the most powerful institutions that really control a lot in the field of filmmaking. One of the biggest networks in the country is ABS-CBN which is owned by the Lopez’s. And Star Cinema, with whom director Joyce Bernal is working for is also a part of the Lopez’s properties. Most of the producers of the movies are deeply connected to this bloodline that needs to have deep connections with the Philippine politicians for their business to stay alive.
Bernal even jokingly said that her scriptwriter tried to write something related to politics in a comical but awakening way but the producer immediately disapproved it because of the possible danger of their boss.
Another reason is the influence of the religious sector most specifically the Catholic religion. Almost everything that the country is doing, the voice of the church is given a lot of importance. But we should also remember that religious party itself is politics. The producers are not that courageous enough to tackle things that are against such powerful institution. Director Bernal is partly right for saying that it is about business but she is definitely wrong upon saying that it is for the masses because it never was. The mainstream film industry always uses the taste of the audience as an excuse for making the same kind of film one after the other. They think that they already know the do’s and dont’s of the Filipino audience.
When D’ Vinci Code was released, it took a lot of time for the MTRCB (Movie and Television Review Classification Board) to decide if they’re going to show the film. It even created a lot of TV discussions. Parties from different sides argued a lot regarding the movie that in the TV program “Debate,” different sectors including the religious party participated. Some discussant even raised voices to defend their side and be heard. Their strong argument was; the movie is blasphemous. They were also afraid that the audience might believe what the movie has shown. Because of the big influence of the Philippine religious sector, SM which is the biggest movie houses in the country refused to show the film. However, despite the refusal of this biggest movie house chain, spectators still rushed to some of the theaters in the country to watch the film.
The root of that big D’ Vinci Code issue was the fear of the people in position that the belief of the audience will be changed. Instead of hesitating from watching the film, the audience was even more eager to know what’s with the film that made it controversial. I could say the film was a hit in the country. But opposite to what most of the people in position believed, audience still managed to remain what they believe before they had watched the film.
It isn’t the audience that is not prepared to have a new type of films but the industry itself. The underestimation of the Filipino audience is one of the reasons why the industry is at danger. A danger that
Conclusion
The country is still in its crisis now. Everybody wants some changes. The government is trying to work hard and convincing people to cooperate with them, convincing foreign investors to do some business in the country. The church is convincing the people to change and help pray for the country. But as long as the eyes of the citizens are still blind and the minds are still empty of its cruel reality, how could all the people participate? The impossibility of a change is what the country has right now.
The Media is of great help but we are not maximizing its use so far. We use it for more cruelty and not for awakening its people. It is designed to reach a large volume of audience therefore it could absolutely help. If media could destroy a person and even an institution, how come it couldn’t do the exact opposite? The art of film is on its lead to do the first few steps. Put it in mind that people can be moved through stories. If business is business and therefore waits for some profit, why can’t we let both sides get some profit out of it? The Catholic may band Live Show which discusses the sufferings of the sex workers in the country because of it’s acclaimed “immorality”, but come to think of it, isn’t it more immoral for not letting the people know what is happening around and pretend as if it isn’t happening?
Primary Source:
Forum with Director Joyce Bernal and Director Mae Cruz
UP-Cinema Directing Workshop
UP. Palma Hall
July 2006
Philippine Cinema Class
Prof. Nicanor Tiongson
UP Film Institute
First Semester, 2006
Secondary Sources:
Joyce E. Bernal
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0076081/
Nicanor Tiongson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicanor_Tiongson
Debate with Mare and Pare
D' Vinci Code
GMA 7 TV Program
Hosts: Winnie Monsod
Oscar Orbos