In the modern age of the film industry in the Philippines, independent films or “indie films” continue to capture the hearts of the Filipino audience as they continue to prove to us what contemporary art could contribute to our country’s culture. Last year, the success of the indie film “Ang Babae sa Septic Tank” became a breakthrough not only for all the independent films but also for the writers, directors, producers and actors in the Philippines.
“Ang Babae sa Septic Tank” was written by Chris Martinez and directed by Marlon N. Rivera, and starring Eugene Domingo, Kean Cipriano, JM de Guzman and Cai Cortez. It tells the story of two filmmakers, a producer and a director, who wants to create a brilliant and unique indie film that could compete in international masterpieces and bring them the fame and fortune they’ve been looking for. The film tackles mature issues such as greed, perfectionism and politics in show business.
In the film, the conception of the film-within-a-film “Walang Wala” was the main conflict. “Walang Wala” is a story of a mother and her children living in the slums, as she tries to build a good life for her family. Wanting to make it “as perfect as possible”, the filmmakers dig deep and travel great lengths to achieve it by rewriting the story several times and finding the perfect cast and shooting locations for their film.
What makes this film unique from the others and what makes us love it is the different approach in telling the story. While the main story about the filmmakers is told canonically, the story of the film they’re making is diverse, a result of rewriting the story or recalibrating the cinematography several times. In the film, “Walang Wala” was imagined to either become a simple indie film, a documentary film, a melodrama, or even a musical film.
There is no denying the success of “Ang Babae sa Septic Tank” commercially and critically. The critics appreciated the film as much as the audience. The film gained several awards from the annual Cinemalaya Awards including Best Picture, Best Actress for Eugene Domingo and Best Original Screenplay. After it was featured in several international film festivals, the film was chosen to be submitted for the “Best Foreign Film” category to the annual Academy Awards (Oscars) in U.S.A., which is considered to be the most honorable award in the film industry worldwide; sadly, it didn’t make it to the shortlist of nominations.
Overall, watching the film was a fun experience for me. It also made me realize what indie films could do to criticize the wrongs in this country or world, and what we could do to make our home a better place. We may think that we have nothing to give or to spare, but that’s the best thing about it—having nothing builds character. And just like what the film say, “Walang mawawala sa taong walang wala.”
My Rating: 8.5 out of 10
No comments:
Post a Comment