Book review: '44 Cineastas Filipinos': A world class intro to PHL cinema

This beautifully printed coffee table book of photographs entitled "44 Cineastas Filipinos (44 Filipino Filmmakers)" (Instituto Cervantes de Manila, 2011) by Spanish photographer Oscar Fernandez Orengo with accompanying text by film critic Shirley O. Lua is a visually delicious and informative introduction to Philippine cinema.

It contains portraits of 44 directors and brief notes on their achievements and concise critical insights to their body of works. This book is nothing short of being a world class publication. Orengo came to the Philippines in October 2008 to mount an exhibit called “A Traves de mis ojos” (Through my eyes), a collection of photographic portraits of film directors from Spain and the Latin America, as part of the annual Spanish film festival "PELIKULA" of Instituto Cervantes de Manila. Jose Ma. Fons, cultural chief of the said Spanish cultural institute, convinced him to do portraits of Filipino filmmakers. They asked the help of the film centers of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) for the initial list of directors to be included. Forty-four directors were able to pose for Orengo. The older and the younger generations are well represented—Eddie Romero, Tikoy Aquiluz and Peque Gallaga alongside John Torres and Khavn de la Cruz. Both commercial and independent film directors are included—Joel Lamangan and Jose Javier Reyes alongside Kidlat Tahimik and Roxlee. In his preface, Orengo confesses his regret of not including other first-rate directors, like Mike de Leon, because of “time and availability constraints.” Orengo is an artist of a photographer. I particularly like the portrait of Elwood Perez wearing a barong posing among the colorful and bright display of capiz Christmas lanterns and decors. The enigmatic sadness on his face is juxtaposed with the overdose, and therefore very commercial, of garish Christmas display. The filmmakers were asked to suggest a place where they want to pose. John Torres poses in a nondescript corner of nowhere. Behind him is a trunk of a palm tree choked by white Christmas lights, and on his left is an ugly wall with a telephone booth. He is wearing a black shirt with a hood. He looks so serious, perhaps contemplating another film in his documentary and very personal style of filmmaking. Auraeus Solito is lying on a Palawan biday in his room beside an aquarium with green water plants, the cool color of which matches his green pillow cases and the tattered green wall in the background. He looks sadly at the camera with tears subtly glistening in his right eye. His expression is almost tragic, a contrast to the hope and aliveness being conjured by the greenness. De La Salle University-Manila professor Shirley O. Lua, an expert in film and literature studies, was asked to write a brief but substantial note for each director. Lua’s essay introducing the whole book entitled “Philippine Cinema: A Mythic Journey” is a short but very comprehensive historical and critical introduction to Philippine cinema starting from the first Filipino film “Dalagang Bukid” by Jose Nepomuceno in 1919 up to NCCA’s film festival called “Cinema Rehiyon: Alter Nativo Films from the Other Philippines” in 2008 that featured films in the different dialects of the Philippines. In spite of the challenges the film directors are facing nowadays, like the declining number of audience and the Hollywood hegemony in the box office, Lua is very positive about the present and the future of filmmaking in the Philippines. She says, “In today’s mediascapes, Philippine cinema is a many-splendored thing… Philippine cinema will embrace more creative excitement and a few unanticipated metamorphoses. Gradually but definitely, Philippine cinema is working towards re-establishing its distinctiveness and singularity as a Filipino art. It will be resplendently, significantly different.” She ends her essay saying, “The shadow is but a passing thing. The Reel-bearers have lots of chances of turning back, only they haven’t. They have kept on going to fulfill the quest. Such is their destiny.” Indeed, filmmaking in the Philippine context is a calling, a passionate vocation. It is also important to mention that the text of this book is translated into Spanish and Filipino, making the book accessible to a wider readership here and abroad. This book will introduce Philippine cinema to the world. Any self respecting student of Philippine cinema must read this. Each library in the country must have a copy of this book which is nothing short of an art in itself and a tasteful display of the cultural pride of Filipinos. –KG, GMA News J. I. E. TEODORO is a writer and critic from San Jose de Buenavista, Antique. He is an assistant professor of writing and literature at Miriam College in Quezon City. He now resides in Pasig City. You may visit his blogs <jieteodoro.blogspot.com>, <bantaytvatpelikula.blogspot.com>, and <katawgwapa.blogspot.com>.