MANILA - At this point, 2009 Cannes Palm d’Or Best Director Brillante Mendoza wouldn’t care less if Filipinos abroad hated him for exposing the harsh realities in the country through his movies.

Mendoza, also known in the film community as Dante Mendoza, once more stressed that he features biting realities in his films, recently in “Kinatay,” because he wants to open up the minds of the Filipinos.

“I did ‘Kinatay’ to disturb the audience. I wanted us to analyze our oppressive social and political conditions,” he said during the second commercial screening of his award-winning film in Greenbelt, Makati City Tuesday night.

According to him, this must be why his film got a lukewarm reaction from the government. “Because I show the truth in my films. Our world isn’t safe to live in anymore.”

In “Kinatay (The Execution of P),” for instance, he and his writers – Boots Agbayani-Pastor and Armando Lao – based the story on reports that human body parts are being strewn all over the province of Bulacan.

This, according to their informant, is perpetrated by men in the higher echelon of the military.

“Kinatay” tells the story of crooked police officers who kidnap a prostitute, kill her, and dismember her body to cover their illegal activities.

“It’s really pathetic that the men who are supposed to be the protectors of peace and order are the architects of crime in our midst,” Mendoza said. “But I know this type of films won’t be patronized by ordinary moviegoers.”

This is apart from his unconventional way of treating his subject matter.

“I make films not to entertain but to disturb and inspire. So, most of the common people won’t appreciate them. As much as possible, I veer away from the formulaic. But I don’t fault the audience for this. I also don’t have quarrel with the mainstream industry. I understand them,” explained Mendoza.

“Kinatay” has earned various reactions abroad, both derogatory and praiseworthy.

His use of dark scenes, instead of the more familiar glossy and carefully lighted sets, is being construed to be technically inept. “I intended it to be that way because I wanted to show the dark, evil side of the characters.”

He also deglamorized his actors in his films as much as possible. “I wanted to veer away from the conventional way of treating stars as glamorous individuals but as one with characters being portrayed.” -Boy Villasanta, abs-cbnNEWS.com