A sliver of hope in tragic "Dukot"

CEBU, Philippines - If you’re nowhere close to 40 years old, you would squirm at the ostensibly non-stop peppering of bullets in the Joel Lamangan feature film “Dukot.” If you’re not a child or a relative of any of those desaparecidos, you would laugh at the cacophony produced by a seemingly tribal woman’s voice in lament, which serves as the score when the emotions of a tortured Junix Etrata (played by Allen Dizon) or the sexually abused Maricel Salvacruz (Iza Calzado) are played out.

But if you’re a child of the Martial Law years, being enraged is a natural response given that the “Dukot” story continues to be relevant these days. The alleged extrajudicial killings that haunt families of 1,206 victims and 209 victims of enforced disappearances (desaparecidos) is depressing.

“I was right when I chose Cebu for the tour of 'Dukot'. It is one of the purposes of the film to educate students what happened in the past. Para sana hindi na maulit. Pero it’s either takot tayo or sadyang wala lang pakialam,” Lamangan said in an interaction after the last of the four screening schedules of “Dukot” at the Theodore Buttenbruch Hall of the University of San Carlos-Main Campus last July 31.

In the film (story and screenplay by Bonifacio Ilagan), activist Junix and his political girlfriend Maricel are abducted by government agents claiming to be members of the New People’s Army. The couple got detained in a “safehouse” and subjected to torture as the perpetrators want Junix to admit that he is a member of the NPA. Meanwhile, the couple’s families desperately searched for them; but as closer they get to the truth, the more the system gets in their way and places all their lives at risk.

Though the film tackled a nearly four-decade-old issue, it helps bring us to confront a social reality that is as fresh and pressing as today’s headlines. In fact, it carries the label “today’s Orapronobis.”

“Long before we became artists, we were citizens. Aktibista rin ako. Nakaranas rin ng torture. Spent four years in prison,” shared Lamangan to viewers.

Despite the violence, sexual abuse on Maricel was only implied in the film. Thank goodness for some sensitivity, we didn’t have to go into the graphics for that. And it was further learned that Cebuano Lucien Letaba helped Lamangan pitched this haunting wail (should I call that a dirge?) which underscored every scene of torture involving characters—be it physical or emotional.

“I told Lucien I want something generally embedded in our culture. And that is our cry of sorrow and grief,” Lamangan replied. The eerie cry of deep grief or mourning, which sounds closer to the Aeta’s burial chant did make audible Junix’ cry of helplessness during the water torture scene done in slo-mo, even when his voice in agony was removed. The technique articulated facial distortions and, at the same time, the transfigurations of alliances created between protagonist and support characters, and the supposed sidekick to the antagonist.

There are a handful of ice breakers lent to such a serious movie though. One is the confusion expressed by Gina Alajar (as Maricel’s mother) over the terms of today’s youth—like acronyms and abbreviations, and a string of misnomers. Another is the “kilig” moment shared by Junix and Maricel. Their transformation from political animals to simply lovestruck fools has brought the level of humanity in them closer to last Saturday’s target audience. 

Frustrating situations are on the so-called “supersonic dimension,” that when you get to the end of the film—after a spraying of bullets scene after scene—you get to ask: Will they shoot everyone?

However desperate the situations may show to sustain the tension, it was underscored that a sliver of hope shines through in the horizon. It is a hope radiating from people who, in braving the odds, are transforming our society into “being just and humane.”

“Ang taumbayan ang maniningil para sa lahat ng karahasan laban sa karapatang pantao,” Junix eloquently delivers in the remaining hours of his struggles.

The film screening was carried out through the initiative of the Community Empowerment Resource Network and Women’s Resource Center.