Raya Martin

 A Short Film About the Indio Nacional

Now Showing

Independencia

Next Attraction

The Museum of the Moving Image is presenting an essential retrospective of the films of Raya Martin this weekend and next. Martin, only 28 years old but already one of the two greatest Filipino “new wave” filmmakers (along with Lav Diaz), is boldly experimental in style, alternating generally between historical films like A Short Film About the Indio Nacional and Independencia, focusing on the tragic colonial legacy of the Philippines and shot in glorious black and white 35mm, and contemporary subject matter in films like Next Attraction (his coming-out film as a gay man) and Now Showing, which focus on cinema and autobiography and are shot in color video. However, Raya Martin is a director who resists such simple classifications, freely mixing styles, genres and film stocks, blending narrative and experimental film, black and white and color, sound and silent film. His films incorporate the history and love of cinema into the history of the Philippines as well as variations of his own personal story. I have previously seen Independencia, Next Attraction and Buenas Noches, España (shown earlier this year at MOMI) and I’m truly looking forward to this opportunity to catch up on the rest of his films.

I believe I saw Raya Martin in the audience earlier this week at the Museum of Modern Art’s premiere screening of Andy Warhol’s outrageous comedy San Diego Surf, not at all surprising considering Martin's desire to explore cinema’s past and constantly push its boundaries.