For Sari Dalena, bringing the Cinemalaya film ‘Cinemartyrs’ is an act of retelling forgotten massacres through the perspective of a guerrilla filmmaker armed with a shoestring budget and awareness of the political landscape.
‘Cinemartyrs’ revolves around a young filmmaker (Nour Hooshmand) intending to tell stories of forgotten massacres that wrecked the Philippines. However, plagued by the undermining of her environment, she takes it upon herself to push forward with her film. As she visits present-day war-torn locations with her crew, they find themselves haunted by the spirits of those who perished in the massacres.
‘It is a story that has something to do with time, ‘yung paggawa ng pelikula ay tungkol sa mga karanasan ko at pinagdaanan ng mga babae sa paggawa ng dokumentaryo about karahasan, war atrocities, iba ang experience kapag babae ang gumagawa,’ the filmmaker told Inquirer Entertainment.
(It is a story that has something to do with time. It is about creating films about my experiences and what female filmmakers go through in creating documentaries about abuse and war atrocities; the experiences are different when a woman does them.) ‘Cinemartyrs’ is Dalena’s first Cinemalaya entry, although she already applied to be part of the film festival in its first-ever iteration. ‘Of course, I applied for different projects pero ito pala ang tamang panahon (now is the right time),’ she said of the feat, noting that the 20-year wait to be accepted was worth it.
With some scenes set in Jolo, among the factors that Dalena considered in the production process were the technicalities, traveling to Jolo (and, if it’s safe enough), and the ongoing political landscape.
‘Will I get the right response [from the audience] or is it the right time to talk about it? Sa palagay ko, maraming nangyari [sa pelikulang ito] kasi sinamahan ang Filipino-American War, feeling ko meron siyang mirroring. Somehow, hindi ko na-decide na gagawin ko ‘to, parang natumbok ko ‘yung time to say something,’ she said.
(Will I get the right response from the audience, or is it the right time to talk about it? For me, a lot of events happened in this film, such as the Filipino-American War. I feel like it mirrors the events now. I somehow didn’t decide that I would push forward with this. It was the timing that dawned on me that I needed to say something.) Another noteworthy element that was touched on in ‘Cinemartyrs’ was how it was rooted in guerrilla filmmaking, a kind of style defined by low budgets, a small crew, minimal equipment, and real-time filming without obtaining permits or prior notice from those involved.
‘Pinapakita ko ang guerrilla filmmaking style before Cinemalaya, ito ‘yung zero budget, ginagawa na namin noon pa,’ Dalena said. ‘Even before Cinemalaya, we were doing rag-tag-style filmmaking na walang artista and all that. I want it to be reflected here, working with katutubos and communities.’
(I want to showcase what guerrilla filmmaking style looks like, even before Cinemalaya. This is characterized by zero budgets, which we have been doing for quite some time. Even before Cinemalaya, we were doing rag-tag style filmmaking with no actors. I want it to be reflected here, including working with katutubos and communities.)
With this in mind, Dalena explained that the film’s events happen sort of like a collage, instead of the usual straightforward style, hoping that viewers will appreciate the magic behind it.
‘Makikita natin na ang pagkaka-tagpi tagpi ng storya is more of a collage, it’s not too straightforward. I hope that it will be a magical and mystical experience,’ she said. ‘Maganda siya ikwento ngayon to encourage filmmakers na kaya mong gumawa ng magandang kwento nang hindi dumidikit sa network or big studios. These personal films can be an important voice.’
(You can witness the stories done in a collage-like format. It’s not too straightforward. I hope that it will be a magical and mystical experience. It’s good to tell this story now to encourage filmmakers that you can create a beautiful story without relying on networks and big studios. These personal films can be an important voice.) Joining Hooshmand in the film are Angel Aquino, Cedrick Juan, Lav Diaz, Kidlat Tahimik, Ligaya Amilbangsa, Soliman Cruz, Bong Cabrera, Laila Ulao, Giancarlo Abrahan, Iana Bernardez, Nor Domingo, Danny Palisa, Andre Miguel, and Victor Medina.
The cast is also composed of Yian Gabriel, Kobe Sanchez, Shane Bernabe, Roven Alejandro, Nelson Dino, Rob Rownd, Dax Alejandro, Air Salazar, Dexter Macaraeg, Emmanuel Dela Cruz, and Rolando Inocencio.