Whatever Happened to GMA Films

I am not a regular patron of Filipino films. I do not say this with either pride or shame, but only as a statement of fact. I would like to think, however, that the few films I have seen (at least dating back to late adolescence onward) are of a reasonable level of quality.

Back in the late 90s to the year 2000, there was one studio that produced movies which I religiously followed, three years in a row: GMA Films. I unfortunately missed the acclaimed Sa Pusod ng Dagat, but I caught Marilou Diaz-Abaya's next two movies, Jose Rizal and Muro Ami almost as soon as they came out. The next year, I watched Joel Lamangan's Death Row. While neither Lamangan's direction nor his visual sense was anywhere near as refined as Diaz-Abaya's, the commitment to quality storytelling was still there, albeit diminished.

And then...nothing. In 2001, Diaz-Abaya moved to rival Star Cinema, where she made Bagong Buwan for them (a film I have unfortunately yet to see) and Noon at Ngayon (a film which, I unfortunately, did see). Not only did GMA Films lose their star player, but apparently they also left the game altogether.

A few years later, GMA Films broke their silence with...teeny-bopper love stories? Starring Richard Gutierrez, a guy who only has about two facial expressions in his entire acting repertoire, the pout and the smile? What the hell is going on here?

All right, I understand that the Filipino movie industry is in somewhat dire straits right now. I understand filmmakers are adopting a number of strategies to keep it afloat, ranging from adopting digital technology to save on shooting costs to sticking to relatively safe storytelling formulas, such as casting young and popular stars in romantic films.

To this argument, I have this to say in response: people responded to those early offerings of GMA films, particularly, the movies of Diaz-Abaya. Rizal reportedly grossed over a hundred million pesos back in 1998, which was quite a feat for a local film. Granted, a lot of that came from students who were required by their high school and grade school teachers to watch the film, but I for one watched it without need of any such compulsion, and I'm certain a lot of other people did as well. As if to prove a point, the following year's Muro-Ami, while not quite the moneymaker, reportedly raked in about seventy-four percent of Rizal's box-office take. These films somehow tapped into the public's need for quality Philippine cinema, and didn't even need the backing of Imelda Marcos (like many of the experimental flicks in the 1980s). Why they vanished like thieves in the night, instead of inspiring a whole new wave of great Filipino movies, I really cannot imagine.

Lately, the film outfit Unitel seems to be following GMA Films' lead by producing films that go against the grain, but have not had any breakout success thus far. It's truly frustrating.

I challenge GMA: rediscover that vibe, that commitment to greatness that made you the undisputed cinematic kings of 1998 and 1999. Filipino moviegoers everywhere deserve it.