Cinema Paradiso (1988)
A celebration of the art of filmmaking and its influence on people’s lives, this 1988 timeless movie shows cinema as a communal experience and as a reflection of our lives. It is seen through the beautiful friendship of the cinema projectionist, Alfredo, and the passionate child-turned-filmmaker, Totó, who despite challenges, chose to pursue their passion. With the convenience of streaming platforms today, Cinema Paradiso reminds us to appreciate cinema and the exceptional experiences it brings.
Stream on Prime Video and Apple TV.
The Social Network (2010)
What started in a dorm room of a Harvard student led to the popular social media platform we all now know as Facebook. Media control and ownership are explored in the film with its portrayal of the legal dispute between Mark Zuckerberg and his former collaborators turned enemies. This film challenges us to ponder on the complexities of Big Tech, its effects on ordinary people’s lives, and the important values one must have when engaging with technology.
Available on Prime Video, VUDU, Apple TV, and Paramount+
Jay (2008)
Best Film award winner in the 2008 Cinemalaya, Francis Pasion’s “Jay” is a huge call out to the prevalent malpractices in TV documentary production in the Philippines. The titular character Jay, portrayed by Baron Geisler, is an exploitive and manipulative TV producer who was doing a story on a grieving family of the hate crime victim, also named Jay. Besides exposing malpractices behind the camera, this film also warns viewers not to fall victim to false information we see and hear on television disguised as truth.
Watch on iflix PH and Amazon Movies
Walang Rape sa Bontok (2014)
This award-winning documentary begins with a conversation between two female sexual abuse victims seeking for a feminist utopia. Eventually, they explore Bontoc Igorots’ culture of high respect for women in society – tainted only by the intrusion of sexy Hollywood movies in their community in the 80s. Walang Rape sa Bontok is a significant piece of ethnographic filmmaking that embodies the purpose of film as a medium of bringing light to issues and topics that are often brushed off, in this case, women’s issues in indigenous people’s communities.
Available in MOOV
The Hater (2020)
Responsible use of media, information, and technology seems to fade into the background as it’s easier for some people to hide behind the screen and do heinous activities regardless of the consequences. This compelling movie deals with topics of ethics, election propaganda, and obsession as seen in the character of Tomasz Giemza, an ex-law student who used social media for his manipulative agenda. The Hater (2020) reminds us how dangerous virtual communities are and we must be wary of strangers online to protect ourselves and to keep things private.
Available on Netflix and Hulu
The French Dispatch (2021)
The French Dispatch (2020) by Wes Anderson is known as a love letter to journalists and journalism itself. Set in 20th-century France and through the three series of stories published in ‘The French Dispatch,’ a fictional publication, the film embraces journalism’s art, beauty, and flaws. The topics of objectivity in journalism, challenges, writing for the public good, and finding purpose in one’s craft are put in the spotlight. Furthermore, this film reminds people of the importance of print media in our lives and the valuable people behind the pages we read.
Watch on Vudu, Youtube, Max, and Apple TV
Ekstra (2013)
Ekstra (2013) takes us to witness the harsh realities behind the glamor and fame of cameras by focusing on the life of bit players who are often exploited and marginalized in the entertainment industry. The movie exposes the sufferings and unfair treatment experienced by bit players as Loida Malabanan and her co-workers needed to beg for food while on break on set and forced to seek a resting place with a carabao due to scorching heat on the filming location. Moreover, it is a wake-up call to the unjust system of the local production industry and labor issues in our society.
Stream on Prime Video
On the Job: Missing 8 (2021)
Philippines’ nominee for Best International Feature Film for the 95th Academy Awards, Erik Matti’s “On the Job: The Missing 8” is a crime thriller inspired by actual events in the Philippines–politicians as masterminds, paid journalists, and prisoners hired to do dirty jobs. Consequently, it unveils the many faces of corruption following the seeking of justice for those who went missing. Journalism is the focus of this sequel, and its value in our society as “fake news” channels and click baits poised as credible sources gradually poison our minds. It is showing us the reality that the media can be used as a tool to hide atrocities and only show what the people in power want the public to know.
Available on HBO Go.
A Thousand Cuts (2020)
An eye-opening documentary that reveals the powerful yet menacing spread of disinformation using social media by people in power to suppress press freedom. It also shows the dangerous fight of the press— in defense of truth and democracy— against the corrupt and anti-democracy practices of the government in the Philippines. A Thousand Cuts (2020) serves as a reminder to the public to not blindly believe what we see on social media, to ask the right questions, and press freedom must prevail because as Maria Ressa said, “if we do not use our rights, we will lose them”.
Watch on Prime Video and YouTube
Celebrating our 9th anniversary this August 2023, we are sharing with you 9 must-read lists about different media literacy resources, tips, and activities! #9TaonSaLabasNgKahon
