The Film Development Council of the Philippines recently screened five student documentaries on arts and the community during the Dokyumentado film festival held across its cinematheque centers nationwide. The FDCP also organized a talkback session with the documentary filmmakers in Manila.
Richard Soriano Legaspi, award-winning filmmaker and faculty of the University of the East College of Fine Arts, Architecture, and Design, moderated the panel discussion with Josh Mutia, director of Balde at Brotsa, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde; Trisha See, producer of Guhit Recto, Far Eastern University; Elvin Jay Macanlalay, one of the filmmakers of How the Beasts Got Hyped, UE CFAD; Jasper Tan, producer of A Bad Name, FEU; and Christina Alyssa “Aysie” Damaso, director of Pinta, Mapúa University.
The discussion provided an engaging platform for the audience, exploring the transformative power of the arts in shaping communities and emphasizing its ability to reflect and challenge societal norms.
The documentary Balde at Brotsa follows three artists searching for purpose in their work as they confront societal pressures and personal struggles with oppression.
Guhit Recto centers on Levy, an artist shaped by Recto’s vibrant chaos. Working from Central Market with support from his wife, Levy focuses on leaving a legacy for his grandchildren rather than recognition from clients or peers.
How the Beasts Got Hyped explores the lives of self-proclaimed “hypebeasts,” eccentric youth who find community through shared street style in public spaces and social media.
In A Bad Name, two street artists with differing views on the art form reflect on the meaning of street art, accompanied by a mysterious Bon Jovi graffiti.
Lastly, Pinta follows a graffiti artist who evolved from a visual artist to an activist with the cultural group Panday Sining.
Panday Sining, which is made up of young artists who use art as a weapon of social change, is usually accused of doing acts of vandalism by spray-painting messages all over Metro Manila.
Dokyumentado aims to spotlight the documentary film genre as a dynamic medium for raising awareness, inspiring social change, and encouraging diverse perspectives.
The FDCP plans to hold a competition for the second Dokyumentado in the last quarter of the year.