Disturbing art

When the film “Quezon” was seen for the third time by the former president’s grandson, it didn’t quite sit well with him. He mentioned how social media antagonized the memory of his late grandfather, who, in his view, sacrificed a lot for the country. His reaction drew thousands of responses, noting how the film had opened a “Pandora’s box.” The term is an idiom used to indicate that many unforeseen problems can arise from a single action. In this case, a work of art that touched a collective nerve.

I have seen the film myself and read the disclosure prior to the scenes where the producers informed viewers that while the events were inspired by true stories, they had taken creative liberties in presenting them. I was one of many who laughed, felt sad, and grew frustrated while watching the film. By the end, the protagonist was portrayed as more human than a leader. He has his own flaws, ambitions, and agenda. It depicted the beginnings of a kind of leadership that relied heavily on partnerships with businesses, a pattern that still echoes in the present political landscape.

The grandson’s reaction is an indication that the film, as an art form, has disturbed him and his family, which is precisely the point. It is always the goal of any multimedia product to provoke, to challenge, and to evoke emotion. Indifference is the enemy of art. When something moves you to anger, reflection, or empathy, it means the work has done its job. For a family member to feel offended to the point of speaking harshly in public is, in itself, proof of the film’s effectiveness.

The creators of “Quezon” are bound by their freedom of expression, protected by the same democratic rights that allow the grandson to speak his mind. Both sides are exercising what democracy is meant to safeguard. This includes the free exchange of ideas, feelings, and perspectives. That is the true beauty of living in a society where people are allowed to disagree, to debate, and to feel strongly about their own truths.

Art that disturbs is art that breathes. There are many such works within our midst today. In Cebu City alone, over a thousand paintings are displayed in the hills of Barangay Busay where each canvas tells its own story of joy, grief, protest, or resistance. The artists behind them use color and form as their language, some even confronting issues that society prefers to ignore yet they are not punished for it. In fact, their work is celebrated, sometimes even commercialized. We are fortunate to live in a time and place where we can still create and express ourselves without fear of imprisonment.

It is right that artists and producers continue their craft, even and especially when it disturbs people. The disturbance is not an inconvenience; it is a call to conscience. A person unsettled by art begins to think, to question, to demand change and that more than anything, is where real progress begins.