Today, May 22, is the 29th death anniversary of National Artist for Cinema Catalino “Lino” Brocka.
A director for film, broadcast arts and theater, he championed the term “freedom of expression” in the Philippine Constitution and took his social activism to the screen by producing works that breathed life and hope for the marginalized sectors of society.
Among these were the notable films “Wanted: Perfect Mother” (1970), “Tubog sa Ginto” (1971), “Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang” (1974) and “Maynila: Sa Kuko ng Liwanag” (1975).
Brocka also received awards and citations from the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards and Cannes Film Festival. He died in 1991 and was posthumously awarded the title National Artist in 1997. —Marielle Medina, Inquirer Research