ACLE: PORN-Nyetang Kahirapan: A Critical Discussion on Poverty Porn in Philippine Independent Cinema


Sa ikalawang semester ng akademikong taong 2018-2019, inihandog ng UP Cinema ang isang Alternative Class Learning Experience (ACLE) na pinamagatang “PORN-Nyetang Kahirapan: A Critical Discussion on Poverty Porn in Philippine Independent Cinema”. Sa pangunguna ni Ginoong Ed Cabagnot bilang tagapagsalita, isa sa mga haligi ng film festivals sa ating bansa, tinalakay ang mga konsepto ng porn, poverty, at pelikula. 


Sinimulan niya sa pagtatanong sa madla ng aming konsepto ng porn. Karamihan sa mga tugon ay may kinalaman sa sekswal na kalikasan; para kay G. Cabagnot, ang porn ay isang mapagsamantalang paggamit sa makamundong pagnanais ng mga tao o base sa tao – lalo na ng target audience. Tinuloy niya sa depenisyon ng poverty-porn bilang tema ng pelikula. Ito raw ay naglalarawan sa malungkot na kondisyon ng pamumuhay sa isang lipunan na ginagalawan. Mayroong kaisipan na ang mas nakakaawa na kalagayan ay mas kaakit-akit sa mga dayuhan na manonood ng pelikula. Dagdag pa ni G. Cabagnot, ang ganitong pananaw sa pelikula bilang poverty-porn ay nabibigyang katwiran sa pamamagitan ng makatotohanang depiksyon ng realidad, kahit ang iba raw ay pilit at mapang-abuso sa kaibuturan ng pagsasagawa ng pelikula. 

Tinalakay rin ang konsepto ng exoticism at orientalism na siyang dahilan kung bakit bentang-benta ang mga pelikulang Pilipino na sumasalamin sa kahirapan ng buhay ng mamamayan nito. Para sa mga dayuhan, lalo na sa taga-Kanluran, ang mga larawan mula sa Silangan o Asya ay exotic o kakaiba. Ang orientalism naman ay tumutukoy sa mga kaisipan, kalagayan, at kaalaman na sa Silangan lang makikita at malalaman. Dahil dito, ang mga imahe, naratibo, at karanasan na naidudulot ng mga poverty-porn na pelikula ay nagiging patok sa ibang bansa. Ito rin ang magpapaliwanag kung bakit napakaraming pelikula ang naisasagawa na may temang kahirapan, hindi lang sa Pilipinas kundi na rin sa karatig bansa nito sa Asya.

Subalit ang ganitong genre ng pelikula, ayon kay G. Cabagnot, ay may problema. Ang pagsasa-pelikula ng sapilitang pananaw ay nagdudulot ng di-awtentik na representasyon ng kahirapan at ng mahihirap. Ito raw ay mapinsala sa sariling lahi (dahil kapwa-Pilipino ang nagsasagawa ng ganitong klaseng pelikula), mapang-insulto, at nanghihikayat ng stereotyping (hal. Ang mga Pilipino ay magnanakaw, bungangera, walang kwenta, madaling maloko at manloko). Dito itinuro at ipinaalala ni G. Cabagnot ang mga pangunahing layunin (4 E’s) kung bakit ba tayo nanonood at gumagawa ng pelikula: upang mang-aliw o bilang libangan (entertainment), para magpaliwanag o magturo (enlightenment), para mag-eksperimento o sumubok ng ibang proseso sa nasabing midyum (experiment), at para kumita ng pera (earn). Dagdag niya rito, ang INTENSYON ng filmmaker ay isang malaking palaisipan sa paggawa at panonood ng mga ganitong klaseng pelikula.

Sa buong talakayan, ang pinakatumatak sa aking isipan ay ang pahayag na: “The finest films depicting poverty are sociopolitical and cultural commentaries, thus – political films are films that spotlight sociopolitical and cultural themes of a society/social order as they relate to individuals.” Ang aral na napulot ko sa pakikinig kay G. Cabagnot ay isang karunungan tungkol sa pag-unawa ng mga pelikulang sumasalamin sa panlipunan, pulitikal, at pang kultura na kalagayan ng mga Pilipino – at kung paano kilalanin ang mga mahuhusay na pelikula at ibukod ito sa mga mapagpanggap. Bilang isang pangunahing mag-aaral ng Pelikula at munting mag-aaral ng Wika, Kultura, at Lipunan, ang ACLE na ito ay nagbigay sakin ng karunungan at kaaalaman na nagpamulat sa’kin sa komplikadong sitwasyon ng paggamit ng naratibo ng mamamayang Pilipino sa midyum na pelikula.



Incentive paper
FIL 40 (Wika, Kultura, at Lipunan)
March 27, 2019

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