There was once a time, not too long ago, I think that people interested in movies that were slightly off the beaten path could go to a few movie houses in town and watch them. That was what movie theaters like Shangri-La and some of the Ayala Cinemas used to be known for: showing off art house movies. Nowadays, they seem to be exclusive to Ayala Cinemas, if at all.
This is a disappointing development as I am really quite keen on seeing Woody Allen's new film Midnight in Paris, which doesn't seem to have a chance in hell at mainstream distribution here in the Philippines. Our local distributors of foreign films seem far more preoccupied with the more commercially viable product, an impulse which, while understandable, is highly unfortunate.
In an entertainment climate where everything is an adaptation of something or other or a reboot/remake/sequel of such adaptations, original movies should be appreciated for the rare jewels that they are, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Sure, film distributors need to make money, but it would be nice if they could even make a token effort to ensure that for every ten popcorn movies they sell here we could at least get one art film. This is not to say that popcorn films aren't good in their own way, but to my mind movies are like food for our souls; too much commercially popular fare is just as bad for our souls as too many hamburgers, fries and pizzas are for our bodies. Sure, there is the occasional movie where art and commerce meet and make wonderful music together, as is the case with many Pixar movies, but there's really something wonderfully intimate about quiet little movies like Sideways and Little Miss Sunshine that no commercial juggernaut can ever really capture.
To the foreign distributors of local films, please consider this: the local film industry, such as it is, for all of its creative and commercial woes, still tries to keep the fire of independent film burning, even though the product is wildly uneven in quality. There are people who value small, independent films here, whether it's to make them or to simply view them. We know that downloading your independent art house movies or buying them on bootleg DVD is bad, and we're willing to pay to see them in movie theaters. Please oblige us by putting them there.
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