Now on its seventh year, the Sinag Maynila Independent Film Festival made sure that it will open this year’s festival with a bang – Lino Brocka’s timeless film about social injustice, ‘Jaguar,’ written by Pete Lacaba and Ricky Lee.
After the screening, Lee shared a background on working with Lacaba on the script and how it was developed with director Lino Brocka.
“Sa naaalala ko, si Pete Lacaba ‘yung kinontak ni Lino, nung una, para gawin yung script. Tinawagan ako ni Pete para tulungan siya, gusto daw niyang mag co-write kami, so tinanggap namin ‘yung offer. Initially, ang gusto ni Lino, adaptation sana ng ‘The Boy Who Wanted to Become Society,’ pero ang babata nung mga tauhan dun, mga juvenille deliquents. Eh, ang plano ni Lino, maging launching movie ito ni Phillip Salvador. Ang feeling niya, pwede nang mag-bida si Phillip, so, nag-isip kami ng ibang materyal na inspired na lang. Nung una, ang gusto ni Lino, para masuportahan si Phillip, kasama sa cast sina Charito Solis, si Hilda Koronel, Chanda Romero and Snooky, I think. ‘Yung unang kwento, security guard si Phillip Salvador sa bahay ng mayamang si Charito Solis, na anak niya si Hilda Koronel pero nakatira siya sa squatters area, or minamahal siya ni Chanda Romero. Sabi ni Lino, hindi ito maaaprubahan ng censors kasi ‘yung mag-ina, parang si Imelda at si Imee Marcos, ‘yung Charito Solis at ‘yung anak niya. So, nag-isip kami ng bagong kwento, ang natira na lang ‘yung security guard,” Jaguar co-writer and National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts, Ricky Lee, on doing Lino Brocka’s Jaguar.
The panel was also asked about the controversial walkout of Brocka at the Gawad Urian. National artist Ricky Lee has something to add to that story.
“Nag-walk out si Lino Brocka noon and he told me, “kung minsan, mas madaling labanan ang mga awards bodies na nabibili kasi pera ‘yan eh. Eh ‘yung may ibang opinyon na sa tingin mo ay saliwa, mahirap kalabanin,” Ricky Lee shares.
“Ako naman natatandaan ko na marami silang pelikulang hindi nabigyan ng award. Ngayon, sasabihin ng nanay ko sa papa ko, ‘O pa, hindi ka ba pupunta sa awards?’ ‘Eh hindi naman ako mananalo eh, bakit, hindi naman ako popular.’ Ganun eh. Tsaka ang lagi niyang sinasabi, basta alam mo na binigay mo ang best mo, at alam mong maganda ito, ‘yun na ‘yun, panalo ka na. Kaya ngayon, ngayon ko nakikita, sa tagal ng panahon, 1970s, diba? Ngayon, binibigyan ng tribute, ng parangal. So ‘yun ‘yung parang mas lalong panalo ka. Kasi wala na sila pero tiloy tuloy pa rin, marami pa din gustong magsalba ng pelikula nila kasi hindi lang ‘yun pelikula para noong panahon na ‘yun, hanggang ngayon applicable siya. ‘Yun ang pagkakagawa ng pelikula. So, sakin, ‘yun ‘yung panalo kasi pangmatagalan. ‘Yung trophy ng papa ko, andun. Iilan lang ‘yun, pero ito (restored version ng Jaguar screening), it gave us the happiness na nasa puso kaysa sa trophy kasi, ‘ay, hanggang ngayon iniimbita pa din kami sa tribute?’ So, more than the trophy, thank you so much for this,” daughter of Jaguar Cinematographer, Conrado Baltazar, Cynthia Baltazar Fernandez continues.
True enough, trophies aren’t as timeless as the works of master filmmakers such as Lino Brocka.
Check out the remaining screening schedules of “Jaguar” in Sinag Maynila 2025:
SEPT 27, SAT
5:30 PM — SM Fairview
SEPT 28, SUN
3:00 PM — Gateway C18
5:30 PM — Robinsons Antipolo
SEPT 29, MON
8:00 PM – Market Market
SEPT 30, TUE
3:00 PM — Gateway C17
8:00 PM – SM Mall of Asia
8:00 PM — Robinsons Antipolo
Released in 1979, “Jaguar” made history as the first Filipino film to be nominated for the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival, where Brocka, Phillip, and Amy attended.
Watch our coverage of the talkback session below: