Lino Brocka: The Artist and His Times

LINO BROCKA, The Artist And His Times is a study of the most influential and popular Filipino filmmaker who died in a car accident in May, 1991. From the '70s to his death, Brocka created a prodigious body of works, including the films that stand out as some of the most important ones ever produced in the Philippines: Maynila, Sa Mga Kuko Ng Livanag, Insiang, Bona, Jaguar, Kapit Sa Patalim and Orapronobis.

The book attempts to present a comprehensive view of the artist's life and work, with special sections devoted to reviews of his most important films and a complete filmography prepared and written by a personal friend of the late artist, Agustin Sotto. It features fresh essays written by highly qualified authors on the subject's contribution to contemporary Philippine culture and history.

Though Brocka earned world renown as a director of realistic, socially meaningful film melodramas set in the squalid slums of Manila, he was also a towering figure in the Philippines as a social and political activist who relentlessly criticized the Marcos dictatorship and its successor, the Aquino regime for which he once worked briefly as a member of the Constitutional Commission. As a theater artist, he produced, directed and/or acted in some of the most successful and acclaimed theatrical presentations in Manila. His career as a TV director encompasses his entire professional life, with several TV series, shows and specials to his credit.

Published in 1993 by the Cultural Center of the Philippines

311 pages / Paperback