ED LAURENZ T.

NOVELOSO 1ST YR BA Sociology Pandayang Lino Brocka

August 20, 2011 Film 10

The 70s and the 80s saw the rise of activism and of revolutions against oppression mainly brought to the streets by protestors. The sight of concerned citizens in pickets with placards in tow was not an uncommon scene; people took to the streets to voice their opinions, demonstrated in organized numbers to get their messages across, all amidst the threat to their own lives. But as the fervent activists and protestors rallied their way through the roads of Mendiola and EDSA, a few of our countrys most prolific artists both visual and literary set out to create artful masterpieces as vehicles of their own critique of the society. One of these visionaries was the filmmaker Lino Brocka, who challenged social and political norms of an era of oppression through his films. He was an artistrevolutionary who expressed his stand against the dictatorship with his classic films such as Insiang, Jaguar and Bona. Brocka was an adamant champion against the injustices of the 70s and the 80s, leading him to create visual and fictional features of such scenes to aid the protests. Not only did he create these striking portraits of the Philippines during martial law, he also took on the worlds film industry by storm, having been the first Filipino to be featured in the Cannes Film Festival. What Lino Brocka and a slew of other audacious filmmakers did during the 70s and 80s is easily comparable to that of a revolution; they revolutionized the way people protested, taking the usual street demonstrations to different heights and media. They paved the way for political cinema to be a widely accepted subgenre of the industry, such type of films that proved to be an effective instrument to get messages through. And thus, what were once an expression more commonly seen on the streets, activism and protests were ultimately brought to a new media more impelling for its purpose. With all the foundations laid out in favor of political cinema, its not a total surprise for specialized film festivals to be started as well. Just recently, the 3rd Pandayang Lino Brocka Political Film and New Media Festival was held at the Film Center at UP Diliman, geared towards inspiring the creation of truthful, artistic and relevant audiovisual works to enlighten and cultivate critical consciousness of the mass media. It showed various contemporary works all with the central theme of liberating the minds of people. Among the twelve short films screened in the festival, I was able to catch Christopher Nazarenos K-1, Karen Camille Gutierrezs Aktibista, Gerry Jumawans Lesson Plan, Poetry in Motions Dugo and Iniluluha ng mga Bulaklak and Eric Tandocs Sounds of a New Hope. Although some of the short features shown werent up to par

with the best of the bunch, they all managed to make resonant statements on their respective topics. K-1 took on the pains of fresh graduates striving to look for work locally; Aktibista grittily retold the experiences of an activist as he was wrongly tortured; Lesson Plan depicts the modern day heroism of teachers who affect their students lives; Dugo presents an asphyxiating situation of toilers in a feudal and neo-colonial society; and Sounds of a New Hope shows the journey of a Fil-Am MC as he ventured back to the Philippines, driven by his new-found advocacy. The films I saw were real sketches of our country today and they were all done with such genuineness and truth. Much like the works of Brocka, in a way theyve managed to bring social action to the cinema, touted by the organizers of Pandayang Lino Brocka, as a vehicle for socio-cultural reflection. The 70s and the 80s saw the rise of street activism and brave demonstrations. It saw the passionate fervor of activists and protestors against the oppression of their time. Now, the 2010s is slowly giving rise to a new breed of social action and activism. Through the creation of film fests such as the Pandayang Lino Brocka, our nation is on its way to a different, more aware consciousness. These political films are slowly teaching us to be brave viewers and fearless audiences.