In times of trouble, people turn to entertainment to distract themselves from facing reality.
The Philippines has a wide array of amusement to comfort the disturbed—dramas, comedy, gossip, and many more. It has been the bread and butter of the media industry since time immemorial. However, one Filipino director begged to differ—his name is Lino Brocka.
Catalino Ortiz Brocka, popularly known as Lino Brocka, is a Filipino film director known for his significant works such as Maynila sa “Kuko ng Liwanag” and “Insiang.” He is a National Artist for Film and a co-founder of the Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP).
Born from a humble background in Pilar, Sorsogon, Brocka was exposed to societal injustices at such a young age. Witnessing and experiencing inequality firsthand pushed him to produce films that highlight the plight of the masses.
No Ordinary Director
For most artists, especially those under dominant companies, it is hard to make a craft that challenges the status quo. And it was much harder to do so during the 70s when the Marcos dictatorship was fully alive and people’s right to expression was constantly denied.
For most directors, they aim to craft a film that comforts the disturbed. However, it was the opposite for Brocka. His films were made to disturb and urge the comfortable. The viewfinder became his medium for transforming skewed viewpoints.
Despite difficulties, triumph still prevailed as he carried these objectives with him:
To enlighten
Back in the 70s and 80s, during the height of the dictatorship, censorship and disinformation were prevalent. Several broadcast media organizations, such as ABS-CBN and ABC (now TV5) were forcefully shut down as their owners were accused of being “engaged in subversive activities against the government” and “participants in a conspiracy to overthrow the government.” Journalists and publishers such as Chino Roces, Teodoro Locsin Sr., Luis Beltran, Maximo Soliven, and many more experienced unjust arrests, intimidation, and harassment.
During Martial Law, media organizations ran under former president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and his cronies’ control. Networks such as Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation, Kanlaon Broadcasting System, and the National Media Production Center became Marcos’ propaganda machine, which manipulated the people’s perception of the nation’s state.
Despite the repression posed against the media, their mission to enlighten the masses carried on.
Brocka accurately depicted the lives of Filipinos during the Martial Law era in his films. Exploring the themes of poverty, violence, nationalism, human rights, and resistance, his protagonists are always the oppressed, working class, exploited, and every Filipino who fell victim to the social injustices enabled by the dictatorship. The setting of his stories is mostly set in depressed areas, busy streets, and unsafe workplaces.
Through his art, blindfolded Filipinos got a glimpse of what was really happening in the country. Brocka’s works serve as a timeless reference to the struggles our countrymen endured during the martial law then and even now.
To immerse and involve
“Our inspiration must come from the struggles of the people. More, we must be part of those struggles,” said Brocka in the documentary, “Signed: Lino Brocka” starring himself.
Many artists are caught in the dilemma of creating art “for art’s sake.” This ideology encourages artists to make art solely pursuing aesthetics and not serving political, social, or moral pursuits.
As a result, they get isolated instead of being immersed in society. The late director recognized this problem. He openly rebukes and criticizes those who make art in vain instead of in the service of the masses. He encouraged artists to get down from their ivory towers and involve themselves with the people.
He grew up in a humble background thus he understood the life of the Filipino masses better; his works amplified the marginalized and ignored sectors of society. Prostitutes, street hustlers, laborers, and queer people were his leading characters—the people other directors are afraid to grace their craft.
In his 1975 film Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag, we got a glimpse of the lives of the promdis (people from the province), laborers, and trafficked people. Insiang and Cain at Abel had a somewhat similar goal: to portray dysfunction, abuse, and violence among Filipino families. The outcasts and the ostracized had their stories told in Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang. The film Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim is a portrait of the Filipino laborers and hustlers’ plight to survive.
To liberate
His characters may have lived painful lives throughout their stories, but they always had good endings.
Brocka gives his characters a new dawn—a new beginning, a new life, a rebirth, a redemption, or a liberation. However, it was not only his characters who experienced liberation. We, his viewers, gain this too. We also broke free from the shackles of taboo, ignorance, shame, and manipulation. This allowed us to crave redemption and liberation alike and move for progress.
Brocka is one consistent director. He never ceased to create a piece that exposes the harsh reality of the country. Through his viewfinder, his creations are a helpful tool for people who wish to free their minds and be one with the masses. He never failed to carry a progressive spirit inside him and implant it in his works.
The late director was no puppet to any overlord; his loyalty lay to every Filipino until his death.
The Philippine media is aching for artists who aim to enlighten, immerse, involve, and liberate the people. May Brocka and his legacy motivate us to create art that serves a greater purpose. May we prompt ourselves to step down from our ivory towers and be one with the masses.
By using the transformative power of art, we can liberate more Filipinos from the shackles of disinformation and manipulation. Let us all be a catalyst of change in the service of the people.
Article: Ysabella Franchesca Paches
Graphics: Kayceline Alfonso
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