Stand the test of time

(The Sandaan conference celebrates the centennial year of Philippine cinema and revisits its cataclysmic history through the lens of renowned film scholars examining significant works from various eras.)

FROM turning narrations into virtual bliss, the Philippine cinema has evolved to become a more diverse platform where various perceptions and ideals continue to grow.

The University of the Philippines (UP) Film Institute highlights local cinema’s historical resilience with thought-provoking lectures at an international conference entitled “Sandaan: Philippine Cinema Centennial Conference,” held on September 14-15 at the UP Film Institute Cine Adarna and De La Salle-College of St. Benilde Theater.

UP Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan started the event by highlighting the ability of our homegrown filmmakers to touch on subjects important to our Filipino identity and spirit.

“Sineng Filipino allowed us to transcend our past,” he notes while recalling the censorship imposed by Marcos that curtailed the freedom of not only the filmmakers, but of ordinary Filipino citizens as well.

For Tan, our historical films not only entertain but educate. “I think of Manuel Conde’s Juan Tamad films which tackled the stereotypes of the lazy native, to issues that touch the hearts of the man and woman in the street — particularly corruption and impunities of politics,” he explains. He also stressed that “good filmmakers are good social scientists.”

The organizers of Sandaan firmly believe that over the past 100 years, our country’s film production has managed to progress rapidly despite being utilized as a device for imperialism during the colonial period and being repressed upon martial law’s rigid policies.

The two-day conference seeks to pay homage to pioneer Filipino Filmmaker Don Jose Nepomuceno, also known as the “Father of Philippine Movie Industry,” who established a film company named Malayan Movies in 1917 and produced the first Filipino film Dalagang Bukid in 1919.

The event is also set to host special film screenings of Kidlat Tahimik’s Perfumed Nightmares and Tony Cayado’s Big Broadcast in cooperation with the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).