Reversal Of Roles: Stars As Fan-Protagonists in Filipino Movies

• Main Author: Trinidad, Andrea Anne I
• Format: text
• Published: Archīum Ateneo 2021
• Subjects: Filipino movie fans; on-screen audience; on-screen fans; fan-protagonist; diehard fan; fan representation; fan iconography; Communication; Social Psychology and Interaction; Sociology
• Online Access: https://archium.ateneo.edu/filipino-faculty-pubs/71; https://archium.ateneo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1067&context=filipino-faculty-pubs
• Institution: Ateneo De Manila University

One key aspect of Filipino cinema during its 100-year history is its attempt at self-reflexivity. Films that revolve around films have been made repeatedly, exploring the morality of the industry, the highs and lows of actors, or the passions of fans. Fandom, in particular, is depicted at length in films like Bona (Lino Brocka, 1980), Bituing Walang Ningning [Lackluster Star] (Emmanuel Borlaza, 1985), Konorang Itim [Black Crown] (Jose Mari Avellana, 1994), and Fangirl Fanboy (Barry Gonzalez, 2017). Each features a narrative centered on the life of a fan in relation to a film or a music idol. Do such movies value and appreciate their highest patrons? In what ways are representations of fan practices and behaviors in such movies affirming or contesting of fan stereotypes? How do fan representations affect the movie industry’s attitude, more broadly, toward its audiences? These are only some of the questions the paper shall address in order to identify an iconographic understanding of fans, based on movies that directly recognize their existence and narrate their experiences.