CORDON SANITAIRE

Cordon sanitaire

I think that the start of the demise of any administration is when a cordon sanitaire is placed around the leader. That becomes the step towards which the people around will exercise undue authority as they become the gatekeepers – as to who gets the audience, who can come in and talk with the leader, who can get papers to be signed for moving a program or project, and who can set an appointment for any individual to talk with the leader, among others.

How pitiful if leaders should descend to that level. It means that they will no longer be approached by the people who, especially voted for them, or who put them into office. It means that governance shall be limited to those who have access to them. It means that government standards for programs and projects shall be skewed only to those who are “malakas” or “may kapit,” no longer the positive results that could accrue from their implementation.

I think cordon sanitaire is also practiced in the private corporations. You cannot easily approach the head of an office unless you know someone there, or your credentials are nationwide. Sometime in the past, I proposed a project for children to a restaurant. I wanted to talk with the chief so that I could explain it better; unfortunately, I was turned down and the next thing that happened, the company put up a children's awards program.

Then another time, I submitted a script, this time to a friend of mine for film shooting. I was not paid at all; instead, my script was given to another writer who mangled it. Why was it turned down? Because it was not “bloody” enough as the group handling the project was delving into action. And this group was working for the richest if not one of the richest film producers of the land.

I tried submitting my coplaint to the Film Academy, but the head then said, “Gumawa ka na lang ng bagong script.” God bless his soul but what kind of an answer is that? It was not addressing the problem of script piracy at all.

Then one time I met, the scriptwriter who mangled it. He asked for my name and I uttered it. “Ah, ikaw pala yun.” I asked him to share with me the script payment, but is ethics spoken at all in the film industry? Maybe in a few companies.

I have beautiful memories of the people who helped me complete my year 2002 25-minute 35mm film, “Pangarap Ko, Saluhin Mo” about a urban poor wife who gets impregnated by her husband yearly because he wants a son, after their having had four girls. All the offices that I went to – Kodak, PIA (through Bel Kapul of the Public Information Agency, which has closed down its film section), Magnatech Omni and LVN Processing Laboratories through Amy who worked for Mike de Leon, the well-known filmmaker; LVN has also closed down now as the company was disbanded by the heirs of Donya Sisang, the matriarch who produced a lot of well-meaning films during her time and was able to make known certain movie stars with high caliber acting.

I think these companies, except for Kodak closed down really because the film and sound equiment have turned digital already, leaving behind all the analog equipment that have churned out lots and lots of films since the start of the Philippine film industry.

I showed the film at the Goethe Institut and I remember the words of the German officer, Anna, as she knows Tagalog, “Aba, magaling ka palang gumawa ng pelikula.” It was particularly memorable for me, her comment because she is immersed deeply in the kinds of independent, educational and commercial filmmaking that the German government sends to the Philippines for screening to educational and private groups here.

I will tell you something funny. I submitted my film to a film festival at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 2002, the film section under the helm then of Hammy Sotto. It was not understood by the festival organizer at all. It was shut out from the list for awards. Then I approached Hammy and asked who was the head of the awards group – “But she is not a film buff,” I told him. Hammy answered me, “Emma I cannot control the awards, I am sorry. That was their decision.”

She does not know a thing about independent filmmaking at all, where one doesn't have to be tied down to a chronological or realistic presentation of a film topic, but rather one could employ stream-of-consciousness techniques, meaning showing the mindset of the major character as it affects her behavior of submission, in this case, to her husband. What is that mindset of the wife – her being imbued with religious conservatism. In the film, I have shown this with her walking down a narrow alley of Tondo, with children from both sides holding rosaries and approaching her as she walked towards the camera. Her costume was black, and her face was also veiled with black tulle, with her right hand holding a rosary that had bigger beads than those held by the children.

In her dilemma, I showed her seated, looking at the camera, and then her head looking up and turning around and around meaning that she was suffering from conflicting views of what she should do with her pregnancy.

I never experienced any cordon sanitaire at all when I approached the various offices in order to finish my film. By the way, my biggest support came from Erap's Office then, where I was given P30,000.00 as initial capital to produce the film. However, it was easily dissipated after shooting – where I had to spend for the film equipment rental, cinematographer, food for the actresses, actors, crew, rental of transport vehicle, and miscellaneous expenses. I shot the fillm in 1998 and P30,000 was very low then but at least it gave me the impetus to finish the film. After all, no less than the President of the Philippines gave support to my idea.

What am I saying here? Complete support for any endeavor, especially artistic, is highly needed when our Kababayan have to be inspired to create and come up with works. The office of the incoming President must exercise a pro-people approach in order to be effective and adequately supported by the people for any untoward event that could shake his administration.

Faces of the people not statistics should count as standards for measuring if programs and projects are to be assessed.

In one discussion, it was proffered that we should not be dependent on the government for seeing the fruition of our projects. I think that is a cop out. The raison d'etre of a government is that it is the repository of the treasures of the people, and therefore that money has to be spent for their welfare, the running of the country, so that we could be happy living on this planet. Everyone deserves to be happy not just a few who hold the ropes.