Jolina G.

Mendez
PE-23

Sir. Martinez

KABISERA (THE SEAT)

INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY
A film by ARTURO BOY SAN AGUSTIN & REAL FLORIDO
Simple yet very relevant and timely film. Kabisera is a film about a
tightly knit family whose lives fall apart after a tragic incident. Mercy, Nora
Aunors character takes the central seat (Kabisera) to hold her family together. In
a film about a widows fight to find justice for her slain husband and son, Mercy is
not a hapless victim. Here, she fights back, not in blind anger, but in a way thats
righteous, persistent and quiet. Yet this film, simply talks about politics, family,
justice and reality. Over all, the story is about a family who is victim of so called
EJK. Kabisera really hit me hard probably due to Mercy or cause of the familial
values and how EJK messes with lives. It shows the other side of extra judicial
killing.
The film effectively mirrors the fear and horror enveloping the family
victim and their confusion and uncertainty in the quest for justice in the shadow of
a nameless and powerful enemy. One of the standout characters in the film is the
CHR commissioner played by Ces Quesada, who, we realize later, is not really

after the protection of the rights of the victim and the serving of justice but a
user of the worst kind, sensationalizing the case to further her career and gain
media mileage as a PR campaign, abandoning the victims when she has
achieved her purpose of self promotion. Since the film and the events portrayed
therein were during the past administrations time, you can probably guess who
that lady commissioner with the ubiquitous scarf is. Additionally, most Filipinos
can relate to the film because the setting revolves around the importance of love
for the family, which are closely to every Filipino heart.
Kabisera should have been a great film since it contains very
powerful scenes and excellent dialogue but the film editing was a major
disappointment. Some scenes should have been deleted and/or shortened,
sequences re-ordered especially after the murder of JC de Veras character and
that awkward carolling scene. One thing that I learned in this film was no matter
what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better
tomorrow. The film may not be considered as an obra maestra but it embodies
important, inspirational and life changing lessons that is not commonly seen in
the most films.