'Ganito Tayo Noong Martial Law', dokumentaryo ni Howie Severino

"Ganito Tayo Noong Martial Law" Dokumentaryo ni Howie Severino September 24, 2012   What is Filipino? It was a question often asked during Martial Law. Were they simply a sweet and docile people that had exchanged freedom for discipline, economic progress, and benevolent rule, as the Marcos propaganda machine wanted everyone to believe?    The movies had different and more daring answers, if they were allowed to screen at all.    Martial Law was a time when the mass media was mostly an image-making apparatus for the regime. But some movies tried to portray the truth. And a few of those films are considered among the greatest Philippine movies of all time.    Howie Severino and his documentary team look back at Martial Law on its 40th anniversary through some of the films produced during what is widely known as a golden age of Philippine cinema.    They interview Christopher de Leon, who began his career during Martial Law, about his naive character Kulas in the classic, "Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?" Its director Eddie Romero tells them that's who the Filipino was, a smiling survivor who just tried to get along with everyone.    Other political films of the period would beg to disagree. Philip Salvador's character, "Turing", in Lino Brocka's acclaimed ""Bayan ko: Kapit sa Patalim" reacts to injustice by turning to crime.    Carmi Martin, who plays a sexy dancer in the same movie, reveals how the banned film was smuggled out of the country so it could be shown at the Cannes Film Festival, and how her activist director Brocka had politicized her.    Severino reunites with Behn Cervantes, director of another banned film, Sakada, and together they return to the police camp where they met after their arrest at protest actions, and recall the late Lino Brocka who was in the same jail.    Each of their movies is a story of struggle both on camera and behind the camera.  Join Howie Severino as he uncovers a slice of the 70's through the movies on Monday in I-Witness.         Sino nga ba ang Pilipino?  Marahil, isa itong tanong na bumagabag sa isip ng ilan nating kababayan noong panahon ng Martial Law.  Tayo nga ba ay mayumi at matiisin, na basta nalang tatanggapin ang kawalan ng kalayaan kapalit ng pangako ng kaunlaran at disiplina?   May sagot rito ang ilang mga pelikula noong dekada sitenta at otchenta na nagbigay ng bagong mukha sa mga Pilipino.  Mga pelikulang hinirang na pinakamagagaling na obra sa kasaysayan ng cinema sa bansa.    Nang ipasara ng Marcos regime ang mga diyaryo, radyo, at telebisyon, tila nagsikap ang ilang direktor na ipakita ang totoong sitwasyon ng bansa, gamit ang kanilang pelikula.   Sa ika-apatanapung anibersaryo ng pagdeklara ng Martial Law, babalikan ni Howie Severino ang dekada sitenta sa pamamagitan ng mga pelikulang nilikha noong panahong iyon.  Panahong kinikilala bilang isa sa mga golden age ng Philippine cinema.    Ikukuwento ni Christopher de Leon ang isa sa mga kauna-unahan niyang role bilang "Kulas" sa Filipino classic na "Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?" At tatalakayin ng direktor nitong si Eddie Romero kung sino nga ba sa tingin niya ang Pinoy.   Sasariwain naman ni Carmi Martin ang kaniyang role bilang sexy dancer sa "Bayan ko: Kapit sa Patalim."  Pelikula ito ni Lino Brocka na nagpakita ng isang desperado ngunit palaban na Pilipino na si 'Turing' na ginanap ni Philip Salvador.  Ibubunyag ni Carmi ang hirap na pinagdaanan ng kanilang pelikula at kung paano ito itinakas sa bansa para lang maipakita sa Cannes Film Festival.   Makakasama rin ni Howie Severino si Behn Cervantes, direktor ng "Sakada" isa pang pelikulang ipinagbawal ng rehimeng Marcos.  Kasama ni Behn, babalik sila sa kampo kung saan sila kinulong kasama si Lino Brocka matapos ang isang kilos protesta noong dekada otsenta.   Makulay ang storya ng bawat pelikula ngunit tila, mas makulay pa ang storya sa paggawa nito.  Balikan ang isang bahagi ng dekada sitenta kasama si Howie Severino, ngayong Lunes sa I-Witness.