Literature into film

A major project to bridge the gap between literature and film will be launched today at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) building in Intramuros.

The project, named “Sine Panitik: A Literary Film Library for Students,” consists of three distinct phases: first, a contest for screenwriters; second, production of the winning scripts; and third, distribution of the finished films.

The Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP), which is running the project, explains why it is necessary and timely to connect literature with film:

“In current film projects, little energy is given to the development of Filipino literature into visual materials that could augment the education of our students in our Filipino authors and our indigenous literary works.

“Sine Panitik was conceived to answer this need. It is a film project that is intended to showcase published literary works by Filipino authors – alamat, children’s stories, poetry, short stories, novels, plays – literature being taught at the elementary, high school and college levels. In this project, selected Filipino literary works will be interpreted visually in digital format as full-length feature and short films by selected filmmakers.

“The finished films will be shown in scheduled exhibitions in theatres in Metro Manila, initially as the entries in the 2013 MMFF Indie Component. Eventually, the materials will also be shown in other key cities in selected provinces with students as the primary targeted viewers at popular prices (P50). In areas without theatres, mobile exhibitions may also be arranged in coordination with local schools and organizations. Ultimately, the finished films will also be reproduced in DVDs to be distributed extensively at popular prices to schools, libraries, to educators, students, to embassies and consulates, and to the general public.”

Initially, the project will adapt the following short stories into digital films: “How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife” by Manuel Arguilla; “Dead Stars” by Paz Marquez Benitez; “My Father Goes to Court” by Carlos Bulosan; “Children of the Ash-Covered Loam” by NVM Gonzalez; “The Mats” by Francisco Arcellana; “Faith, Love, Time and Dr. Lazaro” by Gregorio C. Brillantes; “Magnificence” by Estrella Alfon; “The Virgin” by Kerima Polotan; “A Wilderness of Sweets” by Gilda Cordero-Fernando; “Bangkang Papel” by Genoveva Edroza-Matute; “Banyaga” by Liwayway A. Arceo; “Sandaang Damit” by Fanny A. Garcia; “Lugmok na ang Nayon” by Edgardo M. Reyes; “Tata Selo” by Rogelio Sicat; and “Utos ng Hari” by Jun Cruz Reyes.

Efforts such as Sine Panitik should be supported wholeheartedly by lovers of either or both literature and film. Our earliest films, after all, were based on literature (for example, the 1919 “Dalagang Bukid,” the first Filipino silent film, and the 1932 “Ang Aswang,” the first Filipino sound film). In fact, for a long time, Filipino films were based on what we now call “graphic literature,” then known as “komiks.” Some of the most memorable Filipino films were based on novels (for example, Gerardo de Leon’s 1961 “Noli Me Tangere” and 1962 “El Filibusterismo” and Lino Brocka’s 1975 “Maynila: Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag”).

Unlike American cinema, which has depended a lot on previously published novels, however, our film industry has not fully harnessed the tremendous resources of our own literature. In fact, even beyond the literary texts in Tagalog or English chosen by Sine Panitik, there are literally thousands of short stories, novels, and plays written in various Philippine languages that could make wonderful films.

With the advent of digital filmmaking (and soon, digital film showings in the majority of our movie theaters), filmmaking has become more of a screenwriter’s medium. The minimal cost of redoing shots has made it easier for filmmakers to correct themselves, thus demanding less of them than in the past, when directors had to plan every shot very carefully for fear of incurring major budget deficits.

Despite having written quite a lot about feature films in the past, I have written nothing about digital films, because I wanted to wait until our filmmakers master the medium rather than merely experiment with it. There is a learning curve that needs to be completed before our filmmakers can claim to create masterpieces of digital cinema. There has to be a qualitative difference between the old feature films (or even independent or personal films) and the new digital films. Technology must change the nature of film art.

Fortunately, that learning curve is almost done, and we can now start demanding more of our digital films. That demand has to start with screenwriters (or with directors who write their own scripts). I have always maintained, even in the past, that our film directors are excellent and can match anyone else in the world (Brillante Mendoza proved it in Cannes), but that our films cannot match the best films done elsewhere (the best, not the inferior foreign films that regularly pollute our movie theaters). The reason there is no Filipino film in any list of the world’s best films is not because our directors are bad (because they are very, very good), but because our screenplays are – I will say it now – awful. (Of course, there are exceptions, but they are exceptions that prove the rule).

I hope that Sine Panitik will take the first phase of screenwriting as seriously as it will take the two other phases of film production.