Lino Brocka | |
---|---|
Born | Catalino Ortiz Brocka April 3, 1939 |
Died | May 22, 1991 Quezon City, Philippines | (aged 52)
Occupation | Film director |
Years active | 1970–1991 |
Relatives | Q. Allan Brocka (nephew) |
Awards | Order of National Artists of the Philippines |
Catalino Ortiz Brocka (April 3, 1939 – May 22, 1991) was a Filipino film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and significant filmmakers in the history of Philippine cinema. His filmography often addressed the country's societal issues, and despite his initial closeness with the Marcos family, his work eventually grew to have anti-authoritarian themes in opposition to the Marcos dictatorship.[1][2][3]
He co-founded the organization Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP), dedicated to helping artists address issues confronting the country, and the Free the Artist Movement.[4][5][better source needed] He was a member of the Coalition for the Restoration of Democracy.[6]
He directed landmark films such as Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang (1974), Manila in the Claws of Light (1975), Insiang (1976), Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim (1984), and Orapronobis (1989). His body of work consisted of popular and political melodramas.[7] After his death in a car accident in 1991, he was posthumously given the National Artist of the Philippines for Film award for "having made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts." In 2018, Brocka was identified by the Human Rights Victims' Claims Board as a Motu Proprio human rights violations victim of the Martial Law Era.[8]
Brocka relates in a little-known interview that he used to watch movies in Malacañang with Imee [Marcos] and her siblings, Ferdinand Jr., and Irene. 'We used to laugh a lot,' Brocka says, recalling their discussions on the movies. 'Good times, you know.'
Producer: National Media Production Center