The tumultuous colonial history of the Philippines is a subject rarely examined in Western film and literature. It is general knowledge that the Spanish Empire ruled the islands for over three centuries, but less known is how the Americans invaded after independence was declared in 1898. Raya Martin's Independencia opens with the American encroachment and follows a mother and son as they flee into the jungle to escape the ensuing occupation.
Far from conventional period drama, Independencia is as much a formalistic examination of early cinema as it is a re-creation of local history. Shot entirely in a studio against painted backdrops in the style of early film, the evocative cinematography and lush black-and-white film stock are accompanied by a rich score and vivid sound design. Martin's excellent first feature, A Short Film about the Indio Nacional (Or the Prolonged Sorrow of the Filipinos), similarly explored historical events using silent film techniques. The most apt comparison to this formal approach would be the works of Guy Maddin, though it is clear that Martin retains his own unique, quasi-anthropological take on cinema.
The story itself, a tragedy that revolves around three generations of one family, is told in the vein of classic Filipino melodrama. Furthermore, there is a definite emphasis on traditional superstition and folklore – we hear some of the tales as they are passed from mother to son, who in turn relays them to his own child. The ingenious dream sequences only add to the surrealism, with sex and violence manifesting themselves as recurring themes in the protagonists' troubled slumber. An amusing faux newsreel foreshadows the film's eventual climax, and thanks to a brilliantly effective typhoon sequence and a sublime conclusion, the final twenty minutes are especially riveting.
Like the short-lived First Philippine Republic – which technically never existed, since the Spanish had actually sold the country to the Americans – independence is more of a euphemism than a reality for Filipinos. Martin's use of cinematic illusion to present this idea highlights the irony of the film's title, and offers a rare examination of the turbulent lives led by Filipinos throughout the ages.
Raymond Phathanavirangoon
Raya Martin was born in Manila and has worked as a writer and researcher for television, radio, newspapers and online magazines. He graduated from the University of the Philippines Film Institute and made his feature film debut with
A Short Film about the Indio Nacional (Or the Prolonged Sorrow of the Filipinos) (06). Martin is the first Filipino filmmaker to be accepted in the Cinéfondation Résidence of the Cannes Film Festival. His other features include
Now Showing (08),
Manila (09, co-director) and
Independencia (09), all of which have screened at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as
Autohystoria (07) and
Next Attraction (08).