A seen from the movie “Iisa” by award-winning director Chuck Gutierrez. (Photo from chuckgutierrez.com )
DAVAO CITY — A film on human rights shot in Compostela Valley Province is set to be shown at a shopping mall here on Saturday, February 27 as part of the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of EDSA uprising.
Dakila, a group of artists and advocates who founded Active Vista, brings the film “Iisa” by multi-awarded film editor and producer Chuck Gutierrez at the Abreeza Mall Cinema 3. The film is about Ross, a member of an armed rebel group, and her struggles to help her community that has been ravaged by natural disaster, corporate interests, and armed conflict.
The film was selected specifically for Mindanao, as it mirrors much of the current events and issues Mindanaoans are experiencing. It reflects the effects of Typhoon Pablo in Compostela Valley, the Bangsamoro Basic Law, the ongoing armed conflict and the environmental degradation of Mount Diwata.
Jessica Madrazo, Dakila Davao Managing Director, said they hope the film would help bring more awareness to the ongoing struggle of every Mindanaoan for human rights.
“The film Iisa holds more value for Mindanao than most know. We often forget that environmental rights is part of our basic human right, and we are constantly suffering from it every day. We need to commemorate EDSA not just to remember the past, but to remind ourselves that there are still many human rights violations happening, and many of which are not that obvious that we need to bring attention to,” Madrazo said.
The opening this February marks the start of the festival, which will travel to different cities nationwide and hold creative workshop labs, film competition, and conferences. Celebrating the Anniversary of 65 years of Diplomatic Relations and 150 years of Consular Ties of the Netherlands and the Philippines, Active Vista will also present a Dutch-Filipino Film Festival showcasing the best of Dutch and Filipino films that reflect the strong commitment the two nations share to promote human rights, and that inspire sustainable innovations to address global challenges.
Active Vista uses cinema as an educational platform to discuss and shed light on the importance of knowing and asserting human rights; and as a tool for empowerment and bringing about relevant social change.
Festival Director, Leni Velasco said: “The power of cinema lies on its ability to mirror and hammer society, and tap into our consciousness. Sometimes, It is in encountering the imaginary that social truths become amplified—this is “truth X Imagination”. With this year’s Active Vista, we invite the public to surrender to the logic of dreams with hope that the absurdity of imagination and fantasy churns out memories of historical truths and guide the nation towards the path of the real EDSA sans the traffic and pollution.”
The Davao screening of “Iisa” is sponsored by RePubliko and supported by the Ateneo De Davao University, the University of the Philippines Mindanao, Holy Cross of Davao College, Philippine Women’s College, Dakila Davao, and The Commission on Human Rights.
The Active Vista International Human Rights Film festival is co-presented by the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in partnership with the Film Development Council of the Philippines, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the University of the Philippines Film Institute, Movies that Matter, and civil society organizations such as the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates, the Ateneo Human Rights Center, the Alternative Law Groups, Metro Manila Pride and the Filipino Freethinkers.
Dakila was founded by multi-awarded writer and journalist Lourd de Veyra, musician Noel Cabangon, veteran actor Ronnie Lazaro, Parokya ni Edgar bassist Buwi Meneses and comedian Tado. (davaotoday.com)
