Scenes Reclaimed
Cinemalaya 50 x Cinemalaya 15

Public memory can be manufactured via memory entrepreneurs (Jordan) who enable the institutionalisation of public memory. Such entrepreneurship has long been understood by the Marcoses, who have invested in museums, monuments, and edifices, which are also extensions of their chosen narrative. Indeed, memory sites might remember for us so that we “can” forget the narrative they choose to leave out. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

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Humbly but bravely, Scenes Reclaimed dares to reassess the mnemonic heritage of a cultural centre that has been part of the Marcosian “edifice complex” (Lico). By addressing the palimpsestic, nostalgic, spectral, and entangled past of the CCP, Scenes Reclaimed balances the hegemonic tug-of-war in memory-making. As a tribute to film in book form, it is a “portable monument” (Rigney) that wins in accessibility to our homes, thus democratising art while offering a critical memory of the Martial Law years.

—Jocelyn S. Martin, Ateneo de Manila University/

Université Catholique de l’Ouest

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“#NeverAgain,” the book concludes, emphasizing that despite the unbearable burden imposed by a tyrannical state that continuously co-opts art for its caprices, artists and filmmakers continue to fight for freedom. The ambivalence of art, despite the odds, allows artists to retain a sense of agency and independence. Even under heavy censorship, filmmakers could make movies that pass the standards of ostentatious Imeldific values. Still, viewed without the veil of Martial Law, these movies provide a trenchant critique of the Marcoses. And is this not the power of art? A simple story about a family living in the slums is always already a reflection of the political. [...]  There is no ivory tower for Filipino artists and filmmakers to perch on because to be Filipino means to be with the people. The Filipino artist will never escape the responsibility of facing the truth and telling its story.
 

The strength of this book and the exhibition comes from the curator and authors' ability to collate and use a wide array of textual, audio, and visual archival documents to recount the ongoing story of Philippine cinema. They are attuned to the intricate interweaving of art and politics in the Philippine context.

—Gian Carla Agbisit, University of Sto. Tomas/

Université de Picardie Jules-Verne

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Scenes Reclaimed has the potential to engage learners in this era of historical revisionism, fake news, and disinformation, carving out its importance not only as an introductory reference in Philippine film studies but also as an educative material that motivates critical thinking.

—Mary Ann Mallari, University of Sto. Tomas/

De La Salle University, Manila