Shaina Magdayao and John Lloyd Cruz starred in Lav Diaz’s “A Tale of Filipino Violence,” a film that was supposed to open the recent Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival. However, it was replaced by another film due to concerns that it might offend the second Marcos administration. This decision has sparked speculation that the powers-that-be, particularly in Congress, will have an influence on next year’s budget for Cinemalaya and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
Originally titled “Servando Magdamag,” the film is an adaptation of a short story written by National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee, which won the Palanca Award in 1970. It explores themes of feudalism, agrarian unrest, and authoritarianism during the First Quarter Storm, offering a subtle yet biting critique of the early years of the Marcos dictatorship. Despite its length, both John Lloyd Cruz and Lav Diaz believe that it was the subject matter, rather than its duration, that led to Cinemalaya’s decision to pull it out.
When Cruz learned of the removal, he chose to attend the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland instead, where another Diaz film he acted in, “Essential Truths of the Lake,” was screened. Cruz received the Golden Jug Award for his performance in that film. Expressing his disappointment, Cruz remarked, “To put it bluntly, they got afraid of the congressmen who will give them the budget. To think it was written by a national artist… this local festival is connected to the Cultural Center of the Philippines, you do the math.”
In a talk-back session during the Locarno festival, Diaz compared Cinemalaya’s decision to censoring his film, suggesting that they withdrew it because they were afraid of jeopardizing funding for future editions of the festival. Diaz lamented the difficulty filmmakers face in finding venues in the Philippines.
As for the sequence of events surrounding the film’s screening at Cinemalaya, Sine Olivia, the production company, initially received an offer from the CCP to screen the film at the Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video, a separate section held concurrently with Cinemalaya. However, after various discussions and approvals, it was decided that the film would be the festival’s opening film at the main venue at PICC. Unfortunately, the screening was then abruptly canceled without a clear explanation.
Cinemalaya festival director Chris Millado cited the film’s length as the primary reason for its rejection. He mentioned that Jun Lana’s film, “Anak Ka ng Ina Mo,” was the first choice but had to be withdrawn because it was accepted in an international festival and was also three hours long. Millado, who is a former CCP vice president and artistic director, pushed for “A Tale of Filipino Violence” to be shown, but ultimately, the decision was not solely up to him.
These events have raised concerns about the funding for CCP and Cinemalaya, with reports of budget cuts and the need to seek additional support from the government. However, CCP vice president and artistic director Dennis Marasigan stated that he was not aware of the cancellation of “A Tale of Filipino Violence” and the attempted screening at the Gawad Alternatibo section.
In the end, the opening film for Cinemalaya was Quark Henares’ dark comedy, “Marupok AF (Where is the Lie?).” The controversy surrounding the festival and its selection process highlights the ongoing challenges faced by independent filmmakers in the Philippines and the delicate balance between artistic expression and external influences.
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