The Pinoy soul and indie filmmaking

INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON
Inquirer Northern Luzon : The Pinoy soul and indie filmmaking
By Maurice Malanes
Northern Luzon Bureau
Posted date: January 14, 2009

BAGUIO CITY – When he first heard Ifugao elder and environmentalist Lopez Nauyac mispronounce “indigenous” as “indigenius,” filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik became inspired.
To Tahimik, it was a blessed “cosmic slip” as it could help him articulate the framework behind his filmmaking.

That framework is based on what he calls his “sariling duwende” perspective and approach in making independent films, which seek to help unfold the Filipino’s “Indio-genius” strengths.

The Filipino soul is often described as having been confined at the convent for more than three centuries under the Spaniards and trapped by Hollywood’s influence for decades. As a result, the Filipino’s indigenous way of looking at things and viewing the world has been suppressed or has become blurred.
Hollywood clone

Holywood clone

It is thus not surprising that the local movie industry, which also reflects the way Filipinos view the world, is more often largely a clone of Hollywood.

Hollywood’s commercial formula is generally a mix of fast-paced violence and sex. The output of this formula is what Tahimik describes as “McDo films,” in which the movie’s content is as predictable as the hamburger from that global fast food chain giant.

“When you use your sariling duwende, you are less likely to fall into the (Hollywood) commercial formula trap,” says Tahimik, who has received international awards for his independent films.

His first film, “Mababangong Bangungot (Perfumed Nightmares),” won three prestigious awards at the Berlin Film Festival in 1977. He was also honored for his 1981 film, “Turumba.”

His other films, such as “Bakit Yellow ang Gitna ng Rainbow? (Why is Yellow the Center of the Rainbow?),” and more than a dozen others are scheduled to be screened every 5:30 p.m. onwards at the University of the Philippines Film Center’s Ishmael Bernal Gallery in Diliman, Quezon City, on Jan. 12-15. The event has been dubbed the Kidlat Tahimik Film Retrospective.

Indie film fans can also view “Bakit Yellow ang Gitna ng Rainbow?” on the wide screen of the UP Film Center’s Big Cinema or Cine Adarna at 5 p.m. on Jan. 17.

Unique world-view

In between screenings are open forums during which the audience could discuss with Tahimik about his sariling duwende perspective.

“This (sariling duwende) is your unique world view, which develops and unfolds from your own context, indigenous culture and values,” Kidlat explains.  “So where you come from – be it a coastal or upland community – plus the cultural traits, practices and values your community holds dear all contribute to this unique world view.” 

To Tahimik, this unique world-view of the sariling duwende becomes one’s framework in telling his or her story through film, or even through a book or a feature story.
It can also be manifested in what is “Pinoy na Pinoy (truly Filipino)” in us, including the sense of humor of comedian Dolphy, which, Tahimik says, is by and large truly Filipino.

To some cultural workers, letting this view blossom can help build the nationhood of this country, which is still struggling for its true identity after centuries of colonization.

The growth of films, such as Tahimik’s indies, is “pivotal in realizing nationhood, not only for filmmakers and film enthusiasts but also for the common people,” film enthusiasts and event coordinators Pete Malaya Camporedondo and Marella Castro said in a letter to Avie Felix, theater faculty coordinator of the UP College of Mass Communication, when they were arranging for the venue of the retrospective.

Camporedondo and Castro feel that it is thus time to make Tahimik’s films accessible to a wider audience, especially students, educators, filmmakers and enthusiasts.

They also regard Tahimik as a “Filipino culture bearer” who does not only make films but also dedicates his time teaching filmmaking to the Ifugao people through a user-friendly video camera. Through this, Tahimik seeks to help record, promote and enhance the Ifugao’s oral indigenous storytelling.

To Camporedondo and Castro, Kidlat’s perspective is also vital in helping enrich the sociocultural studies of educational institutions.
Bamboo Camera Award

Bamboo Camera Award

To help encourage budding Filipino independent filmmakers, Tahimik helped start in 2005 what is called the Bamboo Camera Award.

Given to selected filmmakers during the Cinemalaya festival of independent films, the award seeks to recognize those “whose unique soul or sariling duwende is exposed and manifested in their work,” says Tahimik.

He says films chosen are “playful and vibrant but anchored on our distinct cultural traits and values as Filipinos.”

Tahimik will announce the 2008 award winners during a Bamboo Camera Night on Jan. 17 after the screening of “Bakit Yellow ang Gitna ng Rainbow?”

To Tahimik, who believes in the power of symbols to convey messages, his choice of bamboo as symbol for the award signifies an effort to help both filmmakers and audience not to grow weary in continuing to discover and rediscover their distinct spirits or unique souls in making and appreciating films.