Having a loved one disappear is one of the most harrowing events a person can experience. But for JL Burgos, it became his impetus to create a documentary that shines the light on enforced disappearances. His film “Alipato at Muog” (Flying Embers and Fortress), an entry at the recently-concluded Cinemalaya XX Independent Film Festival took home the Cinemalaya Special Jury Award for “its effective use of the resources of documentary cinema to shed light on an actual case of enforced disappearance and reveal dark truths about human rights in the Philippines.”
In his acceptance speech, Burgos remarked that coming into Cinemalaya, winning an award was not an expectation. “Nais lang naming magpahayag. Nais lang naming hanapin ang kuya ko…Nais ko lamang pong magbigay pugay sa mga nawawala, nais ko rin magbigay-pugay sa pamilya ng mga desaparecidos. Nais ko rin magbigay-pugay sa lahat ng biktima ng paglabag sa karapatang pantao. Mabuhay po kayo…”
The documentary movie probes the enforced disappearance of his brother, Jonas Burgos, an activist who has been missing since 2007. While bringing to light untold stories and possible leads, the film also underscores the relevance of this case by drawing attention to its broader implications on human rights and justice in the Philippines.
The film has also been met with acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Society of Filipino Film Reviewers gave the film the highest rating of 4.21. It also garnered the highest rating of 4.43 from Letterboxd users based on cinephile publication Sinegang’s tally.
The documentary has received positive reviews from prominent figures in the film and activist community. GMA Pictures Executive Vice President Nessa Valdellon praised “Alipato at Muog”, stating that the finished film went “way beyond the expected advocacy piece: it shines with intelligence and allows the audience to piece together the mystery while on the journey with modern day hero Edita Burgos.” She describes the film as powerful, surprisingly visual and beautifully animated.
Former Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo also expressed her admiration, lauding the film’s production team and the Burgos family’s courage, and those of other desaparecidos. Other netizens shared sentiments on how the documentary is a painful, yet necessary watch, with many of them tearing up, getting stirred up, or both, because of the film’s fluid and poignant storytelling. But more than emotions, the film has captured its audiences’ awareness on the plight of desaparecidos and their families, and convicted them that the fight for justice must always be burning.
Burgos has earlier expressed gratitude for the positive reception of “Alipato at Muog.” “We are thankful for all the messages that we received privately and publicly even from people we don’t know. This fuels the fire to keep us moving forward. We also hope that more people will be able to see ‘Alipato at Muog’ and spread the message of the families of the disappeared.”
A special screening of the film will be held at the UP Film Center on August 24, Saturday, 5 pm. This will be followed by a 15-minute talk back with Director JL Burgos and his mother Edita Burgos. Tickets will be available at the cinema entrance an hour before the film showing.
