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Filmmakers lay down new realities in cinema
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Local filmmakers and their counterparts in the whole of Asia have recently met in the First Asian Film Forum (AFF) held here in Manila at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel. The objective of the gathering was to discuss the concerns and issues affecting Asian cinema and propose on what best course of action to take.
For decades, movies from the West—particularly that of the United States’, have dominated the international scene. One need only to mention a few of them to realize how pervasive the influence of Western cinema is. Movies like the Rocky series, Sleepless in Seattle or Titanic are extremely popular among Asians as opposed to Akiro Kurosawa classics, or one of those Oscar-nominated films from countries like Nepal or Afghanistan.
But marketing for an international audience is not the only issue that concerns Asian filmmakers. There are still other matters that need attending at the local level such as the image of women onscreen, children’s cinema, use of special effects technology, censorship, taxation, new narrative discourses, and independent filmmaking. Indeed, before any global campaign can be made to project Asian cinema, these issues should be tackled first in order to fully understand the current realities of the local film industry.
Time to pack up and move on
Armida Santiago, AFF project director, said that the concerns of Asian filmmakers have long been essayed in print and television. Yet only a forum participated by major players in the industry could really make tangible changes. It is time for all members of the filmmaking community to unite in order to uplift Asian cinema.
In her keynote speech, Marichu Vera Perez Maceda—chairman of the International Film Festivals Committee (IFFCOM), said that gone are the days when Asian filmmakers are faced with only the simple problems of government apathy, censorship and taxation, and cultural differences. Nowadays, she explained, the issues are more vexing and complicated like speed of technology transfer and greater dialogues between nations brought about by globalization.
“Perhaps it is time to change our strategies as we chart the future of the film industry in Asia,” Maceda enthused. “We continue to stake out our goals towards predetermined ends, assuming predictable results that defy but do not necessarily challenge convention.”
Challenging conventions
One front in the local cinema which is usually associated with challenging conventions is the independent filmmaking. Names like Kidlat Tahimik, Peque Gallaga, Mike de Leon, Jeffrey Jeturian, Raymond Red, Lav Diaz, Tikoy Aguiluz and Nick de Ocampo come to mind. Their works—Red’s Sakay, de Leon’s Bayaning Third World or Aguiluz’s Munting Tinig—have veered away from the crass commercialism that has engulfed movie producers.
Michael Magnaye, one of the forum speakers, said that the survival of independent filmmaking depends upon certain factors. “These are the perennial increase in film production costs, advent of digital technology, changes in government subsidies, availability of inter-country co-productions, and the varying rate of economic growth in the region.” he enumerated.
An independent filmmaker himself, Magnaye, talked about his experiences both in the US and in the Philippines. In the US, where independents and major studios are two distinct industries with their own structure, finance, talent and audience, independent filmmakers are constantly breaking grounds. In Asia—particularly in the Philippines—where independent film production almost always depend upon subsidy and funding from the government or private sector, independents are a dying lot.
For the kids
Children’s cinema is another subject that was discussed in the forum. Speaking on the matter was Vedakumar M., chairman of the Children’s Film Society in India. He said that despite the dismal situation of movie-making for children in Asia, there have been remarkable developments notwithstanding other areas that need attention too like education, health, games & sports, etc. |
