INQUIRER ENTERTAINMENT TELLING THE FILIPINO STORY TO THE WORLD THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010 13

Pepe Diokno

AUGUST DELA CRUZ

Biennale, the
world’s oldest.
“Engkwentro”

A
FILM is your
voice, it is a loud
voice. Use it to say
something worthwhile,
or don’t make a film at
all,” says Pepe Diokno,
writer and director of
“Engkwentro.”
Pepe’s “loud voice” was
heard all over Europe, when he
won two awards from the pres-
tigious Venice International
Film Festival (Italy) in 2009.
“Engkwentro,” a film that ex-
poses state-sponsored vigilante
killings, won Best Picture in the
festival’s New Horizons (Oriz-
zonti) program. Pepe also took
home the “Lion of the Future”
award, or the Luigi de Laurenti-
is Award for Debut Film, with a
cash prize of $100,000.
The award was conferred on
the film for its “bravery, novel
storytelling and technical
achievement.” Pepe, 22 at the
time, became one of the
youngest winners in the Venice
premiered earlier at
Cinemalaya 2009. It
has since been invit-
ed to festivals in
Greece, Holland,
Spain, Austria, Tai-
wan, Slovakia, Nor-
way and Singapore.
Last year, it inked a
deal with Shoreline
Entertainment,
which Pepe de-
scribes as “one of
the most important
US film distribution
companies.”
Pepe’s first movie,
“No Passport Need- “ENGKWENTRO” PEPE DIOKNO: “The Filipino audience is as intelligent and discerning as any other.”
ed” competed in the
short-film category of Cine- on his second full-length fea- of a golden age are getting men.” He points out that pro- Pepe says making movies,
malaya 2006. His second pro- ture, about “three child war- ahead of themselves. He ex- ducers, directors and film work- specifically for foreign film fes-
ject, “Dancing for Discipline,” riors within the Islamic insur- plains, “[That] is for people 10 ers should keep on “exchanging tivals, is a “bad idea.” He clari-
for which he spent a year tour- gency in the Philippines.” He is or 20 years from now to say. In ideas, talents and experiences.” fies: “It kills innovation in the
ing jails around the country, has a senior Mass Communications the future, let’s look back and He adds, “Competition same way that Regal Films
been well-received by local student, majoring in Film, at see the effect of this generation shouldn’t be based on who one [does because it] tailor-makes
viewers as well as those in the University of the Philip- on the succeeding generations.” knows or what technology one films for the so-called masa. Fil-
Brazil, France and the United pines. He stresses the importance of uses. It should arise only from ipino audiences are as intelli-
States. For Pepe, people who say the continuously “challenging our- the quality of our products. We gent and discriminating as any
Pepe, now 23, is now at work local film industry is in the midst selves as storytellers and crafts- are moving in that direction.” other.” Marinel R. Cruz

Ralston Jover
R
ALSTON Jover,
whose film,
“Baseco Bakal
Boys,” continues to reap
awards in film festivals
abroad, says the country
should exert extra effort
to sustain the world’s in-
terest. He urges, “Let’s
encourage new and di-
verse talents through lo-
cal festivals.”
Ralston also insists that inter-
national fetes like the Cine-
manila should be supported. “It
has the best intentions—to
JOAN BONDOC
showcase and promote Filipino
films. This is similar to what the
Koreans are doing in Pusan,
and also the Japanese with
their numerous digital film fes-
tivals.”
He says government support
through film grants is also im-
perative. “In Iran, once the cen-
sors approves a film, the grant
follows in the form of film
stocks given to the filmmaker.”
Ralston also suggests creat-
ing a film market division in lo-
cal festivals, where filmmakers
will get the chance to meet buy-
ers or distributors. “Plus, there
should be film laboratories
where emerging talents can sit
down and learn from foreign
and local masters—directors,
writers, cinematographers, de-
signers and producers.”
A native of Iloilo, Ralston ini-
tially went to college at the Uni-
versity of Santo Tomas. A year
later, he transferred to the
Philippine School of Business
Administration, where he even- “BASECO Bakal Boys”
tually received his Bachelor of
Science degree in Marketing. miered at Cinemalaya 2009, it Samurai” “Kagemusha”), who
Before venturing into movie has won two local awards and “didn’t get his fair share of au-
making, he wrote scripts for six international honors from dience in his own country, until
award-winning directors like festivals in Canada, Greece, he was noticed in Cannes and
Jeffrey Jeturian (“Kubrador,” Italy, Japan, Spain and France. Hollywood.”
2006) and Brillante Ma. Men- He observes. “After the vali- To encourage Pinoys to
doza (“Tirador” and “Foster dation from abroad, the local watch indie films, he says there
Child,” 2007). audience [is prepped] to watch must be “film appreciation ac-
Ralston’s first film, “Baseco the film ... this happens a lot all tivities, especially among the
Bakal Boys,” chronicles the over the world.” youth.” Ralston adds: “Aware-

lives of children who scavenge Ralston cites Japanese film ness through film festivals, fo-
for a living in the murky waters director Akira Kurosawa (“The rums and discussions, will also
RALSTON JOVER: “Let’s encourage diverse talents through local festivals.” of the Manila Bay. Since it pre- Hidden Fortress,” “Seven help.” Marinel R. Cruz

Raya Martin

RAYA MARTIN: “Watch old Filipino movies. We need a sense of history.”

R
AYA Martin, whose ro-
mance with cinema began
at an early age, firmly be-
lieves filmmaking is about ideas
and images.
“I have loved the camera since I was
young. I love images,” he says. “At age 6 or 7,
I watched Akira Kurosawa’s ‘Dreams’—my
parents used to rent foreign films from the
neighborhood video club. I have undying
love for Mike de Leon and the horror films of
Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes.”
The past five years, Raya says, have been
marked with a “revival of passionate film-
making. Before that there was a slump.
Now, we are a bit more critical in what we
do. It had a domino effect.”
Has the digital technology really democ-
ratized filmmaking?”
“NOW Showing”
“It’s an illusion—filmmaking still costs
money,” Raya says. “But those who used to
be marginalized are now represented.”
This young man with big ideas, the first
Filipino to be accepted in the Cinéfonda-
tion Résidence of Cannes, has been amply
rewarded in festivals here and abroad.
His 2009 film, “Independencia,” won top
prizes in the Bangkok (Thailand) and Val-
divia (Chile) fests.
“Next Attraction” won the Grand Jury
prize at Cinemanila 2008. A year earlier,
“Autohysteria” won Best Director and Best
Picture at Cinemanila and Special Mention
at the Marseille fest.
He is one of four Filipino filmmakers in-
cluded in the Phaidon book “Take 100.”
Raya is wary of labels like “golden age”
and “new wave.” There is a boom in quanti-
ty, he concedes. “I would rather have less
films but those that enable us to discuss
something relevant, thoughtful—films
that would make us smarter.”
By raising the bar, he says, local film-
makers can sustain world interest. “We
must elevate our standards, not just in
terms of technical abilities, but also in
terms of aesthetics and film language.
The world is not interested in ‘polished.’
We have Hollywood for that. What we
need are competent, stimulating ideas.”
He implores young filmmakers to
not forget the past. “Watch old films
and read. The one thing that Philip-
pine cinema needs right now is a sense
of history.” Bayani San Diego Jr.