Hopes & dreams for Philippine cinema

Connie Macatuno wears many hats — as TV and movie director, screenwriter, and creative designer for I Am Lokal, a clothing brand that aims to highlight Philippine weaves and fabrics, mixing upcycled materials. The films Direk Connie has helmed include Rome & Juliet (2006), Glorious (2018), Malaya (2020), The Broken Marriage Vow (2022), and Guilty Pleasure (2024), her latest film.

Direk Connie has a degree in Broadcast Communication from UP Diliman and has always had a love for film.

“I like making people look beautiful onscreen. I remember in Grade 3, I had a rich classmate who owned a Vivitar 110 instamatic camera. My core memory is taking pictures of her with the wind blowing her hair. And she looked absolutely beautiful! She liked it so much she bought me several rolls of film to take photos of her, to my delight. That core memory stayed with me, looking for the most beautiful angle I can connect with in a person and tell that story in a shot. The works of Wong Kar Wai, John Woo, Edgar Wright, to name a few, resonate with me,” shares Direk Connie.

She grew up in the era of canned American TV series in the ‘80s, which eventually led to renting Betamax and VHS tapes like Breakfast Club and 16 Candles. Her love for watching films on the big screen almost every week happened when she was able to afford it in her 20s.

How did she finally get into filmmaking? She tells us, “I aspired to make films since 2000 while working as a TV director at ABS-CBN. But this did not materialize until I got a P700,000 grant from Cinema One Originals in 2006. I wrote, directed and produced my first full-length feature film, Rome & Juliet, starring Mylene Dizon and Andrea del Rosario. Rome & Juliet is about two straight women falling in love with each other. I also got to win my first Best Screenplay Urian award for this film.”

Direk Connie with her son Caxatino in Los Angeles, California August 2024. They revisited the place where they used to live when she was pregnant with him.

Five years from now, Direk Connie still sees herself making more authentic stories about women while elevating Philippine local weaves and craftsmanship before the world. Read on as she shares with us her 11 aspirations for Philippine cinema.

1. Pinoy ako. I see our Filipino identity expressed with different creative elements in film production. Each film is a time stamp of our lives, showing diversity and progress in intentional localized details to tell the story of our people. There is pride in mindfully illuminating our Filipino characters through local customs, language, architecture, fashion, transportation and music.

2. A good soundtrack of life. I love a good soundtrack for a full-film experience. Something I can continue to connect with even after weeks of watching a film. I dream of having Filipino music inspired by old kundiman songs and possibly beats from traditional instruments — but making it contemporary world music in a local film soundtrack.

3. Support local. I want to see the impact of what we can achieve when we put Philippine handloom weaves and local craftsmanship in the spotlight through costume and production design. It is a silent storyteller when the characters’ tastes and preferences are expressed through modern Filipino wear and heritage artistry by local cultural communities. I will keep advocating to actively support local until it becomes a norm to proudly wear our roots in our films and in our everyday lives.

4. Location, location! I always prefer a “virgin” location in setting up the milieu. By sharing your experience of an undiscovered local area, you allow your audience to vicariously explore it. It expands their knowledge of our land. When it’s a not fresh location because of budget or logistical limitations, where you decide to put your camera is what will give it a new perspective.

5. Sumptuous fiesta. Food is always a connector for a celebration of wins, whether big or small. Food props presented in our local films are indicators of social status and milestones. We Filipinos associate food with life events, to bring back that sense of comfort, for instance, when you see adobo, halo-halo or cochinillo in a scene. I appreciate mindfully chosen food props that showcase our well-loved Filipino delicacies that distinctly separate us from other Asian countries.

6. Make it organic. I prefer scenes that are mounted in an organic way because it brings out the dialogue with breadth and authentic emotions. It now becomes a true collaboration between actors and director, where actors get ownership of their lines and motivations, bringing in a sense of accomplishment at the end of a day’s shoot.

7. Women and relationships. I’m drawn to tell stories about women, Pinays, and their relationships to family, peers, love, passion and career. I grew up in an era where men are the bida. I think it stayed with me for a long time and I just worked on putting the woman as the lead story mover: empowered, courageous, nurturing and beautifully vulnerable.

8. Go back to the cinemas. Making stories come to life is never easy. It’s somewhat similar to labor pains in childbirth. We go through a process of many steps before we finally do a DCP of the film, only to be taken savagely out of the theater because, literally, no one is coming to watch. Let it be a win-win for creatives and audience. Support local and go back to experiencing film in the cinemas!

9. Wear your film critic hat. Why not let everyone become a film critic in every film they watch? Ruminate, write and post, talk about your personal takeaway from the film with clearly marked spoiler alerts whenever necessary. That way, you push the film forward, hone your critical thinking, integrity and taste, and show gratitude when you acknowledge the hard work of people front and back of the camera. Remember to be fair and be kind. After all, the goal is to encourage a thriving, diverse Philippine cinema.

10. Essential talk-back. Additional support by staging block screenings for a film is always welcome. I find talk-back after screening the film a great opportunity for the creatives and the audience to connect and exchange their perspectives. Critical thinking and valuable insights become the springboard to concrete next-step actions.

11. Appeal for intentional storytelling. Adding local elements, highlighting very Filipino visuals that elevate our heritage and cultural communities to global levels entail additional time, budget and legwork. The impact of our concerted efforts to achieve a distinct Filipino identity in our narratives would benefit consistency of the cultural representation in these works. Possibly an appeal to give incentives through next-project-funding, or even rebates, can encourage more creatives and film companies to advocate for mindful storytelling that showcases our Filipino culture and identity to the world.

We welcome your suggestions and comments. Please e-mail me at [email protected]. Follow me on Instagram @monsromulo.