Brillante on molding young filmmakers
‘I hope they will tell their stories in the most truthful way as it will make their films, somehow, bigger.’
Acclaimed director Brillante Mendoza sees film festivals as stepping stone for young filmmakers and chance for established ones to guide them.
“I hope they will tell their stories in the most truthful way as it will make their films, somehow, bigger,” he said. “Make the opportunity for them to learn and grow.”
He certainly knows how it feels to be a nobody till you’re a somebody. The director only made a name for himself in the entertainment industry way into his ’40s.
“12 years ago there were no opportunities,” he explained. “Nowadays filmmaking has been democratized because of technology.” And what is his mindset with his audience? “Let us provoke critical thinking in them.” No surprise there.
More than just film
The worth of a filmmaker is measured not by one film but by a body of work, he said. “Hindi ’yan natatapos lang sa isang pelikula,” he said. “You want to improve yourself, and other than making films, nagkakaroon ka ng responsibility (sa audience mo).” The director plans to build a film institute. “Kasi I don’t want them to experience what I experienced like what I said a while ago, like 12 years ago, It was really very challenging parang I’m so hungry to learn pero I don’t have the right connection, I don’t have the technology. Parang nobody wanted to trust me kasi wala pa akong na pu-prove. But now we have these platforms, ang daming festival, the technology is a big advantage, so ako mina-maximize ko lang,” he shared. Mentor Brillante has collaborated with Maybank which is celebrating their 20 years through a film festival called CineMaybank. The short film festival competition was for students of local colleges and universities. “Actually at first they were asking me ‘What about this project,’ parang asking my ideas, what can I suggest to them. So naisip ko hindi lang basta mag-judge kung hindi magbibigay ng workshop so guided ’yung mga filmmakers from the very start – from conceptualization up until the editing process,” he said. Indeed, he wants to harness the interest and passion of the young filmmakers. “Gusto kong magkaroon sila ng tamang perspective why they make films. Siguro gusto ko early on sa career nila alam na nila ’yung reason,” he explained. “Para mas lumawak ’yung kanilang pag-intindi.”
“Minsan kasi lalo na ’yang mga bata, mga mapupusok ’yan,” he added. “I mean they’re very aggressive but sometimes along the way they might get lost, hindi nila masyado ma-define ’yung purpose why they’re making film, hindi nila masyado ma-focus, sometimes out of ego lang ’yan, out of glamour, out of prestige. So para sa akin sa umpisa pa lang alam na nila dapat ’yung objective nila.”
He believes it is precisely while the aspiring filmmakers are young that they be taught about the career they want to get into.
Future directors
Brillante noted that in the recent CineMaybank festival, many went for a light approach in their films; just right for their age. Best short film was awarded to “Bente” from San Sebastian College Recoletos, followed by “Pasasalamat” from Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Manila. The third best short film went to “Gunita” from De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde. “’Yung tatlong nanalo may variety, ’yung isa (‘Pasasalamat’) emotional, nakaka-touch. ’Yung isa (‘Gunita’) ay kind of love story na ibang approach. And ’yung winner (‘Bente’) parang comedy tapos mga kids ’yung cast. It was a very rare story lalo na ’yung mga estudyante kasi masyado silang pushy na they have to prove something,” he said.
Busy as he is, the director makes time to mentor young filmmakers. “Hindi ko naman iniisip ang oras,” he said. “When you love what you do parang wala naman kasi sa oras ’yan, wala sa pagod... hindi ko kasi tinitingnan ’yung ganu’n.”
I hope they will tell their stories in the most truthful way as it will make their films, somehow, bigger.