TAKE MY ADVICE
Kidlat Tahimik
Rolling Thunder
By Mike Diez; Photograph by Bahaghari MFI
If your family practically owns the city of Baguio, you land a decent job in Paris, and earn a degree from the prestigious Wharton University, chances are you wouldn't turn your back on luxury, right?
Meet Kidlat Tahimik. He did just that before realizing he was living the dream of a civilization that was not his to inherit. If you know his story, you might've heard how he tore up his diploma, changed his 'colonial' name Eric de Guia to the 'more Filipino' moniker he now uses, and of late, he intends to reside up in the mountains for the rest of his life. (Kidlat already has a hut in Ifugao, and natives now call him by a third name—Kabigat.)
You might say that the man is a romantic. You might even call him crazy. The fact is, Kidlat Tahimik knows who he is, what he wants, where and how he'll spend the rest of his life. Do you?
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY
I always tell my students "Kidlat Tahimik is a tatay and a filmmaker—in that order." I became like a barkada to my kids. I decided early on to become an active tatay na nanay, or nanay na tatay, whatever the case may be. My wife was an active feminist. And I thought, "Why leave all the child-rearing to women?" and I didn't regret it. I feel that I'm rooted in the next generation because of that. And as one gets older, somehow you get jaded. And I need my kids to serve as a mirror; sometimes they make me look at myself with an innocent remark and I say, "Oo nga ano? Bakit nga ba ako stuck doon?"
ON ADAPTING TO TECHNOLOGY
This digital technology made filmmaking real easy. Dati-rati magkakalat ka diyan ng 10-kilo equipment, ngayon, the camera, the editors, the laboratory—it's all inside the camera. I belong to the 'dinosaur' technology of 16 mm and I subscribe to the beauty of putting 'film' on film. Having said that, I can understand why my sons and young people quickly jump on to these new technologies. You can tell a story cheaper. As a filmmaker, that is what's important. That's the spirit of independent films…storytelling. I hope to see more people develop the same freedom that I had and if digital video technology makes it easier, not just to shoot but to tell a story as well, then why not?
ON GOING BACK TO YOUR ROOTS
Maraming circumstances sa buhay ko na, I can't call on one turning point. They might be other circumstances not just in this life but also past lives combined. Okay, well, I grew up in Baguio, and what is Baguio? Baguio is a very American town. The Americans conceived it as a summer resort, a hill station—very strong American culture. Ang lakas ng westernization nitong brain ko. Yet, Baguio is also a melting pot between the cosmopolitan culture and the old Cordillera tribal culture. So, you go through life, you get ambitious, get career ideas. Over time, you get carried away by them until you think, "Are those my dreams?" And the country then was experiencing such interesting period, (this was in 1972 when Martial Law was imposed) and well, up to now…. Why are we going in circles, why are we anarchistic, bakit walang direction? Then I thought maybe all these colonial influences have resulted in the breakdown of our collective system and aspiration. Are our dreams the same as Hollywood dreams? We always aspire to live western lives pero di naman bagay sa atin. You can adapt, but only to survive. Some things are missing. These things made me think of stripping myself down to the essentials.
ON MOVING TO IFUGAO
My main occupation right now involves me moving to Ifugao, in the village of Hapao. For the past seven years, I've been teaching them how to use video cameras. Mind you, I'm not training award-winning filmmakers, nor producing experimental film; I am sharing the user-friendliness of video so that young Ifugaos rediscover and understand the greatness of their indigenous tribal culture. My main goal is for them to feel that they are not inferior, for them not to be ashamed to wear bahags. I am also interested in knowing more about them. I feel that modern lifestyles make us lose our survival instincts. These people eat what grows in their backyard. There were no surgeries; they get their exercise from walking up hills and mountains. They only get to eat meats during cańao festivals. I plan on spending the rest of my life there. In fact, I just got my "green card" to Ifugao!
ON EMULATING HIS LIFE
I recently discovered that I am not a filmmaker in the strictest sense of the word. I use the medium as I see fit. I tell my students that, "Kidlat Tahimik is an extreme." I don't expect them to follow my lifestyle. I've stayed outside of the (conventional) film industry for certain reasons. If they just understand the polar difference between Kidlat Tahimik and Mother Lily and find your style somewhere in between, for me that's a victory. It's not about emulation, kanya-kanya iyan e. It's just an understanding of the process that's important.
» Guy Wisdom archive
Men's Health Philippines - January 2006 Issue
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KIDLAT'S CREDOS
1. Be active in rearing your kids, it will keep you grounded and enable you to see different points of view.
2. Keep an open mind and embrace new things.
3. Take time to analyze what it is you're doing, and if it is really what you want to do.
4. Be proud of your heritage. Never forget where you come from.
5. In admiring someone, understand the reason why they do what they do and why they inspire you.
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