Laurice: An activist in more senses than one

Even the most casual of conversations with award-winning filmmaker Laurice Guillen inevitably brims with pure, unadulterated enthusiasm for her chosen art. After all, she’s a woman not only guided by a mission, but armed with a vision.

As one of the country’s handful of successful female directors, Laurice continues to do pioneering work in movies. Ironically, it is not because of gender politics that she is now being celebrated, but for her firm and fervent faith.

When it comes to spiritual matters, she is an activist in the most honest meaning of the word. "Now, I am no longer hesitant to express my opinions," she herself attests. Especially if she knows in her heart that she is on the side of the good and just.

The same fearlessness applies to the cause of cinema. This bravery she puts to extreme good use as chair and CEO of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), the government body mandated to promote and protect cinema on these fair shores. And to be the voice of reason in such a highly contentious and combustible world as show business takes nothing more than sheer courage.

And patience, she says with a smile. Whenever intrigues fly within the vicinity, trust Direk Laurice to be the first to practice extreme tact and diplomacy. "We already know what our problems are," she says of the endless bickering and unhealthy obsession on the woes of the local film industry. "We don’t have to shout it to the whole world."

At the recent awarding ceremonies of the 31st Brussels International Festival of Independent Film held at the Belgian Ambassador’s home in Forbes Park, Direk Laurice couldn’t help but smile knowingly (along with awardees Best Actor Yul Servo, Special Jury awardee and director Maryo J. de los Reyes, and Best Actress Sharon Cuneta) when Festival Director Robert Malengreau exhorted Pinoy film artists "to stop complaining that the local movie industry is dead."

She says that she’s often exasperated by incessant pronouncements that the Philippine movie industry is "dying or dead", especially when made by local artists in international film festivals. "Abroad, they don’t care about our problems back home," she points out. "What is more important is for us to make good films that we can show side by side with the best in the world."

"Even if some producers may stop producing, the majors in the industry mainstream will continue to produce film. If you will look around you, a whole new generation of filmmakers has sprung up. Most are working with digital because it’s more accessible and cheaper to produce. They also believe it’s where technology is headed. They’re also looking at it as a strategy, like the Internet, to beat piracy. These are difficult times for the movie industry, but there are opportunities. These are great times for new filmmakers who don’t know what defeat means."

Direk Laurice is not only a woman with a mission and a vision; she is also a woman of action. She would rather let her work as FDCP chair and CEO speak for itself. "It’s really challenging," she says candidly about the task at hand. "But it is not only us at FDCP who will do this; this will take the entire industry, all the shareholders, all the key players would have to contribute."

Direk Laurice is confronting the crisis head-on, "by simply implementing our mandate," she affirms. "The council is precisely there to help the industry." Towards this end, the FDCP has set up its centerpiece program, the Cinema Evaluation Board (CEB) which gives tax incentives to outstanding movie productions. The FDCP is also in the forefront of raising standards to make our films "globally competitive." Through the International Film Festival Committee (IFFCOM), the FDCP helped five Filipino movies to shine abroad by granting P1.6 million as financial subsidy.

Another key project is the Film Information System (FIS). "It’s a web-based data bank that will provide useful information not only to film students researching on the local industry, but also to foreign film professionals who are thinking of shooting movies here."

Another inspired and inspiring undertaking of the FDCP is the Cinemalaya film festival of debuting independent directors. In alliance with the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and the Philippine Multimedia Systems, Inc. (PMSI), the FDCP spearheaded the Cinemalaya to infuse the industry with new blood, new ideas. "They are the future of Pinoy cinema," Direk Laurice describes the Cinemalaya participants.

"The 10 best scripts have been filmed and are now almost ready for exhibition. The Cinemalaya Filmfest will run at the CCP from July 12 to 17. During the festival, Cinemalaya will promote the films to distributors and exhibitors. The filmmakers have had a seminar showing how some of their selected footage would look on 35mm format, in case distributors find the entries good enough for a larger theatrical distribution."

Her work in the FDCP, no matter how noble it may be, is taking her away from actual filmmaking, her most ardent fans protest vehemently. Not really.

Her only movie last year, Santa Santita was reshown at SM Cinemas last March and also enjoyed a week-long run in key US cities, including New York (just like her other wildly successful outing with United Pictures American Adobo). "It was shown at ImaginAsian in New York from March 11 to 17," Direk Laurice relates. "It’s a commercial moviehouse that specializes in Asian films. And it’s in front of Bloomingdale’s!"

Going global, Direk Laurice is. Right now, she is developing a family picture with Ricky Lee for Star Cinema. "You know what I’d really like? I’d like to be in these young independent filmmakers’ shoes. That’s where the challenges is. I would have to be in that zone to be able to think out of the box, find new content and discover how it is to make films all over again!"

Can’t help but be proud of this woman with a vision that is so clear and certain.