On this historical day 33 years ago, the EDSA People Power Revolution took place. It seems fitting for us to revisit what happened during Martial Law, and what better way to learn about an important event than to watch films about it, right? In 2017, Alden Richards even starred in the documentary Alaala, which told the story of activist and screenwriter Bonifacio Ilagan during the 1970s.
Here are five movies from recent years that'll help us understand Martial Law better:
1. ML (2018)
This indie film stars Eddie Garcia as a retired METROCOM Colonel who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. He believes that he is still living in the days of the Marcos dictatorship and mistakes college student Carlo (Tony Labrusca) for an activist and captures and tortures him!
Director: Benedict Mique
2. Respeto (2017)
An aspiring young rapper (Abra) strikes up an unexpected friendship with an elderly bookstore owner (Dido De La Paz), who was a radical poet during the Martial Law era. The film draws inspiration from the works of veteran poets such as Vim Nadera, Bienvenido Lumbera, and Virgilio Almario.
Director: Alberto "Treb" Monteras
3. Citizen Jake (2018)
Journalist Jake Herrera (Atom Araullo) investigates the murder of a student and he is forced to confront the sins of his own family in the process, especially that of his father (Teroy Guzman), a loyal supporter and crony of Ferdinand Marcos.
Director: Mike de Leon
4. Liway (2018)
A film based on true events, Liway features Glaiza De Castro as Cecilia Flores-Oebanda aka "Commander Liway," who led anti-Marcos troops during the waning days of the dictatorship.
Director: Kip Oebanda
5. Ang Panahon Ng Halimaw (2018)
This four-hour black and white musical, also known as Season Of The Devil, tells the story of Lorena (Shaina Magdayao), a young doctor who opens a clinic for the poor in a remote village in the late 1970s. The village is controlled and terrorized by uniformed armed men, who are members of the Martial Law era Civilian Home Defense Forces. When Lorena disappears without a trace, her activist husband Hugo (Piolo Pascual) comes looking for her.
Director: Lav Diaz
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