Ultra white beam
What does it take to stay relevant these days? Sure, you can work hard and hope for the best. Or you could simply associate yourself with a Caucasian and people will start noticing you more. This is the premise of Mercury Is Mine, a Cinemalaya entry by young filmmaker Jason Laxamana. An older lady named Carmen (played by Pokwang) struggles to keep her unprofitable carinderia running until a young white foreigner (played by Bret Jackson) begs for temporary shelter. She puts him to work in the kitchen, but little does she know that investing in a same whitening is all she needs to bring her business back to life.
Contrary to popular belief, not all millennials are about going viral these days. There are still those who take pride in putting in the work for content that doesn’t only look good but also serves a social purpose. Young STAR talks to the 28-year-old filmmaker about his most recent Cinemalaya entry and how his Kapampangan hometown influences his work.
YOUNG STAR: Congratulations on getting into Cinemalaya. Have you always wanted to be a filmmaker? When and how did you start?
JASON LAXAMANA: In high school, what I wanted was to become a fiction writer, especially for manga and anime. But after getting exposed to video production, I grew fond of digital filmmaking. Back then, I thought of the film industry as an elite circle reserved for people who are already there. Hence, my ambition then was to be a part of
Who says that a local film with a Caucasian character perpetuates racism? This Cinemalaya entry proves otherwise.
the broadcast media industry, either as a radio announcer, TV reporter or TV director. After watching some entries in the first-ever Cinemalaya, I was finally convinced that it’s possible (to break through the film industry stigma). I started with short films and music videos, most of which are in my native tongue, Kapampangan.
You’ve done quite a lot of films at such a young age. What inspires you? What do you think sets you apart from other filmmakers in the local industry?
I can get inspired by the most mundane things — a newspaper item, a stranger I encountered randomly, a Facebook meme, a place, or even a random thought I generate during idle times.
If one takes a look at my filmography, I don’t have a consistent style/voice yet, unlike other filmmakers. I just want to tell a lot of stories through film. But they say I’ve contributed a lot to the sudden renaissance of Kapampangan- language independent films. But I feel I’m doing that as a culture worker, as an advocate of Kapampangan arts and culture. I also don’t like how most indie films are defeatist — they portray the Filipino as miserable without redemption. I think we’re done showing people the problems of our society. It’s time to inspire them to action. The plot of your Cinemalaya entry Mercury Is Mine is really interesting. Why did you choose to focus on the context of “AFAM” culture?
Sometimes, I fantasize about being white. It has nothing to do with being ashamed of being a Filipino or brown. It just seems like Caucasians get a lot of automatic privilege in this world just by being white. Especially in my hometown Angeles City, where whites and half-whites abound. My film doesn’t shout “Don’t be ashamed of your color!” or “Everyone is born equal!” I just wanted to examine that phenomenon in Mercury
Is Mine — how we look up to, or even objectify, such skin color. It’s up to the viewers to come up with their own conclusions.
With Snapchat and vlogging, they say that video is the next big thing in social media. Do you have tips for the kids who are just starting to see the potential of the video medium?
My tip is to know how to set yourself apart. Because almost anyone can make a video now, there is definitely a lot of clutter on social media. How do you set yourself apart? How do you rise above the clutter? I have a couple of ideas in mind, but consider these keywords: creativity, story and relevance. Don’t be satisfied with just going viral.
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The 12th Cinemalaya Film Festival is happening from Aug. 5-14. For more details, visit www.cinemalaya.org.