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Movie review: Unseen struggles, unheard voices in 'Burgos'
The cast of "Burgos."
Standing are Allen Dizon, Bangs Garcia, Dimples Romana and Kerbie Zamora as the Burgos siblings with Ina Feleo (center) as Jonas' wife.
Seated are Tirso Cruz III as Joe Burgos, the late WE Forum editor and publisher, Lorna Tolentino as Edita Burgos, and Rocco Nacino as Jonas Burgos.
Standing are Allen Dizon, Bangs Garcia, Dimples Romana and Kerbie Zamora as the Burgos siblings with Ina Feleo (center) as Jonas' wife.
Seated are Tirso Cruz III as Joe Burgos, the late WE Forum editor and publisher, Lorna Tolentino as Edita Burgos, and Rocco Nacino as Jonas Burgos.
Burgos opens in silence. Perhaps this is deliberate, a way of giving the audience a moment to prepare for what lies ahead — one family's search for a man.
The stories of the disappeared are different from other stories of loss. It may seem strange to envy those whose loved ones have passed on, but families of the disappeared sometimes do. As the mother in "Burgos" says, at least then one could grieve. Instead, those who search for the disappeared are in limbo. Without proof of life or death, the search is a long and bitter one.
It is also not easy — as the disappeared did not simply vanish, but were taken away by people. In the movie, the abductors are referred to as "bad men" in a conversation with Jonas' young daughter. It is said that when a loved one goes missing, it is as if a part of you has gone missing as well.
This man is a brother, a husband, a father, a son. In the movie we see the family without Jonas — without a brother, a husband, a father, a son. While there are the obvious crying scenes, there is also a stillness that is felt throughout the film. The story unfolds not in a straight line, but with flashbacks in between. The script by Ricky Lee uses both dialogue and narration by the mother, which reminds the audience that this is not just a film. At times scenes may seem too long, but the lingering camera makes the audience feel the torture of waiting. This is how the audience gets to know Jonas — slowly, bit by bit, and through the memories of those who look for him.
At one point, his brother says he is afraid that he has begun to forget Jonas. His mother tells him not to worry, and we see a flood of her own memories. The montage seems like a tribute to someone who has died, but the audience cannot forget that the search goes on. "Gaano katagal?" the mother is repeatedly asked, and the answer does not change. She will not stop searching.
The film is as much about the mother as it is about the son. The rest of the family is there, but none are as present as the mother, who in real life became the spokesperson for their cause. At the beginning of the film, we hear her thinking about how she does not want to face people. "Kung puwede ko lang takpan ang mukha ko," she says.
Despite this, she becomes the face of Burgos, as visible as Jonas remains invisible. It is shown, too, how the mother searches and fights for Jonas. The search is not merely what we see on television or in newspapers. It is a tedious process of wading through red tape, and the actual search which, as the mother says in the film, leaves no stone unturned.
Because of the media attention given to Jonas' case, many are already familiar with the story. But the film offers a glimpse into the family's life that are not found in the news reports. The actors give an excellent performance, particularly Lorna Tolentino. She is convincing as Edita Burgos, who is kind and yet firm, who forgives but continues to seek justice.
We see how the family copes, how the siblings support each other. We see the mother's struggle of having to make herself heard, and the wife's pain of being silenced. We see her and her daughter, whispering their love for Jonas, praying that the wind will carry their words to him.
Of course, it is still a film, and events are not presented exactly as they occurred. However, the family was involved during the making of the film, which was faithful to the actual events: the abduction in 2007, the false leads, the threats, the five-year court battle.
The one part of the film that is made up carries a message of hope. As the end credits roll, one feels as if a part of them has gone missing, too. There is a feeling of loss, and longing. There is a certainty that there is something more. The lack of an ending that is also the message. The search goes on.
For Edita Burgos, there is another message: to help when help is needed. "If there was only one voice who complained at the time when Jonas was abducted, maybe he would not be missing. So that is what I ask, and that is the message of the film. For us to help at the times when it is needed. And also for us to forgive. Because people sometimes have no command over what they will do. But if we forgive, then we shall be forgiven," she said after a special screening at Bantayog ng mga Bayani on July 10.
Despite it being her own story, Mrs. Burgos said she was moved by the film. "Akala ko wala nang luha na tutulo. Kasi alam ko naman ang istorya niyan. This is my story, and I should know every inch and every dialogue, and yet there I was, I used up my whole box of Kleenex," she said.
Thanking the director, Joel Lamangan, she shared how he became obsessed with making the film after they sat together at an anti-impunity campaign launch.
According to Mrs. Burgos, there are no accidents."Everything that happened was meant to happen. And how we respond is the way destiny is to be written. Jonas was abducted. He was disappeared. And because of that, the family knows that our destiny is to help and be with the Desaparecidos," she said. — BM, GMA News
"Burgos" is the closing film for this year's Cinemalaya. For more information, visit the Facebook page for the film.
The stories of the disappeared are different from other stories of loss. It may seem strange to envy those whose loved ones have passed on, but families of the disappeared sometimes do. As the mother in "Burgos" says, at least then one could grieve. Instead, those who search for the disappeared are in limbo. Without proof of life or death, the search is a long and bitter one.
It is also not easy — as the disappeared did not simply vanish, but were taken away by people. In the movie, the abductors are referred to as "bad men" in a conversation with Jonas' young daughter. It is said that when a loved one goes missing, it is as if a part of you has gone missing as well.
This man is a brother, a husband, a father, a son. In the movie we see the family without Jonas — without a brother, a husband, a father, a son. While there are the obvious crying scenes, there is also a stillness that is felt throughout the film. The story unfolds not in a straight line, but with flashbacks in between. The script by Ricky Lee uses both dialogue and narration by the mother, which reminds the audience that this is not just a film. At times scenes may seem too long, but the lingering camera makes the audience feel the torture of waiting. This is how the audience gets to know Jonas — slowly, bit by bit, and through the memories of those who look for him.
At one point, his brother says he is afraid that he has begun to forget Jonas. His mother tells him not to worry, and we see a flood of her own memories. The montage seems like a tribute to someone who has died, but the audience cannot forget that the search goes on. "Gaano katagal?" the mother is repeatedly asked, and the answer does not change. She will not stop searching.
The film is as much about the mother as it is about the son. The rest of the family is there, but none are as present as the mother, who in real life became the spokesperson for their cause. At the beginning of the film, we hear her thinking about how she does not want to face people. "Kung puwede ko lang takpan ang mukha ko," she says.
Despite this, she becomes the face of Burgos, as visible as Jonas remains invisible. It is shown, too, how the mother searches and fights for Jonas. The search is not merely what we see on television or in newspapers. It is a tedious process of wading through red tape, and the actual search which, as the mother says in the film, leaves no stone unturned.
Because of the media attention given to Jonas' case, many are already familiar with the story. But the film offers a glimpse into the family's life that are not found in the news reports. The actors give an excellent performance, particularly Lorna Tolentino. She is convincing as Edita Burgos, who is kind and yet firm, who forgives but continues to seek justice.
We see how the family copes, how the siblings support each other. We see the mother's struggle of having to make herself heard, and the wife's pain of being silenced. We see her and her daughter, whispering their love for Jonas, praying that the wind will carry their words to him.
Of course, it is still a film, and events are not presented exactly as they occurred. However, the family was involved during the making of the film, which was faithful to the actual events: the abduction in 2007, the false leads, the threats, the five-year court battle.
The one part of the film that is made up carries a message of hope. As the end credits roll, one feels as if a part of them has gone missing, too. There is a feeling of loss, and longing. There is a certainty that there is something more. The lack of an ending that is also the message. The search goes on.
For Edita Burgos, there is another message: to help when help is needed. "If there was only one voice who complained at the time when Jonas was abducted, maybe he would not be missing. So that is what I ask, and that is the message of the film. For us to help at the times when it is needed. And also for us to forgive. Because people sometimes have no command over what they will do. But if we forgive, then we shall be forgiven," she said after a special screening at Bantayog ng mga Bayani on July 10.
Despite it being her own story, Mrs. Burgos said she was moved by the film. "Akala ko wala nang luha na tutulo. Kasi alam ko naman ang istorya niyan. This is my story, and I should know every inch and every dialogue, and yet there I was, I used up my whole box of Kleenex," she said.
Thanking the director, Joel Lamangan, she shared how he became obsessed with making the film after they sat together at an anti-impunity campaign launch.
According to Mrs. Burgos, there are no accidents."Everything that happened was meant to happen. And how we respond is the way destiny is to be written. Jonas was abducted. He was disappeared. And because of that, the family knows that our destiny is to help and be with the Desaparecidos," she said. — BM, GMA News
"Burgos" is the closing film for this year's Cinemalaya. For more information, visit the Facebook page for the film.
