Miyerkules, Disyembre 14, 2016

Isla



The End of Text(ing): Jurilla’s Short Film Isla as Pre-modern Nostalgia

John E. Barrios


During one of the red carpet premiers of the Cinekasimanwa 4, Western Visayas festival of films, held at the Cinema One of SM City Iloilo, Jonathan Jurilla’s short film Isla was shown along with the two other films also by Ilonggo directors. It readily caught the retina out of the eyes of the viewers because of its fresh cinematography (credits to Emmanuel Lerona and Ruperto Quitag) and unpretentious linear narrative.  

Isla was shot in the province of Antique, particularly in the towns of Culasi, Sebaste, and Tibiao. It tells the story of two young female local tourists, Pol and Gi, who went to Antique to explore its natural wonders. Pol, the main character was “seduced” by nature. Seeing a butterfly, she follows it into the forest and there she found a pitcher plant. Later, she went to the sea, swam and stayed underwater for quite some time until her companion thought she was lost. She emerged from the water “transformed” into a new person.

Using the concept of “lost and found” is not new but because it was used in the context of the millenials’ technology, the cell phone, it provided a hook that any viewer should not have missed. Right from the opening of the short film, the two characters were already at their cell phones taking selfies. So much so that their tour guide had no other choice but to leave the two to their selfieic world. After taking pictures the two characters sat down and kept on texting.

Text(ing). A text is commonly understood as a written mark usually found on paper. But with the advent of digital technology, it found a new meaning, “sms” or short for “short message service”; also means “text message”. With sms, a written mark could be copied, sent to as many recipient as one likes, and be erased. Since sms messaging is dependent on technology, the pleasure that it could provide is only as good as the life of the cell phone’s battery.

In the short film, the end of text(ing) first happened to Pol when her battery was depleted. (Her friend’s power bac was of no use because it was also depleted.) From her cell phone, her attention was transferred to the hovering butterfly, next to the forest, and then to the sea. Gi, however, was still at her cell phone, texting while the two of them wandered to the hills of Mararison island. It was only by the sea that the two got separated. Pol took a swim while Gi kept on texting.

Pol’s texting activity was substituted by her exploration of nature. She started to enjoy the pleasures that nature could provide and it even came to a point where she has to leave her friend and discover not just nature but also herself. In fact, Pol’s immersion into nature made her one with nature. Pol emerged as both human + nature. This is the point where pre-modern nostalgia becomes articulated.

The short film Isla is about the re-enchantment of the world, our world. It wants us to see the world—using the island as signifier—as a living and breathing being, like us humans. It wants us to believe that the “island” is “us”. This belief propels us back to our pre-colonial past where babaylanic belief systems dominate the island of Panay. It was the time where our ancestors would not dare cut trees without first asking the permission of the spirits, or pass the forest without first uttering “tabi-tabi” (Please let us pass by); it was the time where the first harvest of rice and fish is offered to the unseen beings, and the time where big rocks, trees, and hills are seen as sacred. The pre-colonial time was the time when our ancestors were one with nature.

On the other hand, Jurilla’s Isla failed to re-enchant the world. The short film fell short of being “pure” in its portrayal of nature. It employed modern technique of editing and even incorporated modern rock in its background. Not to mention the drone shots that throws a sudden view from up high. Or the wide angle shots that were typical of tourism promotional videos that proliferate the internet. In short, the film did not show nature as an organic subject.

However, the success of Isla lies in the postmodern discourse that it offers. It was able to background the idea of virtual space as signified by the “death” of the cell phone and the end of  text(ing) and foreground the pre-modern physical space by “resurrecting” the “lost” characters of the Isla/island/world.

In the film, we see the world as signified by negotiating spaces of “Antique”, the virtual world, the “other”/”unknown” world, and the world of tourism. The camera lens used for every shot may be just one but it opens up to multiple worlds—each world struggling to be recognized—signifying its different presence(s) despite it being absence; each world in its paradoxical existence.

Jurilla’s Isla made us see and not see. The island wasn’t in the movie theater after all. We have to go see Antique. Literally.

Lunes, Nobyembre 21, 2016

Postkolonyalismo

Postkolonyalismo



Masasabing ang postkolonyalismo ay extensiyon ng kritisismong post-istruktural at materyalismong kultural.  Impluwensyado ito ng teorya ni Derrida at Foucault.  Nakatuon ang hangarin ng teoryang ito sa pagpahina at pagtumba ng unibersalismong pananaw ng liberal na humanismo sa paniniwalang ginagamit ang humanismo para lupigin ang mga kolonisadong mamamayan.
Ang humanismong liberal ay pinaniniwalaang patuloy na nagtatanghal ng hegemonya ng ‘puti’ at kanluraning pagpapahalaga at gawi.  Ito ang kinakailangang basahin sa parehong akda at di-akdang pampanitikan.  Magsisimula ito sa pagkakaroon ng kamalayan sa isang katutubo na halungkatin ang kanyang nakaraan para maimarka ang kanyang identidad at mabigyang bokabularyo ang kanyang tinig.  Sunod dito ay ang pagpapalitaw ng ideolohiyang kolonyal na sumakop ng kanyang katawan at isipan.  Sa ganitong proseso ay nailalantad ang pag-iiba (othering) na gina(ga)wa ng kolonisador---ang manifestasyon ng tinatawag ni Edward Said na ‘orientalismo’ o ang pag-akda sa taga-silangan para sakupin. Hindi nakapagtataka kung ang mga Pilipino ay nabansagang ‘tamad,’ ‘unggoy,’ ‘exotiko,’ ‘savage,’ at kung ano-ano pa na ipinapalagay na hindi katangian ng taga-kanluran (Kastila at Amerikano sa ating kolonyal na kasaysayan).
Sa kabilang banda, dahil nga sa hindi na mabuburang karanasang kolonyal hindi na maiiwasan ang paggamit ng ‘hiram’ na wika ng kolonisasor para isadiskurso ang pakikihamun sa kolonyal na hegemoniya.  Dapat itong ‘hiramin,’ kundi man ‘akuin’ para mabigyang boses ang subersibong idea.  Ginawa ito ni Rizal at iba pa nating propagandista, kung saan hiniram nila ang wikang Espanyol.
Tulad ng mga postmodernista na sineselebra ang pagka-pastiche na katangian, sineselebra ng postkolonyalista ang konsepto ng katauhang ‘hybrid,’ o ang pagkakaroon ng dalawahan o walang fixed na identidad.  Ngunit resulta lamang ito ng pagkakakilanlan ng sarili (ayon sa pagbaliktad ng ginawang pagmarka at pagkilala ng kolonisador) at ang muling pag-akda ng sariling kasaysayan at hinaharap sa pananaw na hindi na hiram.  Mahalaga dito ang ‘cross-cultural’ na konsepto kung saan maaari pa ring gamitin ang teorya at pormang natutunan sa kolonisador para pahinain at tumbahin ang patuloy nitong pananakop. 
Sentral sa postkolonyal na pag-aaral ang mga sinulat ni Homi Bhabha, isang Indian, na ayon sa kanya, bahagi ng teknolohiya ng kolonisasyon ang paghikayat sa mga katutubo na maging kapareho ng kanilang mananakop.  Tinawag niya itong mimicry o pag-gaya.  Kaya lang, kahit na anumang gawing panggagaya ng katutubo ay hindi pa rin sila magiging katanggap-tanggap.  Ito ay dahil ang proseso mismo ng panggagaya na ipinatutupad ay ‘lumilihis’ at ‘umaapaw’ kung saan maaaring magresulta sa higit na pagkilala sa pagiging ‘iba’ (other). “A subject of a difference that is almost the same, but not quite” o kung sa kulay ng balat naman, “almost the same but not white.”  Ngunit ang mahalaga, sabi niya, na sa proseso ng panggagaya ay lumilitaw ang isang ‘akda’ (writing), isang paraan ng representasyon na bumabalikwas sa hegemonya at kapangyarihan ng kolonisasyon.  Para itong pagbabalik ng titig ng ‘panopticon’ na ngayo’y nagmumula sa binabantayan.  Paradoksikal ang ganitong kondisyon dahil nga parehong naririyan, at wala rin, ang dapat hulihing mga diskurso.  At hindi rin makaalis-alis sa kolonyal na sistema.  Meron lamang sa postkolonyalismo ay ang pagkilala sa potensyal ng pagbaliktad.
Samantala, sa pag-aaral ni Said, partikular na sa kanyang “Orientalism,” ay nailantad niya ang kasaysayan at diskursibong praktis na ginamit ng mga taga-Kanluran para bigyang pangalan, iposisyon at sakupin ang mga taga-Silangan.  Inilantad ang ‘orientalismo’ bilang isang sistematikong diskurso (sakop ang politikal, sosyal, militar, siyensya, medisina at imahinasyon) na ginagamit ng kolonisador para mabihag ang isip at galaw ng katutubo sa isang partikular na espasyo at kapanahunan.  Si Said ay naglatag ng pananaw na ang panitikan ay maaring gamitin bilang tagatanghal ng hustisya at karapatan.  At ang manunulat ay ‘buhay’ at nakikialam at nagpapaabot ng kanyang malay na layunin.

Isang Sigarilyong Hindi ko Masindihan

Isang Sigarilyong Hindi ko Masindihan
Nazim Hikmet
(tula mulang Turkey; salin ni Rogelio Mangahas)
Maaaring mamatay siya anumang oras ngayong gabi,
isang sunog na tagpi sa kanyang kaliwang sulapa.
Siya’y patungong kamatayan, ngayong gabi,
            sa kanyang sariling kagustuhan, di-pinilit.
Mayro’n ka bang sigarilyo? Sabi niya.
Sabi ko’y
            Oo.
Posporo?
Wala, sabi ko.
            isang punglo ang magsisindi niyan para sa iyo.
Kinuha niya ang sigarilyo
            at lumayo
Marahil, siya ngayo’y nakadipa sa lupa,
            isang sigarilyong walang sindi sa pagitan
                        ng kanyang mga labi,
                                    isang sugat na umuusok sa kanyang dibdib.