1981-1982 Natatanging Gawad Urian

Si Lamberto V. Avellana ay haligi ng pelikulang Filipino at isa sa iilang nabubuhay ngayon na nakasaksi sa naging pag-unlad ng pelikula sa ating bansa. Unang nakilala si Avellana bilang direktor ng mga dula sa Ateneo de Manila, kung saan siya nagtapos ng Bachelor of Arts degree noong 1938. Noong 1939, itinatag niya, sa tulong ng kanyang maybahay na si Daisy Hontiveros, ang Barangay Theater Guild, na siyang nanguna sa pagpapalabas ng lehitimong dula sa bansa.

Pumasok si Avellana sa pelikula nang katatatag pa lamang ng unang mga istudyo. Kinikilalang panandang-bato sa kasaysayan ng pelikulang lokal ang una niyang pelikulang Sakay (1937) na, sa paglalarawan na rin ng kritikong si T.D. Agcaoili ay siyang nagsimula ng “tunay na mapanlikhang pelikulang Filipino, na gumagamit at nagsasanib sa pelikula ng ilang elemento ng makabagong pamamaraan at pagsusulat ng dulaan, na matagal nang kailangan ng pelikulang Filipino.”

Ngunit ang tahasang ambag ni Avellana sa pelikulang Filipino ay ang paggamit niya ng mga pamamaraang tunay na sinematiko, sa partikular, ng mise-en-scene, na noo’y ni hindi kilala ng mga direktor na gumagamit ng kamera para lamang sa pagsasalaysay (at di pagpapadama) ng istorya. Sa madaling salita, si Avellana ang unang “tumuklas,” luminang, at nagpayaman sa pamamaraan ng pelikula bilang peiikula sa ating bansa. Dahil sa kanya, naluwal ang pelikula bilang anyong pansining.

Bukod dito, si Avellana rin ang unang sumalungat sa nakamihasnang popularidad ng nakasusuyang mga istorya ng pag-iibigan at ng mababaw na drama. Sa pamamagitan ng mga istoryang may seryosong tema at makatotohanang tauhan, matagumpay na napaglangkap ni Avellana ang mahahalagang isyu ng kanyang panahon sa nakaugaliang pamamaraan ng paggawa ng pelikulang Filipino.

Ayon pa rin kay T.D. Agcaoili, si Avellana ang unang pumuksa sa mapanirang “mito” sa industriya, tulad ng paniniwalang “walang pandama” at “walang kamalayang panlipunan” ang manonood na “bakya,” kung kaya’t “eskapistang” pelikula lamang ang bagay sa kanila, at pati na ang sinaunang paniniwalang tanging mga kilalang bituin lamang ang sangkap ng mahusay na pelikula.Bilang pagsalungat sa eskapismo, iginiit ni Avellana ang paglalarawan ng “tunay” na realidad sa Pilipinas. Ayon na rin sa kanya: “Ang ibig ko’y realidad na malalim. Ibig kong humango ng kagitingan sa putikan — sa pinakasariwang anyo nito. Mas iibigin ko pang makiisa ng damdamin ang manonood sa aking mga tauhan. Ibig ko ring salaminin ng aking mga tauhan ang mga kakulangan ng karaniwang tao, at ibig kong magsalita sila sa makatotohanang paraan, tulad ng pagsasalita ng tunay na mga tao. At naroon na rin ang seks, bilang bahagi ng isang pelikulang buhay na buhay.”

Tinitingala rin si Avellana bilang guro ng ilan sa pinakabatikang aktor ng bansa, mula kina Leopoldo Salcedo, Rosa Rosal at Tony Santos, hanggang kina Vic Silayan, Charito Solis, at Leroy Salvador. Sa mga pelikulang dinirihe niya para sa mga ito, lagi nang nakukuha ni Avellana sa kanyang mga artista ang napakahusay na interpretasyon ng kanilang mga papel, kung kaya’t ang pariralang “Avellana touch” ay naging kasingkahulugan na rin ng mahusay na pag-arte.

Ang pinakamahuhusay na pelikula ni Avellana ay ilan na sa pinakatatanging pelikula sa bansa. Ang Anak-Dalita (1956) ay uminog sa mga “taong-yungib” ng Intramuros pagkatapos ng giyera, na bagama’t nahubaran na ng halos lahat, ay nakuha pa ring mabuhay at ipaglaban ang kanilang karangalan. Sa kabilang dako, inilarawan ng Badjao (1957) ang pang-araw-araw na pamumuhay ng mga taong mandaragat ng Mindanao. Isinalaysay naman ng Kundiman ng Lahi (1959) ang kahirapan ng isang babae sa buhay at pag-ibig, samantalang isinapelikula ng Portrait of the Artist as Filipino ang elehiya ni Nick Joaquin sa pagkamatay ng Intramuros at ng dalisay na adhikain sa buhay at sining.

Natampok ang karamihan sa mga pelikula ni Avellana dito at sa ibang bansa. Ang Anak-Dalita ang unang pelikulang Pilipinong nanalo ng Grand Prix bilang pinakamahusay na peiikula sa Southeast Asian Film Festival noong 1956. Gayundin, nagwagi ang Badjao ng mga ad hoc na gantimpala sa naturang festival noong 1957. Napalabas na rin ang mga pelikula ni Avellana sa Vancouver, Edinburgh, Coronado, San Francisco, Cannes, at Frankfurt.

Bukod sa pagiging kilalang direktor ng feature films, nanguna rin si Avellana sa paggawa ng malaman at pulyidong pagkamatay ng Intramuros at ng dalisay na adhikain sa buhay at sining.

Natampok ang karamihan sa mga pelikula ni Avellana dito at sa ibang bansa. Ang Anak-Dalita ang unang pelikulang Pilipinong nanalo ng Grand Prix bilang pinakamahusay na pelikula sa Southeast Asian Film Festival noong 1956. Gayundin, nagwagi ang Badjao ng mga ad hoc na gantimpala sa naturang festival noong 1957. Napalabas na rin ang mga pelikula ni Avellana sa Vancouver, Edinburgh, Coronado, San Francisco, Cannes, at Frankfurt.

Bukod sa pagiging kilalang direktor ng feature films, nanguna rin si Avellana sa paggawa ng malaman at pulyidong pelikuiang dokumentaryo. Kabilang sa pinakamahuhusay niyang obra ang La Campana de Baler (1961) at ang El Legado (1959), na nagtamo ng mga gantimpalang internasyunal. Ang rurok ng kanyang apatnapung taon bilang direktor ay ang paggagawad sa kanya ng National Artist Award noong 1976, bilang pagkilala sa kanyang pambihirang kahusayan at sa mahalagang ambag niya sa pagka-unlad ng pelikuiang Filipino.

Lamberto V. Avellana is a pillar of Philippine cinema. One of the few living witnesses to the growth and development of Filipino movies, Avellana began auspiciously as a stage director at the Ateneo de Manila, from where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1938. With his wife, the former Daisy Hontiveros, he founded in 1939 the Barangay Theater Guild, which pioneered in the presentation of legitimate plays.

Avellana moved into film at a time when the studio system was just emerging. His first film, Sakay (1937), was landmark in Filipino film making, because it marked, in the words of film critic T.D. Agcaoili, “the introduction of a truly creative Philippine cinema, employing organically in film some of the elements of modern stagecraft and dramaturgy that had been lacking in Philippine movies.” Avellana’s direct contribution to Philippine cinema, however, is his use of cinematic techniques, in particular of the mise-en-scene, which at the time was unheard of among directors who merely used their cameras to tell a story. In short, it was Avellana who first “discovered, exploited, and enriched the idiom of film in the country.

Aside from this, it was Avellana who first rebelled against the prevailing popularity of saccharine romances and superficial melodramas. Through his treatment of stories with serious themes and three-dimensional characters, he successfully mixed the significant issues of his time with the conventions of Filipino movie-making.

According to T.D. Agcaoili, Avellana destroyed the recessive myths of the film industry, like the “bakya” crowd being ‘unperceptive” and “socially unaware,” and therefore deserving only of escapist fare, and the hoary one about big-name stars being necessary to the making of a good movie.

To counter escapism, Avellana chose to depict “raw” Philippine reality. As he himself put it: “I like reality in depth. I like to see dirt in nobility – – in its rawest form. I prefer my audience to sit back and identify with the characters. I also like my characters to mirror human imperfections, speaking down-to-earth dialogue, the way authentic people speak and talk. And sex as part of the film that pulsates.” Avellana is further credited with having mentored some of the country’s most distinguished thespians, from Leopoldo Salcedo, Rosa Rosal and Tony Santos, to Vic Silayan, Charito Solis, and Leroy Salvador. In the films he directed for these actors, Avellana was so consistent and successful in drawing out excellent performances from them that the term “Avellana touch” becamo synonymous with good acting.

Avellana’s best films are some of the finest examples of contemporary Filipino cinema. Anak-Dalita (1956) dealt with the “cave-dwellers” of war-ravaged Intramuros, who, dispossessed of practically everything, managed to survive and hold on to their dignity. On the other hand, Badjao (1957) painted an idyllic picture of the day-to-day existence of a sea-faring people in Mindanao. Kundiman ng Lahi (1959) dramatized a woman’s difficulties in love and life, while Portrait of the Artist as Filipino (1966) translated into film Nick Joaquin’s dramatic elegy on the death of Intramuros and of pure ideals in life and art.

Many of Avellana’s films have been recognized here and abroad. Anak-Dalita was the first Filipino film to win the Grand Prix for Best Picture in the Southeast Asian Film Festival in 1956. Badjao likewise won ad hoc awards in the same festival in 1957. His films have also found their way into many international festivals, including Vancouver, Edinburgh, Coronado, San Francisco, Cannes and Frankfurt. Besides being a highly acclaimed filmmaker, Avellana also pioneered in the making of intelligent, well-crafted documentary films. Among his best works are La Campana de Baler (1961) and El Legado (1959), which have won him International Prestige Awards. The highest point in his forty-year career as drama and film director is the National Artist Award, conferred on him in 1976, in recognition of his rare excellence and significant contribution to the growth of Filipino drama and film.

Ang aktres kapag kasibulan at nasa tuktok ng kasikatan ay malamang na kumilos na parang prima donnang dapat intindihin at patawarin sa kanyang problema mula sa sakit ng ngipin hanggang sa sakit ng puso at bulsa. Inaakala niyang may utang na loob sa kanya ang mundo kaya wala siyang pakialam sa iba. Kung magkaidad at hindi pa gaanong sikat, hindi niya matatanggap ang pasiya ng panahon. At siya’y magtatampo-magagalit sa mundo o kaya’y maaawa sa sarili.

Hindi ganito ang kaso ni Anita Linda (Alice Lake sa tunay na buhay), ang aktres na kinilala at hinangaan mula 1947 hanggang 1958. Ang magandang aktres na may kakayahan sa pag-arte ay nagbalik noong dekada 1970 – walang star complex mahusay pa rin at lalong propesyunal sa kanyang pananaw sa industriya.

Para sa kanya, ang mga taong kasangkot sa pelikula ay dapat lamang magmalasakit sa industriya at sa isa’t isa. Ayaw niya ng artistang nambibitin ng syuting; ng di mainam na trato sa crew at ekstra; ng kulang at di hustong bayad sa serbisyo ng kapwa manggagawa sa pelikula. Ang ganitong pananaw ay hindi sinasadyang nakaaapekto (pumatay at bumuhay) sa kanyang karera bilang artista.

Noong 1952, tumanggap siya ng kauna-unahang best actress award buhat sa Maria Clara Award dahil sa kanyang pagganap sa pelikulang Sisa. Siya rin ang pangunahing artistang babae ng Premiere Productions noon ng mwgwelga ang crew ng kumpanya. Luha sa Langit ang ginagawa nilang pelikula. Si Anita ay makiling sa maliliit kaya pumayag siya at si Patria Plata na maging tagapamagitan ng mga welgistang pinamumunuan ni Casimiro Padilla, isang sound man. Ipinaabot ng dalawa ang hinaing ng mga manggagawa kay Gng. Santiago. Hindi iyon minabuti ng huli. Nakagalitan ang dalawa at nilutas ang problema ng marapatin ng mga Santiago na isara ang kumpanya. Natapos din ang kontrata ni Anita Linda.

Hindi pa uso noon ang freelancing. Mahirap mabuhay ang isang artistang walang nag-aalagang kumpanya. Inaakala noong lulubog na ang sikat na aktres. Inihanda na rin ni Anita ang sarili. Kung sakali, mag-aalaga na lang siya ng baboy at manok sa kanyang lote sa Pugad Baboy, Bulacan. Pero sinubok pa rin ni Anita na lapitan si Dr. Perez ng Sampaguita Pictures, tutal nama’y may alok ito dati sa kanya na gumanap sa Tres Musketeras, danga’t hindi siya pinayagan ni Gng. Santiago.

“I’ll let you know soon if there is a good role for you,” ang pangakong binitawan ni Dr. Perez. Hindi na rin siya lumapit sa pamunuan ng LVN. Nagpalipat-lipat na lamang siya sa mga di-gaanong matatag na kumpanya hanggang maisipan niyang pansamantalang mamahinga.

Lumakad ang panahon. Nauso ang pelikulang “bomba.” Lumitaw ang ibang pangalan. Ang artista ng dekada ’50 at ’60 ay niluma ng mga “bumbera.” Pero ang artista ay artista kahit parang wala nang lugar para sa kanya sa pelikula. Totoong hindi na siya bata, pero alangan pa ring lumabas siyang ina nina Susan Roces at Amalia Fuentes. At lalo naming hindi siya lalabas sa pelikulang bomba. Sa telebisyon muna siya nagpunta. Sa Balintataw ni Lupita Concio niya nakapalagayang-loob ang mga papasibol na batang direktor: Lino Brocka, Mario O’ Hara, Elwood Perez at Joey Gosiengfiao. (Ang mga ito’y ilan lamang sa mga may paborito kay Anita.) sa paglabas ng mga young stars noong dekada ’70, maaari nang maging ina si Anita kung ang magiging anak ay sina Nora Aunor o Vilma Santos.

At lumakad pa ulit ang panahon. Ang mga pelikulang musikal ng “young stars” ay nakabangga ng trianggulo-ng-pag-ibig ni Eddie Rodriguez, aksiyon ni Fernando Poe, Jr., komedi ni Dolphy at iba pang pinaghalu-halong genre, hanggang ang mga young stars ay nagging mga seryosong artista na rin. Nagbagu-bago lamang ang uso, pero hindi naiwan si Anita. Nagging martir na ina siya, masungit na ina, bungangerang ina o kahit kenkoy na ina, pero mahusay gumanap kahit sa mga papel na masasabing ordinaryo at gasgas. Madali sa kanya ang pagbuhay sa iba’t-ibang tauhan. Naiintindihan niya ang mga ito dahil sa sarili niyang karanasan. Alam niya kung paano magmahal at masaktan, sumaya at mabigo, tumaas at bumaba. Nadama niya ang sakit ng mamatayan ng unang sanggol noong panahon ng Hapon, ang mapabayaan ng asawa, ang maging saksi sa pagpaslang sa kapatid na kompidante, at ang mamuhay na halos nag-iisa. Ang lahat ng iyon ay naganap sa panahong siya’y nabubuhay bilang isang reyna. Ang hamon sa kanyang buhay ay sinasagot niya sa pamamagitan ng mahusay na pagganap. “Siguro’y ito lamang ang alam ko. Mahal ko ang aking propesyon.”

Sapagkat siya’y versatile, muli at muling natataya ang kanyang kakayahan sa pagganap. Bukod sa kanyang Maria Clara Award, mayroon na rin siyang tropeo ng pagkilala bilang pinakamahusay na katulong na bituin buhat sa FAMAS noong 1974, sa kanyang pagganap sa Hello Soldier, isang episodyo sa Tatlo, Dalawa, Isa. Tumanggap na rin siya ng pagkilala buhat sa PATAS. Madalas din siyang maging nominee sa mga institusyon na nagpapahalaga sa mahusay na pagganap.

Bilang pagkilala sa mga nagging kontribusyon ni Anita Linda sa ikauunlad ng Industriya ng Pelikulang Pilipino, sa kanyang propesyunalismo, kahusayan-sa-pagganap, tiyaga at pagmamalasakit sa pelikulang Pilipino, ipinagkakaloob sa kanya ng Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino ang Ika-anim ng Natatanging Gawad Urian.

At the peak of her career, an actress more often than not acts like a primadonna, expecting everyone to commiserate with all her problems, from simple toothaches to crises of the heart and the pocketbook. She imagines that the world is indebted to her and she can afford to ignore everyone around her. As she ages and falls from fame, she either sulks like a child or hates the world or buries herself in self-pity. This was not the case with Anita Linda (Alice Lake in real life), an actress who rose to fame and was admired from 1947 to 1958. When she came back to the movies in the 1970’s, her acting prowess had not tarnished, she projected no star complex, but instead had become even more professional in her attitudes towards the industry. For her, people in film should be absolutely dedicated both to the industry and to each other. She does not like stars who disrupt shooting schedules. She hates it when crewmen and extras are treated like menials, or when fellow workers in the industry are not justly compensated for their work. And she does not care if these views affect her own career, negatively or positively.

In 1952, she had just received the Maria Clara best actress award for her performance in Sisa and was reigning as top actress of Premiere Productions, when the company’s crewmen went on strike. Luha sa Langit was being filmed then. Anita believed in the cause of the workers, so she and Patria Plata agreed to mediate for the workers who were led by Casimiro Padilla, a sound man. They presented the workers’ complaints to Mrs. Santiago. The latter did not welcome the complaints. The two actresses were reprimanded, and the problem was solved when the company was closed down. Anita Linda’s contract was dissolved as well.

Free-lancing was not permitted then. It was difficult for an actress to survive outside a mother company. People began to surmise that the actress’ career was doomed. Anita prepared herself for the crash. If it should come, she was going to open a livestock farm in her lot in Pugad Baboy, Bulacan. Nevertheless, she approached Dr. Perez of Sampaguita Pictures. The latter had previously offered her a role in Tres Musketeras, which she could not accept because Mrs. Santiago did not allow her to. “I’ll let you know soon, if there is a good role for you,” was Dr. Perez’s promise. Because of that answer, Anita gave up on LVN as well. She then went from one unstable company to the other, until she decided to rest awhile.

Time passed, Bomba pictures became popular. New names came up. Actresses of the 1950’s and 60’s were upstaged by the “bomberas.” But an actress remains an actress, even if it seems that there is no more place for her in the industry. For she was at a very “awkward” stage in life. She was no longer young, but she couldn’t play mother to Susan Roces or Amalia Fuentes either. Bomba pictures were out of the question.

So to television she went. It was in Lupita Concio’s Balintataw that she first got to know young budding directors, like Lino Brocka, Mario O’Hara, Elwood Perez and Joey Gosiengfiao (these are only some of the directors who respected Anita). With the new generation of “young stars” of the 1970’s, Anita came back to the movies as mother to Nora Aunor or Vilma Santos.

More time passed. The musicals of these young stars competed with the love-triangles of Eddie Rodriguez, the action movies of Fernando Poe, Jr., the comedies of Dolphy and other mixed film genres, until the young stars themselves turned into serious actors. Modes changed, but Anita stayed on. She played all kinds of mothers – the martyr, the bitch, the nagger, the swinger. But whatever role she was playing, no matter how small and stereotyped it was, she played it well.

But then giving life to these characters came easy for her, for she could draw from a wealth of personal experiences to understand these characters. She had known love and the hurts that came with it; joy and disappointment, like success and failure, were no strangers to her. She knew the pain of losing a first-born during the Japanese Occupation years, of being neglected by a husband, of seeing her confidante-sister killed before her eyes, and of being alone. All these happened when she reigned as movie queen. Whatever problem she had in life, she learned to resolve by pouring herself into her many roles. “Perhaps this is all I can do. I love my profession.” Because of her versatility, her acting prowess is constantly put to the test, and often adjudged excellent. Aside from winning the Maria Clara Award, she has received the FAMAS Best Supporting Actress trophy in 1974, for her performance in Hello Soldier, one of three episodes in Brocka’s Tatlo, Dalawa, Isa. She has been recognized as an outstanding actress by the PATAS as well, and has received a string of nominations from groups interested in quality performances.

For her contributions to the development of the Filipino film industry, for her professionalism, versatility, patience and perseverance, which have earned for her the respect of her colleagues in that industry, the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino awards her its sixth Natatanging Gawad Urian.