RAd views: GomBurZa

The first time I viewed GomBurZa, the most awarded film during the 49th Metro Manila Film Festival, it was already almost a month since it premiered in cinemas. And being an early afternoon screening on a weekday, there were only a handful of us inside the cinema.

Though I was able to concentrate on the film since there weren't any distractions stemming from other viewers, I became curious how packed cinemas would've reacted to the film. Sadly, the its commercial run ended soon after and I just have to be content with what my viewing experience was.

Then an opportunity came when the Far Eastern University through the FEU Center for the Arts and Alumni Relations Office, in cooperation with the Department of Communication, had a special screening of GomBurZa as part of the celebrations of National Arts Month, the FEU's 96th Founding Anniversary, and also in commemoration of the 152nd Anniversary of the GomBurZa Martyrdom.

Cedrick Juan

An added treat to this screening was a talkback with FEU alum Cedrick Juan who played the lead role of Padre Jose "Pepe" Burgos that won him the Best Actor Award at the 49th Metro Manila Film Festival.

There have been already countless reviews and reactions about GomBurZa since its premiere so let me just post here my observations and reactions during this special screening with an audience composed mainly of FEU students, faculty, and alumni.

Surprisingly, the students found humor in the scenes of blank faced Padre Jacinto Zamora (Enchong Dee) who had lost his mind after finding himself accused and sentenced to death alongside Padre Mariano Gomez (Dante Rivero) and Padre Burgos. But the audience's amusement clearly turned into pity when it was Zamora's turn to be executed. I guess that was when the students got beyond Dee's matinee idol looks and finally realized the tragedy of his plight.

But all was not lost in the youth for as the film's final line, Vivan Los Filipinos!, was uttered, the FEU Auditorium was filled with rapturous applause. It was then I realized that this was what I yearned for when I first saw the film. Something also stirred in me in my first viewing but nothing compares to the experience of being in the midst of roars inside a packed auditorium.

As for Cedrick Juan, I found it hard to believe that despite my years of watching independent cinema and local theater productions, I haven't really come across his works. Or probably I already did, but none of them had this career defining effect on him like GomBurZa.

Cedrick Juan was not shy with words during the talkback as he recalled his student days back at the FEU. He also gave detailed accounts on his audition process and that he was being first considered for a minor part. But pouring over the entire script urged him to aim for the lead role of Padre Burgos despite knowing that he was not a headliner like his co-star Piolo Pascual who portrayed Padre Pelaez.

Celmer Santos, Cedrick Juan, Martin Lopez, and Herwin Cabasal

In the course of the talkback, it was a delight to learn how Juan views himself not just an actor, but also as a member of society with a mission. And when he let his political leanings be known, the audience applauded in approval.

This led me to realize that the people who witnessed GomBurZa's execution felt defeated. But the flame inside them wasn't extinguished. As history (as well as the epilogue of the film) tells us, it was actually ignited more. The GomBurZa (directed by Pepe Diokno before I forget) serves as a way to keep the flame burning, never let the Filipino spirit die, or in other words, Vivan Los Filipinos!