Taking a second look at Krimen

"The problem with our history is we only remember the best. Nobody remembers the second or third best," said Clodualdo Del Mundo of the Society of Film Archivists (SOFIA) at the opening of its film series. SOFIA kicked off "Overlooked Films, Underrated Filmmakers" with Jun Raquiza's Krimen: Kayo ang Humatol (1974) - his sophomore film which lost to "Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang" in the Best Picture category of the 1974 FAMAS awards. What most people don't know is in that same year, Krimen bagged four other awards. Raquiza was awarded Best Director, over Lino Brocka, Jose Sibal won Best Screenplay, Higino Pallorina received Best Cinematography, and Gina Pareño won Best Actress, for her portrayal of a boyish pickpocket.

Krimen is a fitting starting point for the series, which aims to reassess certain films and filmmakers by taking a second look at their unjustly neglected bodies of work. Raquiza is popularly associated with his last film, Zuma, however the film, which he was commissioned to direct, is hardly representative of his style. Raquiza was from a rich and landed family in Ilocos Norte. His father was a congressman, and the Public Works Secretary during Marcos' term. Though he had no formal training in filmmaking, Raquiza was producing and directing his own films independently before independent cinema became a category. He was very much interested in photography, and it was from taking pictures that he transitioned to shooting films. In a 1974 article, Felix M. Caliwag quoted Raquiza as saying that "One should remember that the only bridge between the script and the screen is the camera. What gives life, therefore, to an otherwise dead story is the camera. The director who handles the camera with expertise and imagination, in a way then knows what you may call the secret of good direction." Caliwag wrote that Raquiza's techniques were avant garde if not controversial. Like many independent filmmakers today, Raquiza was young. He was only 27, without any experience, yet he was out there making films and starring in them, as well. All this without the affordability of digital filmmaking. Pareño, who attended the screening, remembered Raquiza to be a very serious director. She recalled that he paid a lot of attention to detail, and his dedication inspired others to be equally serious about his films. "Sayang, if he were still around, he would be one of the best," she said. Raquiza died in 2004 at the age of 56. Krimen had not been screened since its release more than three decades ago. It is one of the many films that SOFIA has rescued from being forgotten in an effort to expand the repertoire of Philippine Cinema to include more than the usual suspects. SOFIA aims to recover as many films as they can. There are roughly 8,000 full-length films produced in the first century of local cinema, but many have been irretrievably lost. SOFIA is fueled by their passion for film and their resolve to preserve the country's film heritage. "When we have a people who are proud of their artistic treasures, we cannot underestimate what a proud people can do," said Del Mundo. - GMANews.TV