IN MEMORIAM: SIGFREID BARROS-SANCHEZ
At first, this note extends sympathies to the family and friends after the passing of independent filmmaker, writer, and cultural worker Sigfreid Barros-Sanchez.
Died in the young age of 45 after his battle with illness at the Philippine Heart Center last January 3, "Sig", as his friends called him, was a pioneer in the independent film scene, and has an outpouring imagination leading his best creations like "Lasponggols", "Ang mga Kidnapper ni Ronnie Lazaro", "Tsardyer", and "Magtanggol." These even became nominees for various film festivals like Cinemalaya, Cine Totoo, and even the European-Philippine Film Festival in Italy with "Magtanggol" won the Special Jury Prize for Social Change.
He also served as writer for a number of episodes of some of ABSCBN's shows, and also directed shows for GMA Channel 7, Channel V, and TV5. He also did music videos for various bands and artists, one of which was Sugarfree's "Hari ng Sablay" that won an Awit Award for Best Music Video in 2005.
However, his immense outpour of creation started during his student days at the University of the East (UE), taking political science as his course in the College of Arts and Sciences. Originally destined to be a basketball player in the UE Red Warriors given his stature, his creativity rather changed his direction, serving as a writer at then-campus weekly newspaper "Dawn", an active member of cultural group "Pinsel Sining", as well as the political party "Kapit Bisig Party Alliance". He also worked as a writer for magazine "Rock & Rhythm" during his student days, making his creative prowess, as well as his rebellious appeal paved way to his role as a cultural worker in both mainstream and independent filmmaking scenes.
Outside filmmaking, he also written songs like "Gallaga", "Toilet Humor", "Enter Stuntman", and "Childstar" through his blog "Bigredbakulaw".
TO cut this note short, Direk Sig truly loved his craft that his outpouring imagination and creation is itself a contribution to Philippine cinema. Be it as humorous as "Mga Kidnapper ni Ronnie Lazaro" or patriotic as "Magtanggol", Sig's works showcase his lifelong learning and love for the arts, that somehow outweighs his passing as a mortal and into immortality. Hopefully, there will be more Sigfreids to follow his footsteps, to follow his "imagination at work", to create new concepts, new ideas, and new lessons in the realm of the arts.