Still "rubbish"
Notes after Metro Manila Film Festival 2017
whose movies remained "rubbish" except for a few
And (still) a need for reforms and improvement
in Filipino cinema (and culture)
It's been usual nowadays to equate today's cinema with crass commercialism. With film and cinema giants dictate what is deemed showing, it seems that today's cinema, no matter how it is heavily spent if not trying to satisfy its subjects, rather fails to create an appeal other than providing a culture that is, canned.
Admittingly speaking, for just like the past years, and in spite promises to present what as meant to be artistic and appealing, what everyone sees is a heavily invested trash that has nothing to do with emancipating people and to create a lively culture; but rather to continue using cinema, as in any other art, as a profiteering medium.
But no matter how these giants insist what is ideal for the commons (particularly using the "family" for an alibi in presenting crappy ones), not all those from the commons are satisfied from what these media giants trying to insist: in a way not all are interested in Vice Ganda or any other mainstream bullshit being presented in every moviehouse especially in today's "Metro Manila Film Festival".
With all these bullshits oversought and heard, it is worth to bear in mind that each and every Writer and artist must bear an important responsibility for discovering and training young people of talent, knowing that these youngsters who took seriously in their craft be deemed vigorous and perceptive, and in them lies the future of a country's literature and art.
Actually, There have been debates on which camp produces better films, which breeds better directors and actors, whether a film should be categorized as this or that, or even whether or not such categories should be used at all. But in spite of these, the system remains no matter how the system pleads to its subjects that art has to be conformed in "what the consumer desires", yet actually conditions the consumer to what the system desires, the growing mass of concerned also takes the task of getting rid of all stereotypes and conventions and study new situations and solve new problems in conformity with the characteristics of the country is in. And in this case probably enough of Vice Ganda, of revivals, of common topics, of bullshit that made "Metro Manila Film Festival" devoid of its significance. Even "Independent" ones are becoming less "independent" as well, that made also the concerned describing them as maindie or streamdie, due to is qualities that exude both mainstream and "indie".
Nonetheless, each has its fair share of "well-made" films as any other "well-made" art. What makes it worrisome is how movie house owners, in arms with movie bigwigs emphasise theirs over others who also take part in that film fest. From there it makes the concerned thinking that in spite of invoking the ideal of "true, good, and beautiful" via cinema, commercial viability remains the emphasis with bigwigs churning canned culture throughout.
And from there, writer Jessica Zafra complained last 2013 in a review, which continues to be relevant as ever:
"Speaking of standards, why do we bother to review the festival entries when most of them are rubbish? Because they're not supposed to be rubbish! Contrary to what you’ve been led to believe, 'entertainment' and 'commercial appeal' are not synonyms for 'garbage'. There are good commercial movies, and there are bad commercial movies. The bad outnumber the good because the studios think the viewers are idiots."
From this perhaps every concerned who truly adheres to an emancipative kind of art should help them eagerly and also make strict demands on them, so that they will not become divorced from life but will make steady progress both ideologically and in their art. In citing the late Sawamura’s, they should be serious in their quest to seek for the truth, its beauty, and goodness rather than contenting in treating art, such as Cinema as a mere money-making venture. Why on earth a country has to let its cinema, as in other art be dictated by the bigwigs who provided “canned” entertainment to the masses? Do these bigwigs truly adhere to revive or revitalise a nation's culture if they provided bullshits? Such bullshits made the concerned think that Zafra being right enough to state those words.
And as for the middle-aged, as well as the younger generation who increasingly taking part in the craft, they are becoming the mainstay of a country’s literary and art work, and should make it possible for them to contribute all they can.