MANILA - Defining the real meaning democracy is hard enough. Imagine having to do it in just 3 minutes.

Filmmakers Melissa "Aissa" Peñafiel and Miguel Ocampo did that just that with their film entry to the "Democracy Video Challenge" sponsored by the US State Department.
The online video contest, launched on International Democracy Day on September 15 last year, challenged people all over the world to submit 3-minute films on YouTube based on the theme "Democracy Is..."

Peñafiel and Ocampo's work, titled "Long Live the Fearless Man", was one among 18 finalists chosen by an independent panel of judges out of almost 900 contest submissions. It is also the only Filipino-made film, among three entries from the Philippines, that made it to the final leg.

The filmmakers, both from the University of the Philippines Diliman, said that their short film tries to express their "radical and liberal" definition of democracy - one that critically examines both its good and bad sides. They said this almost "activist" take on the issue differentiated their film from other entries.

"I think what we discussed in the film is what most people actually feel about democracy. Democracy should be the voice of the people, we should have a right to vote for our leaders, but at the same time, it's not happening like that. There are people who are in control of us. We also wanted to show how we experience democracy as Filipinos, that we do not actually have control over our democracy," Peñafiel said in an interview on ABS-CBN's Mornings @ ANC on Monday (June 8).

No stranger to film contests, Peñafiel and Ocampo had previously joined the 62nd Cannes Film Festival with their short film "Manong Maong."

Black and White

"Long Live the Fearless Man" is narrated in Tagalog, with English subtitles, featuring chiaroscuro scenes and close-up shots of the landscape of a man's body, played by Alistair Tabilos. Etched on his skin are words like "Demokrasya" and "Dalamhati" (despair) in indelible ink, flawlessly complementing the film's poetic and thought-provoking narration.

"The body parts and the texts on the body, we wanted to do that to emphasize how you, as a person, as a citizen, cannot change who you are. It will show how you feel about your government [and] your country. It will show [that] no one, [even those] who will [try to] take that away from you, they cannot erase that," Peñafiel explained.

With the 2010 elections coming up, Peñafiel and Ocampo said that the short film is socially relevant. It challenges voters to choose leaders wisely, and for leaders not to abuse their power.

"It's a challenge to us all to practice what democracy should be, to practice the power we have at our fingertips. This video is not something to diss democracy, it is something to promote responsible democracy. Let's face it, democracy is not perfect, but we can make it as close as we can to effective, by our own responsibility," Ocampo said.

As a wry warning to voters and politicans alike, the film's narrative states: "Democracy, fueled by the voice of the masses, but what drives the masses to speak? Hunger, pain, despair, ambition, money, fear. Will you not vote for the killer if you already feel the cold steel of his gun against your head?"

Voting now

After shooting under time constraints (because Tabilos had to rush to work after filming) and budget limitations, Peñafiel and Ocampo said they are proud of their accomplishment.

"Honestly, we didn't expect it at all. We were really hoping that they would be open to this kind of film. Because it comes off a little radical compared to the other entries," Peñafiel said.

Tabilos, a friend of the filmmakers, even joked that he took the film's message to heart - literally. "I actually went to work with the pentel pen marks on my face and body. People were asking me what happened. I didn't want to tell them that we made something. Not until the film was finished," he said.

"Long Live the Fearless Man", along with other entries, can be viewed online at www.youtube.com/DemocracyChallenge. Viewers can vote for their favorite videos from May 15 to June 15 by registering under YouTube and clicking the "thumbs up" sign under each film entry.

Only six winners will be chosen from each hemisphere, including the Asia-Pacific region, and the sole Filipino entry reportedly faces tough competition from Singaporean and Japanese finalists.

The winners' prize will be an all-expense-paid trip to Washington D.C., New York, and Hollywood where they will attend gala screenings, meet democracy advocates from all over the world, and receive exposure from the American film and television industry.