Lessons from the Neighborhood

I’ve been hearing a lot of people complaining about how bad the Philippine cinema is nowadays. The old films were great though – specifically those few coming from the 50s, 60s and the 70s. But most of us for sure are wondering: what happened to the films being produced nowadays?

Unfortunately, majority of the Filipino movies today have similar plotlines. To be honest, I rarely see one that truly sticks out. Yes, there may be some golden nuggets lately, but in general, our contemporary films are still somewhat immature. Some even say that the Philippine film industry has already formed this habit of recycling storylines, making it simply a rehash of a handful of plotlines that we’ve seen billion times before. Others would more likely think that present-day Filipino movies do not actually have plots, but are seemingly just a series of quotable quotes cobbled together in a film. While there’s really nothing wrong with having these in a film, Filipino producers and filmmakers shoauld realize that movies can’t just be made up of mostly over-the-top (and yes, cheesy) dramatic lines. It simply just gets dull and tiring to see movies like this entering the big screens one after the other.

Unlike all the twists and genre shifts we have witnessed in Korea’s My Sassy Girl and The Classic, Japan’s Departure, and India’s 3 Idiots, we fail to exhibit one important element of screen art, that is, the art of unpredictability. The filmmakers from the neighbor countries just mentioned are all so adventurous that they do not hesitate to break away from all those generic movie plots. Sadly, the writing style (and perhaps the directing too) that we have here already becomes an alarming issue, and thus needs both immediate reflection and action. With the sight of a declining Philippine cinema, now is just the right time to keep the ball rolling, get our creative juices working, and start thinking outside the box.

Characters in Filipino movies are also rarely based on real people. There’s always the cheating husband, the martyr female figure, the vile mistress, the macho playboy, the rebellious teen. In Japan’s Shall We Dance, we have seen a very good character development throughout the film, showing us how dynamic a character in reality can be. Who would imagine having a typical family provider transforming into a professional dancer as the highlight of the film? In most of our films today, the villain remains the villain; the hero remains the hero. Sad to say, there’s no clear character dynamism and flexibility in majority of our films. If there is, only minimal; sometimes, insignificant. As a result, the films we create today lack the power and the impact that we usually can find in most films of our Asian counterparts.

Perhaps this is the case because modern-day films released here in the Philippines are often produced with the purpose of simply making a particular actor rise in the show business, and not because we really have the desire to produce an art. Apparently, what’s adopted today is a backward strategy: the actor comes in mind first; the story just follows. In other words, the plot is simply tailored to how it’s going to suit a particular actor on hand. No doubt we can see a declining quality of our cinema – no depth, no real purpose, no significance. There are attempts to make Filipino films seem a bit more profound, but most of them are still the same generic, overly dramatic story that is driven by “star power” rather than legit quality character and story development. 

I only realized that as I’ve witnessed Iran’s Children of Heaven and The Color of Paradise. These two really made a mark, as they both were able to convey something truly relevant to the society at-large. These 2 films came out powerfully because they were able to make people think about life; they were able to stir emotions; they were able to provoke people into doing something with their lives. The same goes for India’s 3 Idiots and Black – even though they are executed differently, they still managed to become a wellspring of inspiration, impelling one to think and ponder more about life.

Watching the films made by our Asian neighbors truly made me realize that films aren’t just simply films; they are supposed to be artifacts that reflect our culture and, in turn, affect our outlook towards life. Our Asian counterparts already understood this, that’s why they use their films not just for entertainment but also as a powerful tool for educating the society. Thailand’s very own A Beautiful Boxer, India’s Water and Iran’s A Separation are perfect examples. They depict different stories that are meant to enlighten and teach the audience about the realities of life. These films do not mind if they include and present an un-ideal part of human life for they know only through this will the audience learn and extract values helpful to living the social life. But nowhere can we find our culture or any significant message of consequence in our films here in the country. Films, as we’ve proven, are robust tools for communicating ideas and who we are as a people. Unfortunately, our films today seemingly tell us and everyone else that we are shallow and superficial.

Now we ask the why – why can’t we seem to find the right formula, the right recipe, to good and quality films? Obviously, one may think that the industry is just being held back by producers wanting to make a quick buck. No matter what people say about film being an art, still it doesn’t change the fact that it is also a business. Although you have a promising script, if the producers don’t think it’s going to sell, they aren’t going to make your movie. Sadly that’s how our industry works today. So of course, with the film industry still being profit oriented, those hit formulas are still the kinds of films that will be produced. These formula films, which people seem to hate, are apparently the ones that make money. No doubt why the revolution of our movies seem to be slow that even until today, our film making style is considered immature.

However, it still is not right to blame these producers alone for majority of us also contribute to that sad reality. Why do you think those commercial movies, despite its superficiality, are all becoming a hit? That is because of the immaturity (or perhaps over-simplicity) of most Filipino audience as well. We just never learn, we just choose to be shallow by preferring these types of film over those few which make much more sense. Just because they have a powerhouse cast does not mean we have to close our eyes and reject those with only a few known stars. With this commercial mentality, don’t expect producers to make higher quality movies ‘cause what the market wants, the market gets. Yes, the Philippine film industry may survive this by just obtaining profit. But at the end of the day, we still do not get the improvement we really need.

That’s why I think it is important for our film industry to shift from being profit-driven to being value-driven. We see this in both Chinese films Together and Eat, Drink, Man, Woman. Both of these films capture values that the Chinese community sees as something that should be widely promoted in the society. The Philippine industry is capable of producing that too – we have films like Magnifico and Tanging Yaman which can prove that. However, we aren’t so much focusing on that capability. And now is the time to revive that kind of gem in the industry. We can tap and give priority to our indie films which offer better stories, showing real and legitimate stories of Filipino life. It has achieved a lot of recognition in different award-giving bodies locally and internationally; we’ve seen the movie Jay as one of them. However, they are not very much appreciated by majority of the Filipinos simply because they are not part of the mainstream. If only these kinds of film receive better support from the people, then we’ll arrive at the right formula. As for me, I think the best way for now to save the industry from this downward spiral is through prioritizing local independent films, for if more cinemas offer more of them, the people will learn not about just the great films the local industry has to offer them, but also about their selves and the society in which they belong to.

We don’t necessarily have to create a divide between our mainstream and independent films. Hopefully we can blur the line in the process, but right now the way to go to improve our very own film industry is though seeking inspiration from our budding indie films, and yes, through learning from the success and failures of our Asian neighborhood.

True enough, foreign films are good to watch but when a good change happens, watching our own masterpieces will be the best experience for the Filipinos.

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Synthesis Paper on Philippine Cinema, Film Class under Fr. Nick in Ateneo de Manila University

Big Bang Bollywood

I am very well aware that India, as a country, is incredibly rich in culture and heritage. And movies there are just reflections of this unique Indian culture. More often than not, Indian cinemas (as we have come to know as Bollywood) show the hopes and dreams of people living in India, dealing with almost all types of genres such as comedy, action, adventure, romance, horror and even more. If I were to put it, I will call almost all the Indian movies I’ve watched a truly one-stop-shop.

If one would ask me what Bollywood movies are like, I’ll say that they are usually known to last 3 to 4 hours long, which usually include dozens of songs and dances, and feature storylines with happy endings.  Most of the time, there will be a love story even if it’s not the main plot of the movie. In Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots, we can see Viru’s beautiful daughter, Pia, falling in love eventually with the rascal Rancho. Although the film puts heavier weight in the follow-excellence-and-success-will-chase-you theme, this love story definitely added up spice to the movie, making it extra colorful, energetic, and highly entertaining. What makes romance subplots in most Bollywood films really cute and different is the way they use songs and musical performances to explain various emotions between a couple. I figured out that in most Indian films, anything that can’t easily be acted out (for example, themes of love and sexuality) will be played out through a song and a dance. I learned to love these cute and fancy sequences because they suggest a temporary departure from reality, giving emphasis on the dream-like feelings of pure happiness. Perhaps this is one of the angles why a number of critiques say that Bollywood movies are superficial. For me, Bollywood films need not always intend to show realistic views of Indian culture, but are meant as pure entertainment for many Indians who, that we are all aware of, live difficult lives. Just as other films from other countries give their people an opportunity to breathe, Indian films’ fancifulness and beautiful stories also give them a break from the dull and harsh realities of life. I know for many Bollywood aficionados, the best Indian films are those that integrate all of these theatrical variables. For unlike other western film industries, Bollywood film industry continues to retain its local flavor and essence, without having to go with and be influenced by the Hollywood mainstream.

For so long, I hold on to just that whenever we talk about Bollywood. Little did I know that there is yet another angle on how to look at the Indian film industry. Apparently, besides all the fancifulness of Bollywood movies that we are used to seeing, there are a number of Indian movies that define and challenge some aspects of its identity: from gender, sexuality, and even to any person’s disability. These types of films also open up and provoke dialogue about what it means to be Indian, and are transformed yet again as they are distributed to international audiences around the globe. This is especially true for those films that treat themes that are unfamiliar to viewers such as us. Far from being just a mere entertainment, Bollywood can also represent a powerful means of self and community expression, which Indians are using to define themselves in front of the rest of the world. I was extremely awed as I witnessed Sanjay Bhansali’s Black.

Black is indeed an offbeat film in concept and visualization. After the film is over, I cannot forget the scenes and the turbulences I’ve seen on the screen during the 2 hours of the film. The director takes a fresh look at Hellen Keller’s life and times, and introduces us to the quest of the deaf-blind Michelle McNally towards ‘seeing’ into the light through her teacher Debraj Sahai. Contrary to our notion of Indian cinemas, Black is undoubtedly a class apart. I myself don’t expect a film like this coming from the Bollywood industry. With the director’s daring decision to depict a story like this, I think Indian cinema will never be the same again. Veering passionately away from the norm, the film creates an entirely new definition of entertainment, giving us a work of art that transcends every given qualification of the motion-picture experience. Despite the movie being very grim and depressive, it is the realism that keeps you glued to the screen; it is the realism that makes you relish each dialogue, each sign-spoken word, each facial expression you can possibly find in the movie. If I were to think of it in terms of story, I don’t think one can compare this movie to any other. Sure, there have been a host of movies that deal with the disabled, but this movie just enthralls every single aspect of you. Every scene tells a story and the treatment of the film is what leaves anyone spell bound. This movie just tells us that the Bollywood industry is dynamic and still has a lot to offer us. I guess it must’ve been really true that apart from the influences of the Hollywood biggies, Bollywood can still stand on its own; it can still find a special place in everyone’s hearts.

Truly, Bollywood is a great way of getting a sneak peak view of India. While the depictions in Bollywood of India are not often entirely accurate, they are a fun way of experiencing a bit of Indian life. Kudos to the Indian artists and producers who boldly accept and challenge not only their cultural norms, but also the notion of having to go mainstream to reach that peak of success.

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Paper on Indian Cinema, Film Class in Ateneo de Manila University

Kudos to Iranian Cinema

I, for the most part, am used to watching foreign films. They open up an incredible world of cinema that one would otherwise miss. Since it was my first venture into Iranian cinema, I was a little unsure of what to expect. In fact, as I watched Majid Majidi’s Children of Heaven and The Color of Paradise, I found myself processing through certain stereotypes that I had regarding the country of Iran. I had always imagined it as a desert with black mounds and oil wells, a dry place with caravans of camels. But after seeing both movies’ breathtaking sceneries – from dense forests to fields of colorful flowers – I was absolutely surprised. And I’m sure no one who hasn’t been to Iran has any idea at all that it is this beautiful.

Besides the spectacular imagery in both Majidi’s films, the dominant theme also threw me for a loop. Prior to seeing any Iranian cinema, I thought it was just a chock full of social commentary, making Iran nothing but a place where reform movements, revolutions, and embassy seizing take place. There might be some degree of critique present in both movies, yes, but I was impressed by how Majidi was able to demonstrate weighty ideas through simple depictions of everyday life in Iran. Children of Heaven, for example, brilliantly demonstrates the difference between social classes, the gap between the rich and the poor. Apparently, there is so much in Western civilization that most of us usually take for granted. What to us are simple daily belongings, to others can already mean a lifetime. Yes, centering on a boy’s quest to find his sister’s pair of shoes may seem a bit insubstantial and pointless, but the very means by which he did it truly matters more. It’s just heartening to see young children who are polite and respectful to their elders, at the same time responsible and caring in dealing with their everyday problems. Such quiet fortitude in spite of disappointments, such code of honor even in poverty, is just so admirable that it is enough to make one realize that there is actually more to life than just pursuing material riches. The Color of Paradise, on the one hand, strongly focuses on a story that delves into the dark side of human nature (depicted in the person of Hashem, the father) without too much utilization of, unlike those that are predominant in the movies from the west, any morally offensive material. It depicts how economic hardship can be so extreme that it can always be a living possibility to sacrifice and give up one’s own child just to serve another need or purpose. This circumstance introduces us a journey into the world in which majority of us live but don’t often see. It left me wondering about this: who, in this world, are actually blind? Given the blind boy’s hope, determination and inherently good nature, it seems that the father is way blinder than his visually impaired son. He failed to recognize the bounties of grace still present amidst hardships; he failed to notice the worth of having such a good and loving child by his side. By just looking at the journey of Mohammad, you can already draw out meaningful lessons about how you should face your own life. Mohammad shows us that it is still possible to feel the works of God's hand, even if one can't see the color of paradise.

As you can see, Iranian filmmakers often focus on ordinary people caught in harsh circumstances brought about by social, cultural or natural factors. Powerful subjects – from hardships heaped on the poor to prejudices faced by the disabled – are often addressed not with an easy “sloganeering” but with real insights that will drive us into a realization that now it’s the time to exercise compassion for others, especially to those who are vulnerable, to those who are most in need. 

Both movies are so sweet and loving, but most of all, they are honest. Unlike most western films I have already seen, Iranian films seem to be more open, more brutally honest, about their pain and frustrations. And sometimes this is just the key to be able to create a film of great relevance, of great impact, locally and, yes, internationally. True enough, Iranian filmmakers find success through their expertise in drawing virtues out of constraints. Couple that with almost flawless acting from the characters they feature in their story plots, I guess it would really be harder to compare Iranian films with anything else in its league. Again, characters and their lives are simple but very believable; allowing the audience to appreciate life more, and to make a good case for doing so.

Children of Heaven and The Color of Paradise are both played with such beauty and innocence, with great simplicity and soul, that it became a true pleasure to watch. In the very best of Iranian films, this combination of artful simplicity and subtle suggestiveness moves to refine our notions of the cinema’s expressive possibilities. I love how I found my own brand of spirituality in films like these – so full of faith, love and compassion, and above all, hope. Kudos to Iranian cinema!

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Paper on Iranian Cinema, Film Class in Ateneo de Manila University