Legarda supports Daang Dokyu

In commemoration of the 100 years of Philippine Cinema, Deputy Speaker and Antique Representative Loren Legarda, in partnership with National Commission for Culture and the Arts, University of the Philippines Film Institute, and Probe Media Foundation will showcase Daang Dokyu, the first of its kind documentary festival that is commemorative and non-competitive, to be held this March 16-21, 2020 at the Cine Adarna, UP Film Institute, Diliman, Quezon City.

Themed “Tracing the Filipino Story,” Daang Dokyu, will be presenting film titles as well as documentary materials from early 1900s up to the present. Legarda, during her stint as Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, supported this initiative.

The celebration of Philippine documentaries was initiated by documentary filmmakers Jewel Maranan, Baby Ruth Villarama, Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, and Coreen Jimenez from the Filipino Documentary Society (FilDocs).

“Documentaries offer an essential snapshot of what is reflected in our history and society. From these snapshots, we are able to look back on our struggles, defeats, and victories that have shaped our nationhood and identity as Filipinos. Films and documentaries open up varied perspectives through stories, experiences and lives of different kinds of people,” Legarda explained.

Opening the festival is Aswang, a film by Alyx Ayn Arumpac, which follows the interconnected lives of people involved in the war on drugs. The six-day festival will also premiere films of different subjects such as revolution, environment, religion, politics and present day social issues. Making their debut in the Philippines are: A Rustling Leaves: Inside the Philippine Revolution (1988) by Nettie Wild, Dreaming in the Red Light (2019) by Pabelle Manikan and produced by Wena Sanchez, We Still Have to Close Our Eyes (2019) by John Torres, A House in Pieces (2020) by Jean Claire Dy and Manuel Domes, Ang Pagpapakalma sa Unos (2020) by Joanna Vasquez Arong, and The Nightcrawlers (2019), a National Geographic documentary that got shortlisted at the recent Oscars.

Daang Dokyu will also hold the very first Philippine Documentary Forum, a gathering of documentarists. Meanwhile, lectures on relevant issues such as politics, fake news, and environmental concerns will be tackled in REALITY CHECK sessions. DOC OUT LOUD sessions, on the other hand, would be roundtable discussions on pressing concerns faced by the documentary community and industry. These sessions are open to the general public.

“With Daang Dokyu, I hope that we will be able to boost the image of our Philippine documentaries, that are already being recognized internationally. It is high time that films, documentaries and archive materials be appreciated locally because these images of our past and present can always ignite that core of self-awareness that is very much intrinsic in every one of us. Through self-awareness and understanding, we can all together chart our future,” concluded Legarda.

The event is also sponsored by Purin Pictures, Japan Foundation, Quezon City Government, British Film Institute Archive, Viva, Central Lab, Grupo Sorbetero, Light & Space, Butch Jimenez, QCinema Foundation, University of London School of African and Asian Studies (SOAS), British Council, Chevening Alumni Network, and Vista Cinemas.

Media partners include GMA Network and ABS-CBN.***