International Movies on-scene, where are the local films?
Foreign and International movies have long been a threat to Filipino films. However, in today's time where films are commercialized and almost same stories have dominated the big screen, Philippine movies will not only lose its hopes to international movies but to independent films as well.
Hunger for substance. This is what Mr. Nestor Jardin, Cinemalaya Festival Director and CCP President, says the reason why more and more Filipinos watch indie films. He said in an interview with ABS-CBN, that Filipinos want something new, something different from what the mainstream cinema usually offers. "Mainstream cinema, we're all aware, is formulaic, this segment is looking for those stories, narratives that are not usually told in the mainstream," he said.
Movie producers and directors nowadays were making films for the sake of profits. And because movies have been commercialized, story plots, conflicts and endings contain uniform format, which makes people long for new concept of story. In the latest book of Bob Ong entitled, "Lumayo Ka Man Sa Akin", he implicit local films having repeated thought, repeated set-up but still earns a lot of audience. When a movie becomes popular or I should say “profitable”, another producer will make a different kind movie with a different title and artists but has the same story concept or conflict. Like for example, No Other Woman starring Anne Curtis, Derek Ramsay and Cristine Reyes that gross up to 200 million. That’s why another movie was produced to clash this movie in the form of My Neighbor’s Wife.
Another problem faced by the local films is the imitation of movies from infamous foreign movies. Aside from that, most of the movies today were based on the western culture. When you say “romance/love story”, automatically you'll watch torrid kissing and bed scenes.
Filipinos are good in doing films; they just don’t develop that skill. As a matter of fact, many Philippine movies are made in the past that are not only well-crafted but also well-known in the international big screens. These are Anak, Tanging Yaman, Oro Plata Mata, Magnifico, Jose Rizal, Dekada 70, Himala and the likes. All of this has one common denominator; they all deal with the social issues and are realistic; something where you can learn a lesson.
Film-making is an art. And as an art, Filipino producers should use this to promote Filipino culture and virtues. One movie that really inspired me to become a movie director was an Indian movie entitled Three Idiots, a story about pursuing excellence and chasing success. The movie showed the social and political issue of their country such as the “caste system” and the growing number of suicide cases. Aside from that, they also illustrated their being rich in culture thru dance and music seen in the movie. Moreover, the movie also encourages their audience by establishing Hindi “dharma” or their values.
Same with us, Filipino films should endorse movies that would not only address the problems faced in our country and in the society but also we must also persuade the audience. We have to let the viewers not only to feel entertained by the movie, not only be fascinated by the beautiful effects, good artists and hunky and sexy bodies of the heroes; that after the movie, they will not only say “No.1, No. 1, No.1!” but at the end of it, they take dreams and inspiration. And that would the most successful and blockbuster movie of all time, because for many years, people wouldn't forget the one movie that inspired them and changed their lives forever. Remember, movie producers should not make films for themselves but for their audience.
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