Lino Brocka

 

            Lino Brocka is a Philippine director who gained attention in the international film community for his films about the Marcos dictatorship. He is most famous for the film Insiang which was well received in Cannes. Catalino Ortiz Brocka, more famously known as Lino Brocka, was one of the Philippines’ greatest auteurs. His father Regino, who was a huge influence on Brocka, teaching him Maths and English as well as the Arts, was killed in a political murder when Brocka was still young. Brocka, along with his mother and brother, had to flee to live with his mother’s sister. But a good life was far from reach as he and his family suffered physical and verbal abuse from his relatives and were forced to do hard labour, an experience he would carry with him throughout his career as a director.


Born: April 7, 1939 in Pilar, Sorsogon, Luzon, Philippines 

Died: May 22, 1991 (age 52) in Quezon City, Philippines



Works 

            He directed landmark films such as Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang (1974), Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag (1975), Insiang (1976), Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim (1984), and Orapronobis (1989). 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."

Trademark 
  • films rich in realism and social commentary
  • character/s wielding a pointed or sharp object

            Brocka's films are very character driven, emphasizing the oppression and neglect of the regular citizen, the impoverished everyman barely scraping by while combating system abuse. He frequently cast unknown actors in order to focus on the story rather than the notoriety. Actors like Bembol Roco, Hilda Koronel, and Laurice Guillen were among the unknowns who worked with him on and off for years before becoming stars in their own right. Along with his socially concerned works, Brocka addressed sexuality issues, which filmmakers at the time preferred to avoid. Despite his Mormon faith, Brocka was openly gay, and homosexual themes were frequently prominent in his films, as were depictions of sexually confident and strong-willed women.Brocka's films focus on the marginalized and ignored sectors of society, such as slum dwellers, prostitutes, and street hustlers, as well as those who faced discrimination simply because of their gender or sexual orientation – subjects that no other director dared to address, particularly during the Marcos dictatorship. 



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