Martial Law Films 'Maid in Malacañang', 'Katips' to Debut on Same Day
Two films with opposing perspectives on the regime of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. will debut in cinemas starting Wednesday, indicating the state of the country's collective memory 50 years after his bloody Martial Law rule.
"Maid in Malacañang", which supposedly depicts the Marcos family's perspective of their last three days in power before they were forced to flee to Hawaii, can be viewed on Aug. 3 by the public alongside critically lauded film, "Katips", a musical drama based on the narratives of student activists who stood against the dictatorship.
The public release of both films happens two days after the death anniversary of democracy icon Corazon Aquino, who led the Philippines after the Marcos regime.
Produced by Viva films and directed by Darryl Yap, Maid in Malacañang is being criticized for allegedly distorting history as Sen. Imee Marcos insisted otherwise.
"Wala kaming binabago sa sinasabi nila. Nilalahad lang namin yung alam namin. 'Yun lang. We’re not revising anything. It’s total inaccurate to say that," Marcos had said of the film in a recent interview with host Boy Abunda.
Katips, produced by Philstagers Films, on the other hand, received critical acclaim with seven awards including the coveted Best Picture in the recently concluded Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards (FAMAS) for its story written by director Vince Tañada with the help of a historian.
"As a writer, the film was written with the help of a historian to make sure the chronological accuracy of the events is given justice. I support against histor[ical] revisionism as a parasitic fiber that continues to gnaw at society today, especially the young," Tañada told entertainment columnist Ricky Calderon.
Maid in Malacañang will be showing in cinemas across the Philippines and some countries around the world, while Katips, whose distribution came as a spur-of-the-moment decision, is on limited release.