A class of University of the Philippines Diliman this 2021 semester will be diving deep into the "Boy Love" film phenomenon that has raised conversations on queer representation in the past year.
Nathan Rondina, a faculty member of UP College of Mass Communication's Broadcast Communication Department who identifies as queer and an advocate of LBGTQ+ rights, said under the course "BMAS 196 – Special Topics in Broadcast Media", he will be discussing with students what has become of the BL phenomenon as a contemporary practice in Philippine broadcast media.
Rondina said the BL wave "signifies a pivotal moment in Filipino queer representation", hence it warrants academic inquiry on how experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community are being portayed in film.
"Did you know, for instance, that Pinoy mainstream TV (free TV) has never aired a Pinoy gay kiss ever? Even GMA 7’s My Husband’s Lover could only show the kiss online and on DVD but not on free TV! With BL’s, suddenly there was an explosion of queer intimacy," he said.
BL has been around for years as an emergent film genre across Asia, but it was only last year that it really took off in the locked-down Philippines.
"That this genre gained traction under new platforms during a public health crisis also provides valuable insights on the meaning-making practices and experiences of LGBTQIA+ communities," he said, noting that from the film industry's part, the BL phenomenon also breaks ground in terms of how traditionally non-mainstream content are seeping into the general public's consciousness all while utilizing limited resources.
At present, there have been over 30 BL productions in the Philippines that were made during lockdown. Among the most popular are Globe Studios' "Gaya sa Pelikula", IdeaFirst Company's "Gameboys" and Black Sheep Productions' "Hello Stranger," which are all available via digital streaming platforms.
In the class, Rondina said students would be given a chance to curate their own viewing list that they will critique throughout the semester using queer theories of representation.
Students will also dig deep into BL tropes, and asked to pitch and conceptualize their own BL series.
Show runners, crew, cast and fans will also be given a platform in the class, so students can hear for themselves, the practical experience of producing queer stories.
"As someone who had seen the genre go mainstream this quarantine lang, parang ang interesting na it will become a topic for a whole semester. Moreover, ano yung approach na gagawin sa BL series na ipapanood," film student Thomas Sison said, explaining why he's eager to enlist in the course.
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