Kidlat Tahimik to be conferred national artist
DE Guia, more popularly known as Kidlat Tahimik will be accorded the order of national artist in ceremonies set at the Malacanang Palace this week.
Kidlat was born October 3, 1942 in Baguio City where he resides and manages arts spaces VOCAS and Ili Likha.
President Rodrigo Duterte will confer the honor to Kidlat in the field of cinema for his body of work spanning four decades.
The Baguio boy Kidlat started his film career with the making of his independent film, Perfumed Nightmare, which won in the Berlin film Festival.
The Order of the National Artists of the Philippines is bestowed by the Philippines on Filipinos who have made significant contributions to the development of Philippine art.
Members of the Order are known as National Artists. Originally instituted as an Award, it was elevated to the status of Order in 2003.
Kidlat is referred to as the "Father of Philippine Independent Cinema" and is fondly called "Tatay," by the local indie film makers and artists in the city.
The soon to be conferred national artists attended the University of the Philippines, where he was a member of the Student Council and it was the same university to endorse his nomination to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Months ago, Kidlat has been awarded by the Amsterdam-based Prince Claus Fund for his exemplary achievements in visual arts and film.
He was recognized for his holistic, freespirited and joyfully rebellious approach and lifetime commitment to independent creativity; charismatic role as a catalyst and thought leader inspiring people to tap into their own inner spirit; innovative works in multiple fields that reject imposed conventions in favor of an ingenious, pragmatic and environmentally aware DIY ethos and aesthetic; his vital and compelling filmmaking showing how to condemn and fight injustice while living joyfully; for his commitment to Philippine culture and pro-indigenous activism, creatively resisting cultural imperialism and showing that local ways and knowledge are a rich resource; and for his deep social engagement and generosity in doing whatever he can to change things for the better, building infrastructure, sharing his gifts and creating spaces of freedom.