'11,103' screening and forum held at Loyola Heights Campus

Last October 25, 2022, the Ateneo Art Gallery, Ateneo Martial Law Museum & Library, Council of Organizations of the Ateneo, and the Sanggunian ng mga Mag-Aaral ng mga Paaralang Loyola ng Ateneo de Manila invited the Ateneo community to a free screening of 11,103 (Eleven-One-Oh-Three), a documentary film about survivors of state-sponsored violence, and Martial Law atrocities. At the screening, Leong Hall became filled with LS students, faculty, and staff.

The film recalls the atrocities of the dictatorship and evaluates where we are now years later, all through the lens of the survivors. To depict eyewitness accounts of survivors, interview clips and rough sketch-like style animation were used. Edicio “Ed” Dela Torre, a former detainee, inspired the illustrations. The documentary unpacks not just Martial Law on a grand level but more importantly, the lived experiences of heroes and survivors of Martial Law told from their perspective.

A forum was conducted after the film screening, with some of the filmmakers, namely the directors Jeanette Ifurung and Mike Alcazaren, and producer Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala. Martial Law survivors also took part in discussing the film and the importance of continued community-based storytelling. The filmmakers expressed the need for a system for stories to survive censorship and revisionism. They call on the Ateneo community to take part in safeguarding these stories and allowing them to reach more people.

Mr. Bonifacio Macaranas, a Martial Law survivor, also talked about his experiences as a detainee, enduring forms of torture like electrocution. In an anecdote, he shared that when he told some of his friends the things he endured during his detention, their first response was, “Maybe you did something wrong.”. In the age of fake news, citizens need to be more proactive in remembering the truth of Martial Law and passing on that memory to others. Like the other speakers, he called on the Ateneo community to follow them in their fight for the truth.

Ms. Tina Bawagan, another survivor, also spoke about her own experience with torture. During her illegal detainment, she was sexually harassed and interrogated by military officers. Upon reflecting on the country’s relationship with Martial Law nowadays, she remarks how Filipinos are seemingly a “forgiving” group of people. She shares that even though she experienced torture during the time of the dictatorship, some of her common friends and their family still supported President Marcos Jr. when he ran for the 2022 elections. Though the suffering experienced by many Filipinos during that period was heavy, FIlipinos still tend to forget. This is why we need to safeguard the truth moving forward.

There will be another screening on November 14, 2022. Ateneo de Manila offices or units interested in screening 11,103 may also contact Miguel Rivera of the Martial Law Museum or Eldrick Los Baños for more details.

Article by Marianne Salvania

Photo documentation by Myra Arce