#BinibiniBiyernes: Marielle Calicdan

Say hello to our #BinibiniBiyernes for today! This 18-year old student filmmaker, creative writer, and UP Baguio Anthropology student, Marielle Calicdan, has inspired young girls like us for braving through the world of humanities.

Tell us a 'lil bit about yourself! Your age, passion, and belief/s.

"Hi! I'm an 18-year-old student filmmaker and creative writer currently studying Anthropology at the University of the Philippines Baguio. I believe that art is political and any form of life or culture visible onscreen inherently carries social context within it."

How can creativity empower Filipinas of all ages to fight a macho-feudal system that still exists in this country?

"I think empowerment starts with how we build our stories. The common notion is that art should mirror reality, but sometimes, it reinforces the system it wishes to critique. Women have developed an internalized inferiority because of the way we are represented in cinema and literature throughout our lives. We are conformed to being plot devices for the character developments of men and are callously objectified for their satisfaction."

"The key is to unlearn the male gaze and produce films that are for, by, and about women."

In making art, it is also essential to stick to our roots. We Filipinos have a very strong sense of “kapwa”, which is why our ancestors never regarded gender as a hindrance to anything. The macho-feudal system was never ours, and we do not have to own colonial structures through our creations.

Marielle Calicdan’s essay “Echo Mula sa Gatilyo” won first prize in the 69th Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. She won Best Director twice in CineMulat for her short films “Maya” in 2019 and “Bakal, Bote, Dyaryo” which triumphed in all of its nominations including Best Picture only this year. She is also a part of the 26th batch of Ricky Lee Scriptwriting Workshop which produced hundreds of filmmakers that shaped Philippine Cinema.

Interview by Gayle Belvis