The success of the South Korean movie “Parasite” should be celebrated by all of Asia, but it should also put pressure on local filmmakers to do better. The gains of our South Korean neighbors make us feel that Philippine cinema is falling further behind the rest of Asia.

“Parasite” made Oscars history recently when it won six Academy Awards, including the most coveted Best Picture prize. And as expected, this dark comedy seems to be doing well in the box office, reportedly making more than $166 million thus far. Not bad for a film made on a budget of around $11 million.





Besides its awards and commercial success, “Parasite” shattered the so-called glass ceiling for foreign films, a feather in the cap for Asian cinema. The Oscars success also bolsters the soft power of South Korea. The writer and director, Bong Joon-ho, spoke mostly Korean in his acceptance speech, but his national pride came to full display when he said in English that the awards were for his motherland.

In 2018, Singaporeans felt a similar pride when “Crazy Rich Asians” became a Hollywood hit. That romantic comedy grossed $238.5 million in the United States and Canada, a bonanza for a film that took only $30 million to make. In fact, that film was the highest-grossing movie in that genre in a decade.

Besides its Hollywood accolades, “Crazy Rich Asians” was also historic for having an all-Asian cast. Some of the actors were Filipinos, but they played other Asian characters. We are not the only ones who might feel some slight, as Singaporean Malays and Indians were not even part of the story. Then again, finding faults in this movie would be nitpicking.

In any case, a sequel is in the works. And with that, the world now awaits more works from Singapore. Arguably, the success of “Crazy Rich Asians” and its franchise-in-the-making elevates Singapore as a cultural leader in Southeast Asia.

Lost glory

Some Filipinos might feel like has-beens, with the Philippines donning that cultural crown during its “Golden Age” of cinema in the 1940s and 1950s. Its decline over the decades has been underscored by the rise of other Asians, notably of Bollywood. Whatever the challenges weighing down the local film industry, we hope that a new golden age will rise again in the Philippines.

There have been some notable developments that offer hope. Take for example “Heneral Luna” that was released in 2015, the same year moviegoers saw the first of the last “Star Wars” trilogy. The adaptation of the life and death of Gen. Antonio Luna was the most-expensive local film made at P80 million (about $1.6 million today’s exchange rate). But it was worth it, making P246 million (roughly $4.9 million) after only five weeks. The film can still be viewed on Netflix, which incidentaly has loads of South Korean content.

The box-office performance of “Heneral Luna” suggests that local films can compete, perhaps even against Hollywood. We should build on that.

“Heneral Luna” stood out from the typical Filipino flicks that seemed to be made on the lowest assumptions of what entertains the local audience. Many Filipino films may be what the famed sociologist Theodor Adorno describe as products of the “Cultural Industry,” which manufactures content designed to distract society, incapacitating people from thinking, and altering their political reality. In other words, the aim of many local filmmakers seemed like to make a quick buck, rather than to make good products.

“Heneral Luna” was rewarded commercially, because it told a good story that resonated with a modern audience. We just need to repeat that formula. Granted, composing good stories is easier said than done.

The “Parasite” director would probably agree. In an interview, he said that writing screenplays was a lonely endeavor. It sounded like he was saying, success did not come easy. Clearly, it does not.

Filipinos are not lacking in industriousness or creativity. Certainly, the Philippines is not short on talent. If only our filmmakers can focus more on quality, perhaps then our film industry can regain its lost glitter.