Films from ‘Third Golden Age of PHL cinema’ to be screened at MoMA

Modern Filipino film classics will be screened at the The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York this June as part of the exhibit "A New Golden Age: Contemporary Philippine Cinema."

MoMA has selected 18 films by 13 directors for the month-long event. In the lineup are works by critically acclaimed directors Lav Diaz, Raya Martin, Brillante Mendoza, and more.

The museum praised the filmmakers for pushing cinematic boundaries as they turn their lens on subjects like the country's colonial legacy, the Marcos dictatorship, the lives of migrant workers, and issues such as drug, crime, corruption, and fertility.

Opening the exhibit is "Motherland", directed by Ramona S. Diaz, a documentary shot in the famous "paanakan ng bayan" Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital. A plethora of stories is told as the film jumps from perspective to perspective — new mothers, nurses, social workers.

The film won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Commanding Vision at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

Martial Law influenced films "Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan" and "Mula sa Kung Ano ang Noon" by Golden Lion awardee Lav Diaz are complimented by the similarly themed "Aparisyon" by Isabel Sandoval.

Three works by Brillante Mendoza will be screened, including the film that won Jaclyn Jose a Best Actress trophy at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, "Ma' Rosa."

Films that directly tackle the country's drug problem and the government's response are double billed: Ditsi Carolino's "Bunso" will be screened on the same day as Pepe Diokno's "Engkwentro."

Adding a touch of humor to the exhibit is Marlon Rivera's "Ang Babae Sa Septik Tank", which satirizes the obsession with film festivals and the proliferation of poverty porn.

Also in the lineup are Ato Bautista's "Expressway" and "Gemini"; Erik Matti's "On the Job"; Raya Martin's "Maynila" (with Adolfo Alix, Jr.), "Independencia" and "How to Disappear Completely"; and Hannah Espia's thought-provoking film about cultural identity, "Transit."

Perhaps the most important film to be included in the exhibit is Kidlat Tahimik's "BalikBayan #1: Memories of Overdevelopment Redux VI", the avant-garde film that the filmmaker has been working on since 1979.

"A New Golden Age: Contemporary Philippine Cinema" will run from June 1 to 25. Visit the official MoMA website for more information about the film and the screening schedules. —NB, GMA News