Men can be silenced by brutality or money, but not and never the truth.
Investigative documentary films like “Lost Sabungeros” do more than entertain and go beyond the expressions of art. They have a soul where soul is rarely found in an industry that is pestered by the avaricious that satiate just for huge box office earnings and crave for mundane recognition and melting trophies.
“Los Sabungeros” is a kind of film that is seldom produced because it is created (normally) by a few remaining people on the planet who have a heart for justice and righteousness.
They help open eyes and exhume the truth to ultimately bring about justice from “complex” and extremely dark situations -- “complex” and dark on account of the devil money.
It is weird that the screening of the eye-opener “Lost Sabungeros” was cancelled at the 20th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
Find out not only the truth in the case of the 34 missing sabungeros, but the awkward, bizarre, suspicious move of Cinemalaya. Let this confusing and troublesome development, along with a handful weird others in the past, vis-a-vis the missing sabungeros, be included in the investigations to pursue justice -- for both seemingly “lost cases.”
The statement of the Directors Guild of the Philippines, Inc. cannot be more correct and foreboding when it recently came out with a fighting statement to protest the cancellation. It states in part, “The recent disruption, which resulted in the unfortunate cancellation of the screening of ‘Lost Sabungeros’ for public safety reasons (?), is a stark reminder of the challenges faced by those who dare to challenge the entrenched through their art.”
I fully understand their indignation and protestation because I am an artist myself -- a writer, author, painter and song composer, besides being a Gospel preacher and businessman.
Let the Supreme Court or Judiciary (or police) get into the picture, if need be. Let the artists rise up. And let the justice secretary be true to his word when he said that they would exhaust all possible legal remedies to reverse the Manila court’s (equally weird) order that granted bail to six suspects who were accused of abducting the cockfight enthusiasts.
The fight is a fight for justice, not just for “Lost Sabungeros,” the movie. Far above everything mortal and secular, it is not even just a fight for the “missing sabungeros” and their grieving families -- it is a battle for all the Filipino people and the entire Filipino nation.
I have seen only the trailer, but “Lost Sabungeros” must be a heart-wrenching, conscience-stirring and soul-revolting, great movie. It is expected to be a film that transcends filmdom.