By: JONATHAN CATUNAO
LESSON 1: DON’T BE TOO ‘AMERICAN’
Sweden’s Let The Right One In (2002) is a
vampire movie that wanted to be faithful to old vampire lores and stick to the
gore and darkness of the novel from which it is adapted. In one scene, the
vampire went inside the room of her friend uninvited and came dripping blood
from her eyes. During post-production, the sound editors and the directors went
through a hotly contested debate on whether to remove the glaring sounds and
horror music accompanying the pivotal scene. The author intervened and
prevailed when he explained that the intrusion of the sound and music is not
faithful to the Swedish vampire folklore because it sounds “too American”. The
sounds and music were removed and what resulted was a quiet and powerful scene
on acceptance and bonding between the two tragic lovers.
The Swedish vampire drama went on to
become the 15th greatest film of World Cinema according to Empire magazine and
went on to win accolades worldwide. Ebert described it as “a vampire drama that
not only succeeded as a horror film but also as an art film” and if not for a
technical controversy by the Swedish selection committee, the film could have
hands-down won the Best Foreign Language trophy during the 2002 Oscars where it
was a top betting favourite even before production was completed. There was
public uproar but still a sensational national achievement for Sweden, simply
because the writer, director and editors refused to sound and look “too
American”.
LESSON 2: IDENTIFY YOUR COUNTRY
INFERNAL AFFAIRS (HONGKONG). In 2002,
Hongkong produced what is arguably its greatest movie of all time – a police thriller
worthy of comparison with classics French Connection and the Godfather.
Infernal affairs became a monster critical and commercial success and the buzz
was getting louder and louder for Andy Lau – director and actor – to receive
the Best Foreign Language trophy for Hongkong come Oscars time because of
unprecedented worldwide acclaim for its grit and twists.
When the announcement of the top five
nominees were released, Infernal Affairs was shockingly dumped by the academy
in favour of China’s HERO, a staple martial art movie set in ancient China.
Shocked was the entire world of cinema but when the smoke was cleared the
reason was obvious. ‘Hero’ might be an inferior film, but for the Academy
voters it fits the bill needed for the category – a representation of the
culture and ethnicity of the representing country.
The same attributes cannot be said of
Infernal Affairs, which is set in Hongkong but could easily be mistaken for a
Hollywood or European action flick with its coat and tie investigators and suave
cars and gadgets.
Many years after, ‘Hero’ is nowhere the
worldwide acclaim that is enjoyed furiously by Infernal Affairs. Countless
international awards, wide influence in the police thriller genre and a Martin
Scorsese remake with Leonardo di Caprio and Matt Damon. The last laugh is with
the genre-twisting police thriller.
But director-actor Andy Lau must still be
hurting inside, “ yes, we had everything, but not the bald golden guy.” Better
luck next time Andy and remember, identify your country.
LESSON 3: SEND YOUR SUPERSTARS
What would be an Oscar without the red
carpet featuring the brightest and biggest stars in the world? Ever wonder why
Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt and George Clooney and Steven Spielberg are constantly
making it to the nominations list even with sub-par film projects while the
likes of Lars Von Trier, Gerard Depardiue and other great but lesser popular
talents will never ever set their feet on the carpet?
In beauty pageants they call it the sash
factor – Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Philippines.
In the Oscar race, they call it the
superstar factor.
And even in the arena of Best Foreign
language, the more internationally famous your name is, the more chances your
films will get noticed. Federico Fellini, Akira Kurosawa, Pedro Almodovar, Fernanda
Montenegro, Ingmar Bergman, Sophia Loren, Ang Lee, Marcello Mastrianni, Kate
Winslet. Sure, they are talented and great and deserving. But let’s face it,
they get nominated again and again because they are big, charismatic stars and
in Sally Field’s words, Americans love them. They really love them!
If the Film Academy of the Philippines
isn’t still aware, there is one film in the shortlist that has two of the most
famous Asian names in world cinema now. The director is one of the few Asians
to have won the prestigious Cannes Best Director trophy and the lead actress is
a revered screen legend all over the world, CNN calling her “the Golden Girl of
Philippine Cinema”. The director is Dante Mendoza and the actress is Nora
Aunor. Their film is Thy Womb.
These are the types of foreign stars
Hollywood want in their red carpet shots. These are the stars we should send.
LESSON 4: KNOW THE ACADEMY VOTERS
Yes. You guessed it right. Most academy
voters are old-school, traditional and yes, senior people whose taste for
cinema does not always enjoy the vote of progressive movie critics’
organizations who are always searching for trailblazing and groundbreaking film
products.
It is no secret that in 2005, Ang Lee’s
heartbreaking Brokeback Mountain was robbed of the Best Picture award because
the conservative academy voters isn’t ready yet to recognize an all-out gay
movie. The year 2012 saw one of the most boring line up of winners with a
Lincoln bio-pic and escape fare Argo winning major awards over the wonderful yet
dark drifter movie Master and the fairy tale-like Beasts of the Southern Wild.
The same ‘rule’ applies for the Foreign
Language Category. In 2001, France’s Amelie was a lock to grab the Best Foreign
Language trophy with its fairy-tale rendition of a young woman’s search for her
happiness. This delightful movie was so endearing it is now considered a
classic and is ranked number 2 just behind Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai in
Empire’s 100 Greatest Cinema of the World.
Delightful, original, whimsical. NO to
the academy.
YES to No Man’s Land about the Bosnian
war. In case you haven’t read the memo, old people still love war movies.
LESSON 5: LEARN FROM THE MISTAKES OF THE
PAST
Ang Pilipinas ang isa sa pinakamasigasig
magpadala ng representative para sa Oscars Best Foreign Language Category
taon-taon. Pero bakit wala pa tayong nominasyon kahit isa man lamang?
The group of important people tasked to
identify the Philippine representative should take note of the mistakes of the
past administrations in selecting the Philippine entry.
Imagine this mind-boggling statitistics.
For 28 years from 1956 to 1984, only four – yes you heard it right, 4 films
were sent. Anak Dalita, Moises Padilla, Dahil sa Isang Bulaklak and Ganito Kami
Noon.
This is the period of the so-called
Golden Era of Philippine movies, a time when the Philippines is the envy of the
East for its seminal outputs from Brocka, Bernal and De Leon. Any one among the
following Cannes, Berlin and international festival toasts could have easily
locked in our first Oscar nomination way back then – Tinimbang Ka Ngunit
Kulang, Insiang, Himala, Kisapmata, Bona, Oro, Plata, Mata.
Question: Why where they not sent?
Two words: Marcos dictatorship. No
explanation needed. Indeed a dark regrettable part of our film history. A sad
way to look back at the lost chances for our great cinema.
But when Cory freed the movies, were the
people assigned truly freed from politics in making the choices? Now that the
selection of entries is left entirely to the movie people, is it truly,
genuinely politics free?
Listen to this and prepare to be shocked:
Since 1984, the FAP sent 1 Brocka, zero
Bernal, zero Lav Diaz, zero Brillante Mendoza, zero Mike De Leon and drumroll
please… 2 Tikoy Aguiluz, 3 Gil Portes and 3 Marilou Diaz Abaya films. Even
awful Chito Rono of that disaster Healing had one-upped the greatest Philippine
film directors.
Overdriven melodrama Anak favoured over
seminal Bayaning 3rd World
Political son Carlitos Sigueon Reyna’s
Inagaw ang Lahat favoured over Cairo winner Flor Contemplacion
Dumb World War II drama Gatas over cinema
great Batang West Side
And can anyone top this?
Despicable Ded na si Lolo over sublime
Venezia finalist Lola.
THOSE WHO DO NOT LEARN
To some cineastes, the Oscars is nothing.
But to many Filipinos, even those non-film lovers, the Oscars is still the most
important recognition for this country in the field of movies. Think Olympics,
think Miss Universe, think NBA, think Pacquiao. Win an Oscar for the
Philippines today, will be National Hero tomorrow.
On September 14, the Film Academy of the
Philippines selection committee headed by Leo Martinez will choose among
outstanding Filipino movies shown in 2013 our country’s representative for the
2014 Oscar Best Foreign Language category.
The 8 shortlisted titles are led by
Venezia winner Thy Womb and Cannes thriller On The Job. Other contenders are
Boses, TikTik, Supremo, El Presidente, Dance of the Steel Bars and Tuhog.
But one films stands out as the best bet
for that elusive Philippine Oscar glory.
Will the Film Academy of the Philippines
send this movie and give our country the fighting chance it deserves?
An old adage goes: “Those who do not
learn from the past are bound to repeat it.”
To the Film Academy of the Philippines, I
have presented five lessons in history. And you know what I mean.
Please read and listen.
And never repeat the mistakes of our
past.
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