A tale of two films

A double screening of two very different films about the Martial Law era. (Image: Cinema ‘76)

On Sunday, micro-cinema Cinema ‘76 Film Society received flak online after announcing that they would be showing both “Katips” and “Maid in Malacanang,” two upcoming Martial Law era films that tell two different sides of the same story.

Home to TBA Studios, an influential film production and distribution company, Cinema ‘76 is known for showing high-quality films that might not be available in other cinemas. The micro-cinema describes itself as a pioneer in the country that dedicates itself to showing the latest Filipino and foreign films to the public. As a small independent spot outside of major malls, it’s earned the consistent support of film festivals and the colorful film community alike.

On paper, “Katips” and “Maid in Malacanang” fit the rather broad criteria of films it typically shows. But the latter film has been notorious for, well, just about everything about it—from its controversial director, cast members, the perspective it takes, to the recent alleged giving away of tickets.

Unsurprisingly, when the cinema announced that it would be showing alongside “Katips,” their social media following generally shared the same sentiments of disappointment. “cinema 76, what is this behavior?” one commenter said. “TAKE A STAND. Please,” another one said.

However, there were also some comments on the thread expressing their support for “Maid in Malacanang.” One user said, “Let's watch #MaidInMalacañang, best movie of 2022. Congrats in advance Direk Darryl Yap and VinCentiments.”

A face-off had already been expected between “Katips” and “Maid in Malacanang,” especially because the producer of “Katips” himself decided to release it in theaters on the same day as the other. Still, it might have been confusing for some to see their favorite indie cinema giving a platform to a film that’s been accused of so many counts of historical revisionism.

Critical thinking or capitalism

Aside from numerous social media users either canceling or justifying the cinema for their actions, there have also been speculations about why Cinema ‘76 decided to show both films.

On one hand, it’s possible that they strategically decided to show both for people to see the organic support for each of the films themselves. Movie earnings can be faked with (stolen) money; cinema lines, not so much. As one user put it, “baka way na din to mapakita na lalangawin yung kabila at mapupuno yung isa.”

(”Maybe this is their way to show that only flies will show up to one [film], while the other will be full.”)

The essence of democracy is freedom of speech, after all. People are allowed to express their ideas freely and face the consequences of their actions. In this case, the cinema turnout for “Katips” and “Maid in Malacanang” will speak for themselves—if one film was terrible, we’ll see it flop for ourselves.

The face-off could also be good for sparking discourse. Maybe Cinema ‘76 attempted to create an opportunity for people of two opposing perspectives to challenge their ideas. Having the chance to see the other side’s story could be especially enlightening for die-hard supporters.

Or maybe we’re just reading too much into this and they simply want to earn money from people from all around the political spectrum. One commenter stated, “Relax guys this isn't about integrity or political views, it's about money. They know both films will attract [a] lot of views so they want to maximize their profits.”

Cinema for everybody

Considering the Marcos family’s disinformation campaign that ultimately led them back into power, it definitely would have taken a lot of guts to publicly stand against their film. At the same time, though, a decision like that would have excluded around 31 million Marcos supporters of various backgrounds.

We might never know the true intentions behind Cinema ‘76’s double screening, and that’s okay. The bright side of this incident is that all people—red, pink, whatever color—are welcome within the micro-cinema’s doors.

As moviegoers, we still have the power to choose where our money goes. Whether this was a deliberate move to promote discourse or a lazy decision, only we get to decide whether “Katips” or “Maid in Malacanang” tells our story. And to get there, we have to acknowledge some of the more uncomfortable, sometimes disturbing ideas that are being marketed as absolute truth without dismissing the people who’ve fallen victim to it.

Both films will be shown in cinemas starting today, August 3.