UP Film Institute offers courses on martial law and cinema

With President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos now in office, many are concerned that the true history of the Martial Law era under his father, former President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Sr, will be lost to historical revisionism. For its part, the University of the Philippines (UP) Film Institute is not shying away from teaching about that period of history. Next year the school will be offering four courses covering the Martial Law era and cinema,

The four courses include: 

• Film 196 (Special Topics): “The Semiotics of Martial Law and its Cinema” by Prof. Nick Deocampo
• Film 196 (Special Topics): “HORRORS!” by Prof. Ed Cabagnot
• Film 196 (Special Topics): “Martial Law and Pinoy Cinema, Noon at Ngayon” by Prof. Sari Dalena
• FILM 180 (Film Seminar): “Cinema, Martial Law and Historical Revisionism” by Prof. Roland Tolentino

The Semiotics of Martial Law and its Cinema will tackle “the lexicon that governed the cinematic production and the circulation and consumption of moving images at the time of political repression” and “introduce the study of alternative cinema, whose emergence during the time of protest is one clear legacy of a generation of young filmmakers who took a stand in creating a new cinema during a time of political chaos.”

HORRORS! is a genre study course that covers the art and craft of horror films, its historical highlights and modern-day trends.

Martial Law and Pinoy Cinema, Noon at Ngayon (Then and Now) will study films produced during Martial Law and contemporary works by new directors in the post-Martial Law period.

Cinema, Martial Law and Historical Revisionism will map out the interfaces of martial law and cinema produced during the period “and examines how political cinema then is depoliticized for the historical revisionist project of the present.”

The courses are open to all UP Diliman students.

READ: So what was so bad about martial law?

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