Cinema Archipelago: A Geography of Philippine Film and the Postnational Imaginary Joseph Palis Dissertation A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Geography Chapel Hill 2008 Approved by Dr. Scott Kirsch Dr. Altha J. Cravey Dr. Banu Gokariksel Dr. Kenneth Hillis Dr. Christopher Lukinbeal Dr. Eunice Sahle © 2008 Joseph Palis ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii Abstract Joseph Palis: Cinema Archipelago: A Geography of Philippine Film and the Postnational Imaginary (under the direction of Dr. Scott Kirsch) The project aims to understand and raise awareness about the power of film to shape geographies and the power of geography to shape films. The purpose of my research is to investigate the constitution of ‘national cinema’ in the Philippines. The concept of imagined communities by Benedict Anderson will provide a theoretical basis for understanding the relations between film and the concept of the ‘national’. The cinematic representation of local cultures, spaces and places and the tenuous concept of national cinema will be investigated and unpacked. The research seeks to investigate how notions of ‘national cinema’ are constructed through textual readings of selected Philippine films, employing discourse analysis as a method to apprehend meanings embedded in the images and in their reception. Of particular importance is how various constructions of the nation as seen in selected Filipino films enact, re-enact and contest the official narrative of the country. Additionally, the research asks how useful is the ‘national cinema’ as a conceptual approach to describe not only the various voices within a nation but also outside its geographical borders? Given the recognition of the materiality that Filipinos ascribe to the nation, is a postnational or non-resident cinema possible in the country? The research concerns are thus: (1) The interrogation and iii investigation of ‘national cinema’, its constructions, reifications and contestations using insights from interviews and focus group discussions as well as a textual reading of selected Philippine films; (2) How the Third Cinema movement aided the articulation of alternative views of the nation (guerilla film aesthetics, digital filmmaking, queerness; (3) How diaspora mediates the depiction of the archipelago as nation and homeland; and (4) Whether a postnational cinema is possible in the national imaginary. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There is a law in physics that abhors the principle of a vacuum. That law is definitely in effect because many people and institutions came to guide, assist, engage and inspire me throughout the concretization of this dissertation. From the initial stages of conceptualization to the crucial stages of writing, several friends, colleagues, and professors threw their support to me and to my project. This section is a dedication to all the unsung heroes; without them, I would be singing the blues. My dissertation committee members really deserve an above-the-title billing for their contribution to this project: scholarly advice, mentoring, friendship and for fostering an intellectual climate that allowed me to re-investigate my topic with fresh new eyes. My dissertation advisor Scott Kirsch guided me through the often difficult task of finding my bearing in the foggy terrain of academia. I am forever indebted to him and his unrivalled patience, constant good humor and solid advice. I am eternally grateful to Altha Cravey and her unselfish support and unwavering belief that I can finish this mammoth project. Her constant good cheer, valuable insights and confidence-building enthusiasm made my academic journey meaningful. Chris Lukinbeal has been most influential in my intellectual engagement with cinema and geography. I thank him for all the opportunities that he offered and for always creating spaces inorder for my ideas gain mainstream access. v Banu Gokariksel has greatly aided me to develop and polish my unformed ideas about cinema, nation and modernity. It was through her intervention that I managed to present my fledgling project to a larger audience. Ken Hillis has given me valuable advice and lessons on how to look at my project in un-clichéd ways. His elegant writing style and sharpness of mind inspired me to go investigate heterotopic ideas that go beyond the confines of conventional wisdom. I had the rare privilege to work with Eunice Sahle and learn from her firm grounding on grassroots and Global South politics. She encouraged me to imagine and re-think theory and praxis in ways I would never have found in books. Finally, I thank Leo Zonn for all the great opportunities, fantastic conversations and for paving the road for me to meet these great people. He always tells me that above all else, life is fun even without an exclamation point! The professors, graduate students and staff of the UNC-Department of Geography have assisted me in ways that are too various to specify. My thanks to Steve Birdsall, Wendy Wolford, Steve Walsh, Tom Whitmore, Jason Moore, Barbara Taylor Davis, Nell Phillips, Peter Robinson, Doug Eyre, Larry Band and Martin Doyle. My colleagues at the Department who I am thankful for their constant affirmations and unconditional support, deserve special mention: Matt Reilly, Tamara Johnson, Tina Mangieri, Sebastian Cobarrubias, Dilys Bowman, Jonnell Allen, Chris Erlien, Lisa Marshall, Craig Dalton and Linda Quiquivix. I had the privilege of learning from experts whose scholarship and intellectual rigor influenced me in ways that are too invisible to see. A load of thanks to John Pickles, Joanne Hershfield, Jane Gaines, Negar Mottahedeh, Margaret Wiener, Kara Keeling, vi Arturo Escobar, Tina Kennedy, Larry Grossberg, Jim Craine, Susan Mains, Stefan Zimmermann, Stuart Aitken, Wolfgang Natter, Marcus Doel and Deborah Dixon. A community of friends and extended family contributed importantly to my project in their own individual ways: Michael Smith, Elaissa Mendoza, Young Eun Chae, Sara Ackerman, Holly Worthen, Jia Xu, Sindhu Zagoren, Tim Cupery, Shuwen Ng, Ella Nkhoma, Angela Tumbucon, Tim Madigan, Noah Kriger, Alvie Galido, Christian Sellar, Flora Garcia, Lucia Zonn, Maribel Casas-Cortes, Dave Kummer, Helene Ducros, Marie Moulin, Lourdes Benipayo, Carlos Mena, Raphael Ginsberg, Joy Rosillas, Dennis Arnold, Ava Stephanie Fernando, Seth Murray, Jon Lepofsky, Darlene Gutierrez, Tim Baird, Laura Brewington, Murat Es, Bill Shively, Doracie Nantes, Raul Macapinlac, Patti Parlette, Cora Larobis, Vince Lavieri, Jasmin Tarr, Lani Asturias, Angela Cacciarru, Ray & Angie Kabigting, Dindo Santos, Arnold Alamon, Sarah Raymundo, Nancy Wines, and Beverly Wyrick. I am also grateful to the Filipino film directors, archivists, producers, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers, scholars and historians from the Philippines and New York City who I had the privilege to interview and who provided me with information and valuable insights for my project: Joyce Bernal, Nick Deocampo, Roland Tolentino, Rory Quintos, Lito Casaje, Neil Daza, Charlie Peralta, Adolfo Alix, Jr., Simon Ibarra, Benjie Garcia, Noel Taylo, Nico Olanka, Ed Cabagnot, Jeffrey Jeturian, Will Fredo, Raymond Lee, Teddy Co, Gil Portes, Angel Aquino, Dennis Marasigan, Kidlat Tahimik, Ron Bryant, Khavn de la Cruz, Clodualdo del Mundo, Celso Ad. Castillo, Patrick Flores, Mario O’Hara, Mark Gil, Elvert Bañares, Victoria Belarmino, Jonah Lim, vii Nicanor Tiongson, Eddie Romero, Earl Drilon, Crisaldo Pablo, Raya Martin, Keith Sicat, Sari Lluch Dalena, and Momoy Fuentebella. I have been lucky to have the following people who not only made possible the interviews I had from 2006 to 2007 but also assisted in videotaping the interviews: I am especially thankful to the late Elmo Redrico, Nerissa Picadizo, Maxie Evangelista, Minnella Abad, Alicia Manlagnit, Jovie Importante, Eileen Legaspi-Ramirez, Cleotilde Abad, and Noel Vera. Likewise, I am indebted to the following institutions for providing me with funding assistance and helping me gather data and other materials for my dissertation: UNC Graduate School, University Center for International Studies, CineMalaya, University of the Philippines-Diliman through the Film Institute and the Department of Geography, Library of Congress, and UNC Department of Geography. This dissertation is dedicated to my mother, Estela Escobedo Palis who lived long enough to hear that her son successfully defended his dissertation. Madamu gid nga salamat to my sister Maria Paz and my brothers Guillermo, Jr. and Emmanuel, and their families. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... xii LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................... xiv Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION: GEOGRAPHY AND CINEMA I. Introduction…………………………………………………………………...1 II. Problem ………………………………………………………………………4 III. Discourses of Nation: Theories and Definitions ……………………………5 IV. Objectives of the Study ………………………………………....................15 V. Methods/Research Design …………………………………………………19 VI. The Structure of the Dissertation ………………………………..................22 VII. References ……………………………………………………………..26 2. GEOGRAPHIES, NATION, CINEMA I. Introduction ………………………………………………………................29 II. The Evolution of Film-Geographies in the Academy ……………………...30 III. The Imagined ‘National’…………………………………………………...39