As far as I can remember, the Metro Manila Film Festival have been with us, to celebrate the yuletide season. In my wonder years, I could still recall the excitement generated by the Panday films bannered by the late Fernando Poe, Jr.
The rationale of the film fest is to showcase Filipino talent and creativity. Sadly, the experiment is a total failure. With the top acting awards going to Ai-ai De las Alas (for Tanging ina mo) and Dolphy (for Father Jejemon), quality is substituted for mediocre productions.
Except for some notable films, the general output of the film fest is a dismal failure. The expended effort is not worth the credited output. Instead of enjoying the yuletide season by watching quality films, we are forced to watch films with the pathetic quality of Tanging ina mo and Father Jejemon.
Maybe, it is now high time to stop this failed experiment and scrap the festival altogether. With Tanging ina mo and Father Jejemon as winners for this year, I fear for the winners of next year.
Films are supposed to be driven by stories, unfortunately, in the Philippines - it is driven by the stars. Nevermind the story, as long as it is star-studded. Nevermind the quality, as long as money from the box-office is profitably obtained.
In computer programming, there is such a thing as GIGO. Literally, this is garbage in - garbage out. Psychologically, if the best of MMFF has to offer is Tanging ina mo, Father Jejemon or even Super Inday and the Golden Bibe, we might as well scrap this wholesame garbage programming of trash and low quality films.
For sanity's sake, return us our yuletide season, return us our quality films.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Fiesta
Last Sunday, January 9, 2011, the feast of the black nazarene was celebrated. Based in Quiapo church it was estimated that at least 4 to 7 million Filipinos trekked to the said church to celebrate the feast. After the grand procession of 17 hours, around 700 individuals were injured - fortunately, no one died for celebrating the feast.
Historically, the spanish colonial masters instigated the celebration of such feast to distract the natives from organizing themselves into a resistance movement. Along with cockfighting, which was also encouraged by the colonial masters, they were able to subjugate the indios.
Today, the practice of celebrating fiestas is still with us. Somewhere in the Philippines, a fiesta is being celebrated. It there are 365 days a year, there are twice as many fiestas. Today, one of the most popular gambling is cockfighting. The main contention of this essay is that we are still no better than the colonial indios of the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th indios. We still subscribe to the folly and practice of colonial mentality where we are physically and psychologically treated as slaves.
And what does the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines does? They encourage the irrationality. They encourage fanaticism. They encourage stupidity.
Considering the practice of fiesta in the Philippines, somewhere in this island, someone borrowed heavily to finance the feeding of people that he wouldnt normally associate with. Just for this day of irrationality, strangers are fed with matching "pabalot" or take home.
It is also observed that during this day, all people of different mental disorders show themselves in public claiming that they are the messiah as promised by the bible. From one schizophrenic to another, of different shape and size, they all claim and promise salvation for anyone jaded enough to listen to their rant.
Comparatively, in the the Middle East, they also have their own pilgrimage (Hajj), they also have their own list of injuries and deaths. And similarly, these phenomenons results in one tangible result - fanaticism. Now more than ever, educated individuals should be above these schemes. The problem however is that with all the noise and distractions, rationality is outshouted, thinking is substituted by emotions and the ugly face of mass hysteria occasionally shows itself during these feast days.
Historically, the spanish colonial masters instigated the celebration of such feast to distract the natives from organizing themselves into a resistance movement. Along with cockfighting, which was also encouraged by the colonial masters, they were able to subjugate the indios.
Today, the practice of celebrating fiestas is still with us. Somewhere in the Philippines, a fiesta is being celebrated. It there are 365 days a year, there are twice as many fiestas. Today, one of the most popular gambling is cockfighting. The main contention of this essay is that we are still no better than the colonial indios of the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th indios. We still subscribe to the folly and practice of colonial mentality where we are physically and psychologically treated as slaves.
And what does the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines does? They encourage the irrationality. They encourage fanaticism. They encourage stupidity.
Considering the practice of fiesta in the Philippines, somewhere in this island, someone borrowed heavily to finance the feeding of people that he wouldnt normally associate with. Just for this day of irrationality, strangers are fed with matching "pabalot" or take home.
It is also observed that during this day, all people of different mental disorders show themselves in public claiming that they are the messiah as promised by the bible. From one schizophrenic to another, of different shape and size, they all claim and promise salvation for anyone jaded enough to listen to their rant.
Comparatively, in the the Middle East, they also have their own pilgrimage (Hajj), they also have their own list of injuries and deaths. And similarly, these phenomenons results in one tangible result - fanaticism. Now more than ever, educated individuals should be above these schemes. The problem however is that with all the noise and distractions, rationality is outshouted, thinking is substituted by emotions and the ugly face of mass hysteria occasionally shows itself during these feast days.
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