The synopsis provided by Cinemalaya 2013, which first showcased Aiess Alonso’s Katapusang Labok, is – in a word – simple, i.e. “Katapusang Labok depicts the struggles of fishermen who must deal with environmental abuse and the effects of coral harvesting on their livelihood.” This is, however, a summation that does not do justice to this short film that, while only running for 19:59 minutes, still manages to highlight many Filipinos’ (seeming) penchant to rely on luck (or answers to prayers, which is basically tantamount to luck) when pro-activity may be what’s needed and/or what will solve the issues faced.
In Katapusang Labok, we actually follow one fisherman, in particular, who: 1) shows us the ongoing daily struggles faced by folks like him (e.g. no catch, so nothing to sell for the day); 2) attempts to rely on hope (e.g. think Sinulog); and 3) pinpoints the need of people taking actions themselves if their problems are to be solved. Yes, we know of these issues from documentaries we see in TV – Alonso simply weaves what may be harsh truths into, well, palatable clips.
Yes, the film has – for me – some issues. Take the lighting, for instance, with the shadows too dark, so that some details (like the face under a hat!) are no longer very evident. While it can be argued that this approach was used to highlight the supposed harshness of life, all I saw was too much unnecessary darkness. And then there’s the delivery of Visayan by some characters – the mother and the tindera in particular – which sounded too… scripted.
But let those not take away from the essence of the film.
Because there’s beauty in this film – e.g. the use of Visayan language, and the (generally) natural acting (just listen to the main character deliver his lines).
And because in just under 20 minutes, Alonso manages to somehow push (a pinch) of activism.
Not surprisingly, Alonso is a self-described “activist” who graduated with a degree in Film from the UP Film Institute. The tibak feel is apparent in Katapusang Labok – i.e. that just as the saying goes, nasa Diyos man ang awa, nasa tao pa rin ang gawa (God may have mercy on us, but we still have to do all the hard work). No magic flowers will make roosters win cockfights. Relying on prayers to solve problems is not the solution. Even the government is useless when faced by rich businesspeople (or maybe because those in the government ARE the rich businesspeople). And taking action is a remedy to be always considered.
For just under 20 minutes, time is well spent watching Katapusang Labok.
CAST: Nicolo Manreal, Ivan Zaldarriaga, Dulcita Siroy
CREW: Director/writer: Aiess Alonso, Assistant Director: Bonsai Cielo, DOP: Carlo Francisco Manatad, Art Director: Steff Dereja, Production Designer: Ryan Oh, Film Editor: Jedd Dumaguina, Music: Emmanuel Aguila, Production Managers: Kathy Molina and Geli Blanco, Sound: Jedd Dumaguina, Colorist: Timmy Torres
