Gianan, Emy Ruth D. AS210 | Theories and Perspectives in Area Studies Prof. Michiyo Yoneno-Reyes Ang Babae sa Septic Tank (The Woman in the Septic Tank) Director: Marlon Rivera | Screenplay: Chris Martinez With the more profit-oriented film outfits going for saleable movies, budding filmmakers found it easier to penetrate the field by going “indie.” Independent cinema or colloquially known as indie saw a growing following in the Philippine landscape when several films received worldwide acclaim. The once obscure names of Brillante Mendoza, Adolf Alix to name a few, suddenly gained the attention of mainstream media and the Filipino people. They are still not household names similar to Wenn Deramas, Joyce Bernal or Chito Rono; but theirs and their films’ meteoric rise to fame are things that are worth applauding, if not celebrating. Indie cinema can be easily defined with the mode of production used. It is “produced by a film outfit or an organization outside the mainstream (Gutierrez, 2012).” In the Philippines, mainstream cinema means Star Cinema, GMA Films, Regal Films or Viva Films; indie then are those that are not produced by these outfits. It can be said that indie films are creative outlets for filmmakers seeking to express their artistry or to convey a stronger message on issues that plague the society of today. Gutierrez, in the same Plaridel essay, said that an indie film is believed to be similar to an art film. It can be “anti-establishment; that it should resist mainstream formulas, genres, or even narrative structure; that it should experiment with form, style and even the medium itself; that it should be accessible only to artists and hardcore film lovers; that it should be shot digitally, not on a celluloid, and/or that it should impose upon itself the mission of rising above the “trash” that commercial cinema has produced (2012).” While the statement may be true to several independently-produced movies, it cannot be true for all. The only thing that is true is that it is a constant experiment—from the more serious themes that touch on gender and sexuality, crime and judicial system, human struggle against poverty, destitution and faith, indie cinema have also delved into the more usual world of clichéd love stories, family dramas and formula comedy. The stark difference, however, is how the messages are coming across. It can be said that because the production is relatively cheap compared to mainstream movies, there are no profits to talk about and there is no corporate image to protect, a significant number of films in indie cinema pushes the envelope for discourse on pressing social issues. Of course, there are still indie movies that fall into the booby trap. Those films that end up exploiting their themes and subjects too much that they end up in the black hole. These usually happen to those films that have serious themes to ponder on—for instance, movies that tackle destitution end up as poverty porn, while those that talk about gender and sexuality end up as voyeuristic materials. Messages are mixed up or are essentialized—the problem might have been because their understanding of culture and society is bungled or distorted. In Marlon Rivera and Chris Martinez’s 2011 film, Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, the usual pitfalls of Philippine indie cinema were the central theme. The story revolves around three film graduates and their odyssey towards receiving the much coveted Oscar Award for Best Foreign Film. Rainier (Kean Cipriano), Bingbong (JM De Guzman), and Jocelyn (Cai Cortez) set out to craft their film entitled “Walang Wala (Nothing)” with the famous Eugene Domingo as their lead actress. It begins with their pre-production preparations, their negotiations with Domingo and finally, the filming of their movie.