An intelligent hydra

MANILA, Philippines - Like the creature from Greek mythology, the hydra, in possession of many heads, ANC’s amBisyon 2010 is a polyphonic, multi-faceted, visual achievement that astounds, bedevils and fascinates. At its essence, ANC brought together 20 filmmakers and literally challenged them to come up with shorts that would be based upon given themes, and together would create a vivid montage of where the Philippines is, and what being a Filipino is all about, during this   Presidential election year. Cannes winner Brillante Mendoza, Erik Matti and Jeffrey Jeturian, Raymond and Jon Red, Emerson Reyes, Jerrold Tarog, Kiri Dalena, Pam Miras, Jade Castro — these are just some of the directors who lent their vision and effort to the project.

Each director was given a theme such as justice, the economy, education, poverty, corruption, health, security, democracy, the environment and human rights, and within each broad category, the directors were given free rein to explore and tease out a cinematic interpretation/exposition of said theme. The creativity, the differences in approach, attack and execution — they all make for the richness and texture of the completed collection. As can be expected, some succeed better than others, or at the very least, have a higher entertaining quotient, but the consistent high marks one can give each short film is testament to what our directors can achieve, even when given a shoestring budget and abbreviated timeline.

The introduction to the project, which features Joel Torre as an Everyman Juan, sets the challenge of declaring ambition, of dreaming and hoping — and because film is a visual medium, hence the emphasis on the bisyon in ambisyon. Poignant, disturbing, humorous and satirical, folksy, tragic, angry — each short has its singular tone and mood. For example, Red’s PSG takes us inside a kitchen, where a chef and short order cook are kibitzing about life and what sense of security exists for those living in these confusing times. In the case of Dalena’s Requiem for M, our backwards spiral/slide in human rights is metaphor-ized by having everything literally filmed backwards. Reyes’ treatise on democracy is given a wild ride by combining animation and CGIs with live action actors — replete with Babaero as our new national anthem.

Remarking on these three shorts give us an inkling of just how diverse the whole project became. While each short can conceivably stand on its own, it is really when we see them as an amalgam that their strength amplifies and makes for one truly effective “shout out.” Watching amBisyon may take concentration and some kind of commitment, but it’s well worth the effort. The truth in all this fiction, and the pithy vision that emerges, is a sight to behold and absorb. Kudos to ANC for making amBisyon a reality.