With members of the Kontemporaryong Gamelan Pilipino or Kontra-GaPi playing the kulintang and performing traditional Moro dances, and booths by artists and advocacy groups offering books, artworks, stickers, etc. to attendees, the 12th staging of Active Vista Human Rights Festival (AVHRF) opened on 19 September at the UPFI (University of the Philippines Film Institute) Film Center of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.
Stationed by near the driveway of the UPFI Film Center was the Courageous Hope Van, bringing in splashes of color against the backdrop of the gloomy and rainy weather and the brutalist venue. The Courageous Hope Van is one of the mobile cafés of Silingan Coffee, a livelihood and educational project of Redemptorist Brother Jun Santiago established in 2021 with the help of Respond and Break the Silence Against the Killings or RESBAK, a group of artists and media practitioners. Based at the Cubao Expo, Silingan Coffee is run by families affected by former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody and misguided war on drugs and other human rights violations. Aside from being a café, it also has an exhibit on the extrajudicial killings and is a venue where people can hear the stories of the victims and learn about human rights. The café also has three vans — the Justice Van, the Pananagutan Van and the Courageous Hope Van — bringing coffee, drinks and snacks as well as advocating for human rights. Artists collaborated to paint the Courageous Hope Van, which was unveiled at the AVHRF opening.
Organized by non-governmental organization DAKILA and its Active Vista Center, AVHRF has been held annually on the week of the anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law, one of the darkest chapters in Philippine history, to put a spotlight on human rights, freedoms and dignity.
“What began as a humble film festival in 2008, the Active Vista Human Rights Festival, 16 years later, is still striving to reach the broadest and widest audience possible in our pursuit of sustaining a movement that respects, upholds and values the dignity, rights and freedoms of all,” said festival director Alex Poblete during the opening program.
AVHRF has mounted film screenings, art exhibits, talks, fora and performances to bring “attention to stories of human struggles” and to aim “at engaging the public in conversations on important social issues toward developing a critical citizenry that supports initiatives for the promotion of human rights and democracy in the Philippines.”
Running from 19 September to 6 October this year, AVHRF carries the theme “Espekulasyon” (Speculation).
“It has been said time and again that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. But what is vigilance if not an act of speculation? And to speculate, to be vigilant is to imagine alternatives, question the status quo, and ask the simplest yet most radical question. What if things were different?” said Poblete.
She deplored how the state of and respect for human rights have deteriorated.
“In recent years, human rights has taken a severe hit around the world. In the Philippines, the previous government significantly undermined human rights, painting advocates in a bad light, which paved the way for authoritarianism to grow, deepen social divides, and fuel the culture of violence and intolerance,” she said. “Globally, the rise of populist and authoritarian leaders has led to shrinking civic spaces, setbacks for democracy, widespread disinformation, attacks on fundamental rights and freedoms, silencing of dissent, and harsh crackdowns on human rights defenders and activists.”
She further said, “The Philippines, dubbed as Patient Zero of the populist and authoritarian playbook, made a monumental leap from being a bastion of people power and democracy in Asia to repeating its history of being under the authoritarian rule of Duterte, and now, the Marcos administration.”
She explained that attacks “on the rights and freedoms of the people continue to escalate and worsen, resulting in a climate of fear that silences dissent and expression, and affects the already declining state of the civil society movement,” and that “worsening economic conditions further dehumanize people’s lives, forcing us into a perpetual state of survival, exhaustion, and hopelessness in a nation with a seemingly bleak future.”
Poblete said that spotlighting stories from the margins, the festival aims to invite audiences “to examine the truth in a world shaped by the narratives of those in power,” recognizing that narratives play a crucial role in shaping culture, and to take “its viewers to see the world not as it is, but as what it could be, opening conversation through films, performances, art, and music, ushering them in a critical discourse through forums and talks that encourage in-depth reflection on a future beyond what it is.”
With the theme, the festival “invites audiences to wander together into the world of possibilities, to imagine a future where gripping into hope does not bleed and a better reality is within reach.”
“For in this world of uncertainties, where the future is bleak, to speculate is to resist,” she emphasized.
The festival opening featured the Ukrainian film The Editorial Office, directed by Roman Bondarchuk, which had its world premiere at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in Germany. Set in pre-invasion Ukraine, it shows “the plight of a journalist in his journey to expose the truth amid a storm of fake news and political shenanigans,” Poblete said.
“Much like their experience, the Philippines is no stranger to populist rule. Time and again, individuals and political dynasties have risen to power through rampant historical distortion and widespread disinformation, challenges that we still grapple with today,” she explained. “We hope that the film may serve as a poignant reminder that in a world where power dictates the narrative, to seek the truth is itself an act of resistance.”
The screening was preluded by the solidarity message of Rebecca Mason from the International Programs and Operations and Stakeholders Relations of Journalists for Human Rights and followed by a talkback with Pochoy Pinzon Labog, human rights lawyer, artist and member of the Active Vista Board of Trustees; Carmela Fonbuena, executive director of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism; Patricia Aquino, podcast producer of Journalists for Human Rights; and Jonathan de Santos, chairperson of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines tackling challenges on pursuing journalism, media freedom, and the spread of disinformation.
“As documented annually by Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index and by Amnesty International, media freedoms and human rights are increasingly under attack around the world, and the risk to journalists and human rights defenders are real. Myths and disinformation campaigns against democracies or regional powers pose challenges for good governance,” Mason explained. “With the upcoming elections, the role of the media has never been greater to promote and protect human rights and to work collaboratively to enhance and protect the participation of all citizens in democratic politics. Red-tagging, intimidation tactics, the suppression of and attack on truth-tellers, journalists, media groups, and activists continue.”
“Media development is one of the earliest and efficient ways to intervene, to help stabilize conflict and fragile state situations, allowing journalists to remain in their communities, carrying out their critical work safely to support their country’s growth and development,” the officer from the Canada-based NGO further said.
“I encourage us all to continue to dream, to challenge, to question and to create, so together we can realize a world where press freedom and human rights come to live by all,” she said.
Several other films are screened in the festival’s 20/20 Film Screenings, aimed at bringing “focus to narratives of different stories at the margins of our sight to see the world in 20/20 — with an awareness of those in the peripherals, with sharpness and clarity of vision, with a depth of perception, and hopefully, through the lens of humanity.” This year’s slate includes Alipato at Muog, 11 Days in August, Ghosts of Kalantiaw, Balota, 11,103 and Tumandok.
Another festival component is the Panorama: Festival Events which includes a public gig (“Delulu Night: Manifesting Our Vision of a Better Nation,” featuring Leanne & Naara, Autotelic, Any Name’s Okay, Uncle Bob’s Funky Seven Club, Shanne Dandan, and AIIZ), an art market, cartooning workshops and exhibit (PAK DEM! Political Cartooning for Democracy and Human Rights), a staged reading, and the awarding of the Frames, the AVHRF Short Films Competition.
Complementing the film screenings are the Viewpoints Festival Forums, which tackle the different issues. This year, the forums will focus on critical thinking and democracy in anticipation of the 2025 Philippine Midterm Elections.
A new addition to this year’s festival is Perspective: Weaving Narratives for Change, a by-invitation-only series of talks, workshops and other activities that brings together storytellers, creatives, filmmakers, artists, journalists, civil society organizations, activists and human rights advocates “to foster collaboration for the human rights cause and to weave the power of narratives with social movement strategies in driving positive social change and in shaping progressive democratic futures.” The lineup includes Cross-Culture Program: Synergy with “Holy Shit! Can Poop Save The World?” Screening; Storytelling for Social Impact: Creating Art That Matters; Plot Twist: Creative Storytellers for Change; Climate Story Lab; Kwento Namin ‘To; and Climate Story Lab Pitching.
Not confined to Metro Manila, AVHRF has satellite events happening simultaneously in select areas around the country such as Cebu, Bacolod City, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro City, Dumaguete City and Laguna.
Poblete said that festival also “pays homage to filmmakers and artists who have catalyzed change in the audience’s perspective through their compelling storytelling and artistry.” This year, it is paying tribute to filmmaker and screenwriter, Armando “Bing” Lao, who passed away on 18 June.
For more details and festival schedule, one may visit the Active Vista Facebook page or their website (avhumanrightsfestival.ph).