1976 | 2h 16min | Directed by Eddie Romero | Written by Roy Iglesias & Eddie Romero
Synopsis
Set at the turn of the 20th century during the end of the Spanish colonial period, the Philippine Revolution and the subsequent arrival of the American colonizers, this coming-of-age film follows a naïve peasant through his adventures to the capital city as he discovers himself and his place in a new nation.
Curator’s Commentary
Ganito is a picaresque coming-of-age film set during the late 19th-century Philippines when the Spanish colonizers were trying to hold on to their rule of more than 300 years, Philippine nationalists and revolutionaries were fighting for independence, and then seemingly out of left field, American soldiers arrived to impose a new colonial rule.
Among Philippine films set in the period, which invariably treat the events dramatically, Ganito is unique in that it’s a comedy. And a comedy all the more remarkable as it doesn’t avoid depicting the bloody upheavals of the period.
Ganito chooses to resurrect and untangle this era through the journey of a naïve country bumpkin, Kulas (Christopher de Leon). In the course of his adventures, realizations and epiphany, he meets a cross section of society, including revolutionaries, Spanish friars, theater actors, members of high society, and just-arrived American soldiers.
A running theme in the film is the changing definition of who actually was a “Filipino.” The term was originally reserved for Spaniards who were born in the Philippines. However, with the rise of the indigenous middle classes and the subsequent revolution, there arose the imagined notion of a Filipino nation where everyone born there— irrespective of ethnicity, economic status, or educational attainment— was worthy of being Filipino with all of the rights of citizenship.
The film manages to treat all characters— Spaniards, Americans, and Filipinos, alike— with tongue-in-cheek humor as they lurch through the roles that history has forced upon them, onerous or otherwise. It never forgets that its characters are all too human and, like everyone else, avidly trying to enjoy their brief time under the sun.
—Gil Quito
About the Director
Eddie Romero (b. 1924) started his career as a magazine writer. His short stories got the attention of director Gerry de Leon for whom Romero, at age 17, started writing screenplays. He later branched into directing, adding some two dozen films to his filmography from 1947 to the mid-50s.
His career took a major turn in 1958 when he began directing Hollywood-financed English-language B movies for Roger Corman and other producers. Some of these films– among them Black Mama, White Mama with Pam Grier – have gained cult status in the US. Quentin Tarantino is a self-avowed fan of Romero’s B flicks.
In 1976, Romero made a spectacular return to Tagalog filmmaking with Ganito. He followed up with a series of trenchant films exploring historical, social, and mythological themes, including Aguila, an epic set from the 1890s to the 1970s. He was named National Artist of the Philippines in 2003.
Extras
The following video, Ganito Kami Muli / As We Were, Revived (2013) is 40-minute documentary on the Cinema One’s YouTube Channel about the film’s production and restoration. It has no English subtitles but most of the interviews are conducted in English.