The movie in my mind

It was a perfect movie-watching experience: an action or suspense film with soda and popcorn in tow, sometimes with both feet raised above the ground, only for the excitement to be ruined by shushes from behind as the crunchy popcorn and burp from drinking carbonated soda interfered with the ongoing emotional outpouring.

The humble but delicious popcorn is but a minuscule killjoy compared to the three years of the Covid-19 pandemic, which singlehandedly swept out the fun of the cinema house experience drastically, if not entirely, leaving behind a trail of broken dreams, film industry players desperately finding new jobs, and bankrupt producers earning less.

Films are part of our cultural identity and rich heritage and embody the national aspirations and love for the art. The State and the Constitution guarantee freedom of expression and recognize films as artistic and historical wealth. Republic Act 9167 created the Film Development Council of the Philippines, or FDCP, under the Office of the President to implement film policies and programs to ensure the Philippine film industry's economic, cultural, and educational development.

The Philippines has come a long way since the film screenings of the first moving pictures, Un Homme Au Chapeau (Man with a Hat), Une scene de danse Japonaise (Scene from a Japanese dance), Les Boxers (The Boxers) and La Place de L'Opera (The Place of L'Opera) projected using the 60 mm Gaumont Chrono-photograph projector at the Salon de Pertierra in Escolta, Manila.

On 12 September 1919, Jose Nepomuceno, the father of Philippine cinema, marked the evolution of Philippine cinema as an art with his Dalagang Bukid (Country Maiden), the first Filipino-made movie.

The Philippine cinema is thriving, albeit struggling. The closure of one media giant compounded the labor nightmare: Talents cramping for new jobs in the already small entertainment world or in other industries where skills are not needed. Worse, the best-on-demand streaming services are eating up the competition and crippling an already ambulant industry. The ongoing Hollywood actors and writers' strike, which began last 14 July, is far from resolving the thorny issues of pay, benefits, and guaranteed work.

Streaming is the new cinema. We are in a new era where new technologies drastically modify human experience and behavior. Movie and TV artists and players are begging for help to compete with top-rated platform picks like industry giant Netflix and best on-demand streaming services FuboTV, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Crunchyroll, Hulu, YouTube TV, Peacock, HBO Max, and Paramount, among others, for revenue.

I am not a prick, but I always embrace change, especially if it would make my life easier. Like most Filipinos, I am guilty of watching my favorites on Netflix and YouTube. The latter is where you can find free movies uploaded by people who blatantly disregard copyright. It gives me some power when I can control the movie's sound volume or pick a suitable subtitle on a big screen at home or on my mobile phone while in transit. This newfound convenience, however, does not mean I'm not saddened and disturbed by the sight of semi-filled cinema houses.

There are former movie stars in the legislature and local districts who can help resuscitate the once-vibrant local film industry. However, similar unfortunate realities are also happening worldwide, and industry guilds are bracing for the worst, even during recovery.

We need new films in the mold of movie classics Himala; Oro, Plata, Mata; Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?; and Tinimbang ka Ngunit Kulang, to once again open our eyes to the ills that beset society and encourage younger generations to appreciate our own telenovelas, instead of anime.

I envision a new generation of filmmakers and artists who will infuse fresh ideas and talents and collaborate with people in government and the private sector to give us quality, not quantity, movies. The best movies to watch are Filipino artists getting the much-needed accolades in the global arena and, at the same time, providing better income for those who remain in the film industry.