Preserving the memory of a movie

For writer, playwright, screenwriter, and film scholar Claudioldo “Doe” del Mundo, Jr., it is never his intention to express regret among the readers of his books. But the writing that needs to be remembered is sometimes inevitably associated with sadness, especially if something is remembered that is lost.

The same is true of his latest book. The World of the Oppressed: Remembering a Lost Film. Directed by Gerardo de Leon, National Film Artist, The oppressed world (The oppressed world) Is now lost because efficient and efficient archiving facilities were not available at the time of its creation.

The oppressed world It first premiered in 1966 at the Manila Film Festival, where it won eight awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Starring Robert Arevalo and Barbara Perez, the film tells the story of the helpless lives of Filipinos and follows the plight of agricultural workers at the hands of their overseers and landlords.

“The movie is gone The oppressed worldOnly in the memory of those who saw it (the world of the oppressed) No longer does it exist, it only remains in the memory of those who saw it), “said Mr. Dale Mundo in a speech at the opening of the book on April 6 at the Cinematheque Center in Manila.

People’s memories are wrong, Mr. Del Mundo says when someone makes archiving challenging by relying on oral history.

“The films are different. Not possible Memory Lang or Just tell the story (You cannot rely on memory or oral story). It’s audiovisual, “said Dale Mundo The commercial world Shortly after launch.

It is important to know that there was a film that captured the emotions of the audience and opened their eyes to the plight of the peasants at that time, “said Mr. Del Mundo in Filipino.

To “recreate” the film’s elements for the book, Mr. Del Mundo collected a copy of current materials such as photographs, the director’s archived articles, and a sequel treatment by the film’s screenwriter Pierre Salas. He also conducted phone and e-mail interviews with the film’s lead actors.

The book was subsequently co-published by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and the University of De la Salle University (DLSU) press.

More books on film
Mary Lisa Dino-Seguira, chairperson and CEO of FDCP, said the company looks forward to further engaging in Filipino film preservation. Aiming to increase the amount of literature in Filipino cinema, Mrs. Dino-Seguira said The commercial world That FDCP is currently partnering with authors to write a book about Filipino films.

Among the recently published headlines PH Movie Confidential A series of books by professor and entertainment journalist Nestor Quartero, and film director and historian Nick Diocampo on the history of film in the Philippines.

“We want to enrich our literature in film. I hope that through this FDCP program, we will be able to reach more writers who want to write about important issues in cinema, “said Mrs. Dino-Seguira.

The World of the Oppressed: Remembering a Lost Film The latest addition to the Philippine Film Archive (PFA) library.

In November 2020, PFA, a division of the FDCP, became an associate member of the Federation of International Film Archives, a French-based organization focused on preserving and accessing the world’s film heritage.

The World of the Oppressed: Remembering a Lost Film P800 (softbound) and P1,000 (hardbound) prices. For books and orders, contact De La Salle University Publishing House at 524-4611 loc. 271 or e-mail [email protected]. – Michelle Ann P. Soliman