Catalino Ortiz Brocka
Beyond Films

Born Catalino Ortiz Brocka on April 3, 1939 in Pilar, Sorsogon, the film auteur better known as Lino Brocka (1939 to 1991) is, inarguably, one of the (if not THE) best produced by the Philippines – he made Maynila: Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag (1976), largely considered as the greatest Philippine film ever made (including by Derek Malcolm, British film critic and historian); Insiang, the first film shown at the Cannes Film Festival (1978); and Jaguar, the first Filipino film to be nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival.

And, great for the GLBTQI, he was openly homosexual.

Yes, his films may be his lasting contributions – but for Brocka, his life (including his sexuality/gender identification) was not segregated from his films, with GLBTQI themes commonly (and effectively) portrayed in, say, Macho Dancer; just as he dealt with the narratives of the probinsiyano going to (imperialist) Metro Manila (the greener pasture) only to find it corrupt and corrupting in Maynila.

Brocka was, seemingly, bound for success – his first film, Wanted: Perfect Mother, a take on The Sound of Music, won at the 1970 Manila Film Festival; immediately followed by a best director citation from the Citizen’s Council for Mass Media for Santiago.  Other now classic Filipino films from Brocka include Orapronobis, Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang, Gumapang Ka Sa Lusak, and Bayan Ko: Kapit Sa Patalim, which was banned by former Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos as it was deemed too subversive.

On May 21, 1991, Brocka died in a car accident.

When he was given the distinction of the National Artist for Film posthumously in 1997, it was noted how he could have been even greater.  A great loss for the Filipino people.  More so to GLBTQIs.