De Guzman, Leonora Patricia L. Comm. 130 FRU Toward a Cinema of the People BY: Jay Jomar F.

Quintos

January 20, 2012 Mr. Choy Pangilinan

Jay Jomar Quintos pointed out in his paper that films have a very important space in the social construction of a society. According to him, films reflect the reality (their own view of what is real or what should be made real) of the society; they expose the perspective of colonialism in the country; and they create a narrative about the history of a particular society. According to him, these cause the people to develop an overlapping and sometimes, juxtaposing perspectives about their country as a nation and of themselves as a part of their own society. His statement earlier is true not only on films but in the whole media industry given that Pop Culture (Popular Culture) has saturated the industry from print, radio, television, and most especially the new media which is the internet. Mass Media has been a powerful instrument in social construction particularly on feeding ideologies to the mass. Quintos said in his paper that Filipino Indie Films (Independent films) have become more liberal (mapagpalaya) in exposing significant social issues. Ang Indie films ay nagbibigay tinig sa walang tinig; espasyo para sa mga nasa laylayan ng lipunan; at armas bilang kalasag ng mga api. This is his statement justifying that the independent cinema is now moving toward a cinema of the people. But is this really what indie films now are doing or are they just pretending to be liberal but in reality have no significant difference from the mainstream? Was Quintos just generalizing things about indie films to satisfy the ears of the people from Cinemalaya in the symposium? Hearing Quintos say that Filipino Indie Films have become the voice for the voiceless; space for those who are marginalized; and

armor for the oppressed made me question the usual narratives and contents of indie filmsfrom whose point of view are they and to whom are they writing and producing these films. He discussed Endo as one of his examples for the indie films that has given voice and space for the marginalized Filipino people. Endo is the shortened word for end of contract. The movie tells a story of two young people, Leo (Jason Abalos) and Ana (Ina Feleo), who go from job to job to job not because of their incompetence but because they are contractual workers. Along the story, the two characters will find romance with each other. Quintos says, may pag-asa pa dinmay mga nakakakilig na eksenaipinakita na ang pag-big ay hindi lamang pangmayamanpwede din umibig ang mga manggagawa at ang nasa laylayan ng lipunan, tumambay sa kanto at uminom ng softdrinks at magsabihan ng mga pangarap I highly disagree with his analysis of the film. I have got three main things to point out. First, the film Endo depicts the issue on contractualization of workers in big companies. People move from one job to another every five to six months of hard work. They are lucky enough when they find one immediately after the other to sustain their needs but sorry for those unlucky ones. Quintos did not seem to question the content of the film. It was as if he was telling that contractualization is just a normal thing to deal with. That there are people who are exclusively able to have more market rights than the other and therefore, the oppressed class will just continue to be oppressed while the middle class elites continue to enjoy the luxury they have. Second, when Quintos said may pag-asa pa dinmay mga nakakakilig na eksenaipinakita na ag pag-ibig ay hindi lang pang mayaman, pwede din umibig ang mga manggagawa he was as if saying that having a love life is a good escape from the reality of oppression. Can love or romance itself make a couple or a family live decently even without having a stable job to earn a living? NO WAY! Romance was actually used in the film to highlight an important implication of contractualization to relationships such as family. In the film, Ana and Leo had to be separated so Ana can look for better opportunities

abroad while leaving Leo alone. In reality, several families have to be away from each other so they can find better income abroad. Third, Quintos failed to view the films (Endo) content as a political subject. He did not question the film, instead he just kept saying that it is a revolutionary film when in fact, the film did not show any resistance for a new systemEndo merely sensationalized the issue on contractualization of workers to just plainly entertain the viewers. Endo should have been a very powerful Film if the content was able to show in context why there is always an end of contract for people like Leo and Ana and give more emphasis on this issue rather than alluring the viewers with the predictable love story of Leo and Ana. Aside from the things mentioned earlier, I also hate how he loves to use the words mga nasa laylayan ng lipunan repeatedly. This just places Quintos in his elitist satus. His point of view is from the elites. He kept on bragging that indie films has become the marginalized peoples voice and space to get noticed but he never knew if the representations to these people are contextually correct. Indie films are powerful instruments. These indie films should be revolutionary by giving emphasis on resistance against the prevailing rotten system in the Filipino society. From whose point of view are they narrating; to whom are they narrating; and for what cause are they doing these narratives? The point of view should come nonetheless from the marginalized mass and they, too, should be the primary viewers and critiques of these indie films because the narratives are about them and for them, and NOT for the elites or foreigners who just seek to get entertained by our current state in the Philippines. The call for resistance and collective action is for the marginalized mass, therefore if the Filipino indie films are truly moving toward a cinema of the people, the marginalized mass themselves should be the topmost priority and NOT the income, awards or international recognitions.

Kung kasangkapan ito ng mga naghahari-harian sa lipunan, maaari rin itong gamitin bilang pambambo, pantiris, panlatay, panlatigo, pandarang, pandurog, panggulpi, pangkapon, pambaogsa medaling salita, sandatalaban sa mga naghahari-harian. Sa ganitong konteksto magagampanan ng mass media ang kanyang papel sa isang lipunang ibinulid sa kahirapan at dominasyon.1

Mass media is a wide and powerful social institution. In revolutionizing a powerful institution, it is a must to start in a micro level before going into the macro. Independent film industry is just a part of mass media. If this will be used efficiently to call for a collective action, through its process, peoples awareness regarding significant political and social issues will be opened and will get the core significance of resistance against the prevailing oppressive system.

Eli R. Guieb III, Ilang Konseptwal na Balangkas sa Pagsusuri ng Kulturang Popular, Lundayan, p. 34 (reading material for Comm. 130).