How can we preserve Filipino culture through film restoration? This is the question that ABS-CBN Film Restoration head Leo Katigbak answers in the second “Think Possible” Lightbulb Session of ANC.
Media veteran Katigbak has overseen the restoration of around 180 Filipino films. He strongly believes that cinema reflects a nation’s culture and history, and through ABS-CBN’s “Sagip Pelikula” advocacy, he has been spreading the word on the importance of saving, restoring and preserving Filipinos’ best works in filmmaking.
In front of fellow media practitioners, members of the local film community and students Katigbak talks about the history of Philippine cinema, explaining how humid weather and the expensive cost of storing film reels properly has led to the loss of many of the country’s old movies.
He guides them through the restoration process and the efforts undertaken by ABS-CBN Film Restoration to get audiences to watch and appreciate these restored classics through the “Sagip Pelikula” campaign. “This is a legacy borne out of the mantra of ABS-CBN, which is to be in the service of the Filipino people. We are a media company and that is one of the legacies we want to leave behind, a record of our psychology of our past, so we can stop repeating mistakes,” Katigbak says.
“Think Possible” is a 30-minute session featuring changemakers and innovators. Episodes are available on the ANC YouTube channel, while shorter versions are aired on ANC’s newscasts 24/7.
Watch Katigbak’s “Think Possible” Lightbulb Session on youtube.com/watch?v=06gc2CzY6BY.