Direk Brillante Mendoza at Metropolitan Museum of Manila

To date, people can’t just call Brillante Mendoza as an ordinary movie director, but a world-class and award-winning Filipino filmmaker.  It’s about time that we, as his proud kababayan, should discover first-hand his talents and products. Fortunately for the 40th anniversary of Metropolitan Museum of Manila, we’ll have the chance to know more the 2015 Cannes Film Festival’s best director (Chevalier dansl’Ordre des Arts et Lettres) from September 5 to October 1.

Direk Brillante Mendoza for me

Though we’re all too young or not yet born when movie geniuses like Lino Brocka and Ismael Bernal left this world, their artistic legacies remind us that filmmaking in the Philippines is not only for commercial and beyond entertainment purposes. For me, the proliferation of independent filmmakers nowadays continue the advocacy of Bernal and Brocka. I don’t know the struggles during their time, but we all know that it takes guts for modern indie directors to emerge in the film industry. Mendoza and his fellows don’t only compete with commercialism and piracy, but also pressured with ever-changing tastes of young moviegoers.

I believe Mendoza is distinct in the sense that he doesn’t bother with the label or bashers. He’s just  there all out to make his art and stories known. He dares to tackle in-depth social issues that perhaps even local news agencies don’t discover yet or fear to feature. Thus, it’s not surprising that most his films are critically-acclaimed such  as Foster Child (2007), Kinatay (2009), Thy Womb (2012), Taklub (2015) and Ma’Rosa (2016).  These movies are considered passion projects for mixing the aim to advocate relevant messages and the art of movie-making.

I am honored to meet and greet him in person when he received his Ani ng Dangal award at the Resorts World Manila in 2014.

Why we shouldn’t miss CineMet series: Brillante Mendoza?

CineMET series presents The Brillante Mendoza: A Contemporary Filipino Filmmaker is for limited time only. We don’t know when it will happen again so it’s a must to explore this one. On the other hand, it’s also cool because…

• It’s free! – Since it’s MET’s anniversary, they make their all galleries admission free every Tuesday starting on September 6, 2016.  By the way, they operating hours is from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

• It’s the first time! - the exhibition of Mendoza’s body of work is  “comprehensively explored within a museum exhibition context”

•  It’s packed with a variety of programs! -  It has off-site screenings of his films (SM Mall of Asia and the Conrad Hotel), lectures, and workshops too.

(photo: Twitter/NCCA Official)

·         "The Brillante Mendoza: A Contemporary Filipino Filmmaker exhibition is curated by Prof. Leo Abaya, and supported by National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), SM, Center Stage Productions, Manny O Wines, Epson Philippines, PowerMac Station, and Max's Restaurant.

The Metropolitan Museum of Manila

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Roxas Blvd,

Open from Monday to Saturday,

T: (02) 708-7828

E: email info@metmuseum.ph.