Lino Brocka’s ‘Jaguar’ gets a renaissance at Lumière Film Festival

If there are names in Philippine cinema that need no introductions, Lino Brocka, the social realist master whose boundless work has forged paths for many visionaries and cultural workers of his time and of today, is no doubt among them.

Even after his death in a car crash in 1991, Brocka’s presence in local cinema, although flawed, remains inimitable — an auteur in many senses of the word.

And there have been plenty of efforts lately aimed at reintroducing the National Artist’s legacy to newer and younger crowds.

In 2023, the Ateneo de Manila University Press published Martial Law Melodrama: Lino Brocka’s Cinema Politics by film scholar José B. Capino. Insiang (1976), restored alongside Maynila, sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag (1975) by the Film Development Council of the Philippines, Cineteca di Bologna/L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory, and Martin Scorsese’s nonprofit organization The Film Foundation, also screened in select theaters as part of the Metro Manila Film Festival’s 50th anniversary this year.

In May, Bona (1980), in its newly-restored glory, made its return to the Cannes Film Festival, 43 years since it premiered at the Directors’ Fortnight, and went on to tour the international film circuit, such as the 49th Toronto International Film Festival, 44th Hawai’i International Film Festival, and the 62nd New York Film Festival.

Now, another Brocka classic experiences a renaissance, as Jaguar, also fresh from its 4K restoration, premieres at the 16th Lumière Film Festival in Lyon, France — a city six hours from Cannes, where the neo-noir gangster film made headlines as the first Filipino title to be nominated for the prestigious Palme d’Or over four decades ago. 

The film, written by Pete Lacaba and National Artist Ricky Lee based on a report by Nick Joaquin, another National Artist, under the nom de guerre Quijano de Manila, won big at the 1980 Gawad Urian and FAMAS Awards.

Jaguar is also Phillip Salvador’s sixth out of 12 features with Brocka. Salvador’s acting career was at its peak at the time, even scoring a rare “grand slam,” after sweeping the awards season for his leading performance in Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim (1985), another Brocka project.

In the story, Salvador plays Poldo Miranda, a low-wage security guard, colloquially termed as “jaguar,” on a quest to climb the social ladder and get a taste of a life far better than the grime, congestion, and violence he encounters every waking minute, only to face further exploitation at the hands of his boss, treated as just another expendable property.

Meta, class-conscious, and suffused with tension, Jaguar turns out to be one of Brocka’s finest visions about the numbing hardships under martial law instituted by the Marcos government, which initially attempted to block the film’s international release.

Jaguar’s coda — a mighty close-up on the face of Brocka’s protagonist — parallels that of Bona’s, where Salvador plays Gardo, the egomaniac B-movie actor, admired infinitely by Nora Aunor’s titular character. In many ways, both films rehearse and interrogate levels of blind worship en route to different forms of destruction, which at large speaks of the Philippines we know to this very day, considering the rise of populist regimes.

But unlike the catharsis that Bona’s endnote evokes, Jaguar is steeped in further misery, with Salvador’s face expressing the impossibility for his working-class character to breach an impasse, a final moment that demonstrates what an acting force he was at the time.

Too bad for Salvador, though, that his politics, a far cry from Brocka’s, will always be a glaring footnote to his career — a classic example of the art-vs-artist discourse.

As Jaguar screens in the Lumière Classics & New Restorations: Treasures and Curiosities section, Don Gervin Arawan, head of the Philippine Film Archive, speaks with Rappler about the process of pumping new life into this Brocka masterwork, their collaboration with Cité de Mémoire, and the film’s timelessness.

A number of Lino Brocka’s films, under different collaborative efforts, had already been digitally restored, such as Maynila, sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag (1975), Insiang (1976), and just recently, Bona (1980). When did the Philippine Film Archive reckon that it’s finally time for Jaguar to have its own restoration?

It’s worth noting that Insiang and Maynila, sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag were also Film Development Council of the Philippines-led restoration projects. Film repatriation has been a key program at the forefront of the Philippine Film Archive’s efforts.

One of the Film Development Council of the Philippines – Philippine Film Archive (FDCP-PFA)’s biggest challenges is locating films that are no longer available in the country. While some versions of these films may exist in formats like DVDs or tapes, they do not preserve the experience of cinema as it was originally intended.

Did you reach out to Cité de Mémoire first, or was it the other way around? What was that collaboration like?

This collaboration was actually accidental. By chance, in 2022, over lunch at the 78th International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) Symposium in Budapest, Hungary, the FDCP-PFA team met Caroline Caruelle from Cité de Mémoire and LTC Patrimoine. The FDCP-PFA delegates learned that several Filipino films were in their archive.

I also recalled working with LTC Patrimoine when the FDCP restored Insiang. Cité de Mémoire offered to make the films available to the FDCP, provided we could resolve the rights for the titles. After months of research and discussions, the FDCP-PFA successfully secured the authority to restore the film.

Despite the distance, as their facilities are in Paris, Cité de Mémoire has been highly professional and generous, providing support not only in logistics but also in the technical aspects to ensure the best possible restoration.

Was the rights to the film still an issue?

The rights to the film can indeed be a concern depending on the perspective. In our case, I had to carefully navigate between respecting intellectual property rights and fulfilling our legal and moral duty to preserve our cinematic heritage.

Fortunately, our deep commitment to preserving and restoring these cultural gems was appreciated by all parties involved, which became the cornerstone of our efforts. After all, if no action is taken soon, there may be no materials left to protect or dispute.

How long did it take to complete the restoration? What were the primary concerns you had to address in terms of the material’s original state?

The entire process took over a year to complete. Fortunately, the materials were in excellent condition, thanks to the care of Cité de Mémoire and LTC Patrimoine. However, as a government institution, we had to address specific technical and administrative requirements, which contributed to the overall timeline.

Jaguar participated in the 1980 Cannes Film Festival and was even nominated for the prestigious Palme d’Or. Was Cannes part of your logistical considerations for the film’s premiere? How did it land at this year’s Lumière Film Festival?

Yes, the Cannes Film Festival was initially among our considerations, but due to various circumstances, and with respect to the submission of the restored Bona, we found it more fitting to premiere at the Lumière Film Festival.

A festival that celebrates cinema history and is widely regarded as the birthplace of cinema, with its tagline “The Re>Birth Place of Cinema,” it is only fitting to reintroduce Jaguar which represents the artistry of Filipino film that captivated the international community, particularly a majority of the French audience, who warmly received the film when it was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 33rd Cannes Film Festival.

I find the poster for the film particularly arresting in the many ways it evokes the tension in Brocka’s mounting as well as the emotional acuity of the narrative. Can you share the philosophy behind the design?

To be honest, it was a relatively quick decision. Among the options presented to us, we felt the current poster image best captures the essence of the film for today’s audience at the Lumière Festival. It effectively conveys the tension in Brocka’s direction and the emotional depth of the narrative, making it a fitting representation for this generation.

How do you think this restoration of Jaguar contributes to the legacy of Lino Brocka as well as Ricky Lee, who co-wrote the script, as two of the country’s national artists? 

Jaguar highlights Lino Brocka and Ricky Lee’s mastery in using cinema as a tool to convey powerful sociocultural messages that resonate with both critics and everyday viewers. This restoration not only preserves their legacy but also plays a role in audience development by deepening film appreciation across generations.

It serves as a reminder that filmmaking is a collaborative art form, where every element — from direction to script — plays a crucial role in shaping the story and its overall impact.

Do you see Jaguar in a new light now, considering the artistic changes?

It is timeless. Jaguar represents a pivotal moment in Philippine history, tackling a universal theme that transcends time, making the film relevant even to today’s generation. It serves as both a testament to the work of past legends and an inspiration for newer generations of filmmakers, continuing to raise awareness about the power of cinema in reflecting societal issues.

Will this newly restored version also be screened locally?
Definitely! We plan to screen the newly restored version either before the end of the year or as soon as the FDCP transitions to its new facilities and resumes regular operations. – Rappler.com