je m'appelle marcus

18. photographer. film maker.

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entrée 8: serbis

I knew the movie Serbis way back then and I had an idea on what it is all about. Serbis is a movie that centers about the sex culture here in Philippines. 

Nung pinapanood ko ang palabas na ito, I admit that I was kinda bothered. Hindi dahil sa front nudity but the thought of it is really happening in our country. I feel like I was slapped in the face that this kind of lifestyle really happened and is happening in our country. No wonder bakit mataas tayo sa rankings about STD cases.

This movie isn’t for everyone. As for me, this movie was like a slap in the reality. This movie is not just a sex movie. It has substance. And I think, that what makes this movie great.

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entrée 7: yield

I am an occasional watcher of documentary movies. But if you are a fan, you shouldn’t miss this. Yield is a documentary film by Toshihiko Uryu and Victor Delotavo Tagaro that was done in 2017. It revolves around 9 children who is growing up among the rural poor parts in the Philippines. We have Jomar who dives in sea for gold and silver. Siblings April, Ariel and Rommel who sell rocks, gravel and slate on they got from the mountains. Alex and Glady Mae who have the same condition (which, by the way, their stories really touched my heart). Essam who is training to be a child warrior, Edralen who transports produces across rivers to the nearest town and Jason, a kid who became crippled with spinal problems because of his work.

Watching this documentary became an eye-opener for me. Here I am having the luxury of a high quality education while these children here have to work so hard (literally) just to survive and can go to school.

(Sorry, magttagalog na ko.)

Nakakalungkot lang isipin na katulad ng siyam na batang ito, may iba pang batang katulad nila na naghihirap. Hindi ito makatarungan. Nakakalungkot lang rin isipin na walang ginagawang askyon ang gobyerno sa ganitong sitwasyon sa ating bansa. Masingit ko lang yung background story nila Alex at Glady Mae. Pareho silang may sakit na hydrocephalus. At habang pinapanood ko sila, ako rin ang nahihirapan sa kanila. Ang sakit tignan na may ganoon silang kalagayan. Ang sakit din dahil wala kang magawa kundi panoorin lang silang mahirapan. Nakakalungkot lang rin na bakit kailangan pa sila ipanganak ng may ganoong sakit.

5 years in the making ang documentary na ito. Kaya nung natapos ang pelikula, pakiramdam ko ay na attach ako sa mga batang ito. It left me in wonder kung kamusta kaya sila? Ano kaya ang estado ng buhay nila ngayon?

What makes Yield captivating to watch is how it was filmed. There were no dialogues, which I think was very unnecessary. Ipinakita lang nila ang buhay ng mga batang ito. Ika nga nila, actions speak louder than words. Sa totoo lang, ang hirap panoorin ng documentary na ito. Ang hirap panoorin kasi ito ang madilim na katotohanan na nangyayari sa mga kabataan sa ating bansa. At habang patagal ng patagal, parami ng parami ang mga kaso ng child labor.

This documentary served me as a reminder that there are other kids out there who craves for the same privilege that I am savoring right now. And they have to work hard just to earn it.

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entrée 6: maynila sa mga kuko ng liwanag

Lino Brocka is one of the local directors that I look up to because of how political and great his movies are. Maynila Sa Mga Kuko Ng Liwanag, or Manila in the Claws of Light in English, is one of them. It centers around to Julio Madiaga, a fisherman from a poor province, went to Manila to search for his loved one named Ligaya Paraiso, who is kept hostage by a Chinese named Ah Tek.

Ligaya was brought to Manila with a promise that she would be treated well and will be given a proper education. But surprise, the real reason why she was brought in Manila is to be a prostitute. Julio heard the news that Ligaya left the business and he ventured to the harsh life in Manila. In order to survive, he needs to find a regular job and then became a low-waged construction worker along the way. Things did not go smooth on that job and had to find one. He did find one, and he became a call boy.

What I have realized in the movie that people in the province here in our country that Manila is like a paradise for them. That Manila is a place with infinite possibilities. They have this high vision on what would their future be like when they set foot in Manila only to be welcomed with chaos and harsh reality that Manila is no paradise.

What I love about the movie is, it doesn’t seem like a fictional movie at all. The problems that the characters encountered on the movie is really happening. It is real. It is happening. This movie was released in 1975. The current year is 2019 and things haven’t changed even though a decade has passed already. The problem of wages. The human trafficking. IT IS STILL HAPPENING.

This movie will always remain as one of the most powerful films that ever done in the history of Philippine cinema.

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entrée 5: citizen kane

I’ve said before that I’m not an avid fan of black and white films. But Citizen Kane changed my mind. The movie started when a reporter was assigned to decipher Charles Foster Kane’s last word. Which is: rosebud. His investigation gradually revealed who Kane really is. A man who went from nothing to being a successful person with a lot of struggles deep inside.

Watching this movie made me realize that every possession that we have, whether wealth or success in life, can be taken away in just one snap. And, yes, even up today it is still relevant. It made me think that we shouldn’t take for granted the things that we have and the people that love because one day, it might be gone. And we can’t do anything about it.

And every one of us, for sure, have their own Rosebuds. Rosebud is that one thing that they love than the life itself. Citizen Kane is a movie that will surely touch your heart and can make you realize a lot of things.

And can I also mention how good the cinematography is? Black and white films are so good. I hope other people would still appreciate that kind of films up today.

Citizen Kane is not just a movie. It is a masterpiece.

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entrée 4: pulp fiction

You probably know who Quentin Taratino is. His most notable works would be Kill Bill franchise and the iconic Pulp Fiction. It mainly centers on two hitmen, Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield who are in a mission to retrieve a suitcase from their gangster boss, Marsellus Wallace.

What makes this movie interesting is, it just doesn’t focus on two main characters. We have Mia Wallace, the wife of a gangster. A struggling boxer named Butch Coolidge who is on the run after “accidentally” killing his opponent in the ring. And a nervous pair of robbers in diner, “Pumpkin” and “Honey Bunny.” This movie is funny and has a lot of iconic lines. One of the main examples when Vincent and Jules are arguing on something during one of the opening scenes in the movie. If I’m going to describe the movie in words it would be: Drugs. Cigarettes. Suit case. Bloody. And, oh Royal with cheese.

This movie is a CLASSIC and HIGHLY RECOMMENDABLE. What makes this movie cool is, it has a unique way of narrative. The movie is divided into three parts, making sure that every character could get their own spotlight and backstories. We witnessed how much they’ve been through.

If you are going to watch this movie, you probably would understand why I’m going to rate this as 11/10.

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entrée 3: batch ‘81

There’s no way you haven’t heard about Batch ’81. If you haven’t, well Batch ’81 is about a college student named Sid Lucero who joins a fraternity, not knowing how high the stakes are to be officially part of the brotherhood.

I have first watched Batch ’81 during the 10th grade. Watching this movie really made my eyes open on how harsh and cruelty the fraternities are. Watching the movie for the second time around changed my perspective on the movie. Especially when our professor told us that this movie was shown in the theaters during the era of Martial Law. As you are going to look it another’s eye, the movie has a lot of symbolism. One of the example is where the so-called “Masters” made them strip while they are wearing a blindfold. It symbolizes the people that they’ve captured who are against them during Martial Law. Stripping naked means they are stripping their own rights as a person. It’s as if their rights are invalid and disregarded in a blink of an eye.

Can I also mention how dark this movie is? From the music background, the instrumental at the beginning (that still haunts me up today), the cinematography and the lines.

I would highly recommend this movie. It didn’t win in Cannes for nothing.

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entrée 2: the jazz singer

Jazz Singer is one of the few first black & white silent films released during 1927. It is directed by Al Jonson. The movie opens to young Jakie Rabinowitz that loves jazz and wants to be a performer. But his father is a cantor and has other future for him and that is to carry on the tradition. Jakie refused and tried to hide it but their neighbor discovers his secret anyways and was kicked out of the house. Fast forward, Jakie had already followed his dream, changed his name and found love with her fellow performer Mary, but even after all of these years he still wants his father back and to support him.

To be honest, I am not an avid fan of black and white films, let alone silent films. That’s why when I first watched it I was kind of weirded out. Asking myself, where are the dialogues? Why are they just flashing the actors’ lines? And this movie is painful to watch. I said what I said.

Throughout the whole movie, you can evidently see the portrayals of racism especially how they portray African Americans as subhumans. And they also used blackface like, NO. It really saddens me because I know for a fact that that during those days, cases of racist riots were high. I wouldn’t call this movie a masterpiece nor would even recommend it. Just save your time and go watch something else. Just kidding, if you are going to remove the racist parts, it is actually a nice movie. It shows that you shouldn’t give up on your dream and prove those people who doubted you WRONG.

But yeah, it is still racist.

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entrée 1: Hugo

Hugo is a 2011 American film that centers around Hugo Cabret, an orphan and lives alone with his uncle in the walls of a train station in 1930s. Even though he is a child, he already has a job which is to oil and maintain the station’s clocks. But for him, the most important task is to protect a broken automaton and notebook that left to him by his father.

I am gonna be painfully honest here. During the first few minutes of Hugo, I thought this movie was boring and bland. I thought that “Is this another child-fantasy movie again?” But no. This movie made me fall inlove with cinema more. It showed how powerful dreams are especially if you keep continue pursuing it. It’s also fun to watch young Asa Butterfield & Chloe Grace Moretz in the movie.

Truth be told, this movie isn’t a cup of tea for everyone. It is not even your go-to movies. I even yawned while watching the movie because it didn’t that much. But actually, it is a good movie. A masterpiece, even. But to be frank, you might need to have the taste to actually like this movie because like I’ve said, this movie is not for everyone.

If you are a fellow film-maker, I truly recommend you to watch this movie. Aside from being entertained to the storyline you will also learn a lot about the history of cinema.

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