Understanding the Beloved Art that is Film

By: Mary Ofelyn Datuin

                They say learning can come from all sorts of places, and all sorts of people, and all sorts of things. Learning does not just come from books and words our teachers tell us for everyone is a teacher and everything can be taught from anything. You can name many things and all can teach us something in their own little way. But as of late I have come to appreciate a new form of learning, one driven by emotion and understanding, technicality and simplicity and above all passion beyond one’s being. Several days before, my mind was opened to something not completely new, and yet completely different from the way I used to understand what it is to be a film critic and what it means to be one.

                The Cinemalaya Campus has taught me not just one but more than what I could have imagined. I would like to believe that what I have learned in the forum I was able to take part in was more than what I could ever learn in a year’s worth of studying inside the school walls. As we watched several films and studied the very small details the directors used and visualized, broke down and digested their works piece by piece, I have come to realize the various messages the film was trying to tell us. In Andoy, it wasn’t merely about a little boy trying to get his mother to buy a ticket for a chance, which most probably isn’t much, to win a colored TV rather, the little details have told me about the social issues of our country; poverty, respect for our elders, the government’s attempt selling tickets for their barangay. The critics and reviewers translated every scene to something deeper than what a regular person would try to understand. There would always be movie-goers who would watch movies for entertainment and yet there are still people who would question every little detail they can in order to fully understand the messages they could interpret from films. I myself have watched a number of films, most of which I have enjoyed in their production, story and characters and giving my opinion on the technical aspect have made me believe that I understood what it is to be a film critic but how utterly wrong could I be? There is more to film critiquing than what meets the eye, literally. It’s not all about what you see as the film goes through its length, but it is about what you’re supposed to see and what you are supposed to understand besides its initial and obvious point. Look beyond that; delve into the very meaning of the film’s conception. Why was it made? What is it trying to tell me? How does this affect me as a viewer and as a citizen of this country? I have learned to question everything there is in a film, and what I can attain learning from it and what I will be able to do once I have finally understood it. There is so much more to understanding a film and so much more it can teach me in just a span of minutes that can and will affect me in my whole life.

                The forum was beyond what I expected in learning what is film and what is film critiquing. I may not be a professional when it comes to reviewing or critiquing films but as I watched the following films right after the forum had ended, I tried to put what I understood to the test. I was able to watch ten Cinemalaya short films and try to understand them based off of what I was able to learn.

                Apasol (Chasing Sun) was a film I’d like to admit, I did not quite understand until the director, Ryanne Murcia told us what he was trying to show. I was only able to appreciate it once he had translated into words the meaning of the film, about a moment in time wherein you’d like for it to not end. I understood it completely because I have personally had those moments myself. As much as I would like to make a review about it, I feel unworthy of doing so because I had not realize its meaning until I was told.

                On the other hand, Gatilyo ng Baril by Glenmark Doromal and Eero Francisco was a film I was looking forward to watching. The film was indeed about the investigation of Carlito Dimahilig’s attempt to kill the present First Lady at the time, Imelda Marcos. The unexpected turn of events had caught me tapping my feet for more, although the discussion itself was not as engaging as I thought it would be, and the acting I’m sorry to say was not as clean as well. There was a monotonous tone that was predictable as Ms. Estrella spoke that made me unsatisfied with their delivery. But the surprise at the end was the part that made me want to know more. A cliff-hanger was a very nice end at the same time not so because I sat there gaping hoping there would be more rolling in after the credits. Was that scene a true story? I do not know but it is satisfying to believe so.

                As much as I gaped throughout the credits of the previous film, watching Sanctissima by Kenneth Dagatan was a film I could not even finish. I was not fazed by the character Marisa being an abortionist, what I was daunted by was the fact that –spoiler alert – she fed the fetuses to her son. I am unable to completely review or give much insight for this film because as I type I am already gagging recalling the events throughout the film. Besides the shocking events that took place I did enjoy the eeriness of it making me shiver more than I’d like to. I would also like to express my appreciation for it being a film that is very memorable, unfortunately not in a good way. All I can say watching the film is that I was nearly in tears, quivering in fear and even now, I am waiting for my grandmother to tell me that she is an abortionist whenever we leave the house and feeds the unborn children to a monster above our wooden floorboards.

                Kyel by Arvin Belarmino was the film that got me to recognize the impeccable acting the protagonist did. You can see his malnourishment brought by the addiction he was in and was evident of his abuse. I do not remember much of the film besides its shocking end that I very much enjoyed because who knew? Who knew he was being sought after by a bounty hunter? The very memorable note of this film is the acting. I don’t know how much more I can emphasize that enough? His acting was flawless. Period, literally. One question remains as I end this very short review and that is: who is Rona?

                Lisyun qng Geographia by Petersen Vargas was my favorite film of them all. I appreciated the personal aspect of the film that is not only for the director but is also something anyone of us can relate to. And although he admitted that he did the film in order for him to have closure for himself, I appreciated that he was able to achieve that when I myself was not able to do so. I loved how personal the film was especially since it was a telling of a retelling of the character who did the wrong. I also loved how they were able to face each other, not literally of course but still being physically present at the same place they shared together. I loved the end, that of all the films I found it had an actual closure but at the same time not, because I still am unsure of what would happened once they finish their cigarette. There are so many things there is still left to say on why it is that I fell in love with this film; the cinematography, the soundtrack that tied the film together, the great effect of the outside characters that were hardly present throughout the film and so much more. This was indeed the film that tugged me by the heart and took me on an emotional journey with them.

                And last but certainly not the least, Pusong Bato by Martika Ramirez Escobar was the film I enjoyed in terms of entertainment, humor and above all its uniqueness of translating what love is. A woman reminiscing her golden days as a star in a movie of the same title and falls in love with literally a heart-shaped rock. It was enjoyable as we go back to watching an old film within a film, and watch as we see her in love with an unlikely object to the point that she makes love to it. The film was filled with humor, it was light, not too deep but talks of something completely different and surprising to the eyes of the norm. Objectophilia , choosing a rock over a man, confessing to a priest, the priest believing her and goes along with her sentiments, the very surprising end not in a way of ‘I didn’t see that coming’ bot more of ‘how is that even possible?’ The film was quirky and sweet and incredibly enjoyable to watch. I applaud the unique concept and the memorable mark it has left on everyone who was able to watch such an incredible film.

                There is so much film can teach us but it can make us feel so much more. Film has by far given me a completely new view on what it is wrong and what is right, what it is and what it could be and what more there is to see than what meets our very eyes. I have come to realize that there is so much that the mainstream cinema is missing out on and what more there is to expect from independent films and in my experience I am here, begging and wanting for more.