Daang Dokyu is set to present classic and contemporary titles gathered from different countries and regions on March 16-21, 2020 at the Cine Adarna, UPFI Film Center, Diliman, Quezon City during the first Philippine documentary festival.

The showcase of Philippine documentaries is made possible through the Filipino Documentary Society (FilDocs), which was founded by documentary filmmakers Jewel Maranan, Baby Ruth Villarama, Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, and Coreen Jimenez.

Opening and closing films

The six-day festival features film curations of Filipino directors as well as titles from international countries, with each showing followed by discussions. It presents some of the earliest known documentary materials - some as early as the 1900s - as well as some of the latest and much-anticipated films to be released this year.

With the theme "Tracing The Filipino Story," Daang Dokyu aims to reach a broader audience, stir relevant debates on current issues, and present different forms of audio-visual pieces such as virtual reality and multi-screen installations. The initiative is expected to bring to the fore authenticity in the creative telling of stories painting the Filipino identity.

Daang Dokyu opens with the Philippine premiere of Aswang, a film by Alyx Ayn Arumpac telling the story of the campaign of President Rodrigo Duterte to rid the Philippines of drug addicts and dealers.

Daang Dokyu ramps up the celebration on the last day with a montage of some of the oldest existing short documentaries on the Philippines. These short newsreels, which are stored in the British Film Institute and the US Library of Congress, will be shown for the first time in the country.

Among the 35mm films stored in the London archives that are featured are documentaries made in 1911 titled "Fabrication Des Chapeaux De Manille" and "Industrie De L’abaca A L’ile De Cebu," a film made in 1926 called "Manila Street Scene," and another filmed in 1929 called "Glimpses Of The Culion Leper Colony And Of Culion Life."

Largest gathering of documentary filmmakers

The first-ever Philippine Documentary Forum is the culminating session at the festival, providing a space for debate and dialogue in a time of fake news and disinformation as well as a look back at the country’s past. It will be the largest gathering of the country’s community of documentarists for film, television, arts, culture, and education.

Daang Dokyu will also hold industry sessions during the six-day event. It will include roundtables, lectures, and masterclasses of renowned documentarists in the industry on the most relevant and pressing concerns of the documentary community.

These sessions are open to the documentary community, including students, enthusiasts, educators, and the general public.

Updates and more information on the Daang Dokyu Festival are available at daangdokyu.ph and on its various social media platforms.

This story is part of a partnership between the documentary festival organizer and ABS-CBN News.