Art Actually

Art, according to Plato, is an imitation of nature. Though I am half-hearted about his claim, I would like to elaborate more about it. Whenever we hear about art, we are somehow reminded of things that are connected to art. For instance, art reminds me of paintings and vases displayed in museums, sculptures erected in historical places, and everything that appears to be simply beautiful (without questioning the basis of being beautiful) in one’s eyes. But as a university student, can art be simply defined with those mundane ideas that I have just expressed? In the university, we, as students, are being trained to see through things, or to look at the things beyond the naked eyes could see. It might seem like complicating simple things, but it actually helps us understand what really their purposes are.

If art will be defined by someone who is unfortunately incapable of scribbling lines together in order to create a graphical sketch of, perhaps, a girl, then will his own understanding of art be considered valid? Likewise, if art will be defined by someone who went to a comprehensive art school and academically honed his innate skills of visually expressing himself, then will his understanding of art be the most valid definition of art? Will the latter invalidate the former, or otherwise? In my opinion, the answer to all of the questions here is simply NO. Anything that is either concrete or abstract is subject to the definition of anyone belonging to any level of demographic or psychographic profile, so is art.

We see things in many different ways. Like me, for instance, if dictionary.com[1] defined art as “the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance”, then it is always up to me if I would like to understand art as how it is interpreted by reference books or websites, or if I would like to let my brain explore on its own library and decipher a new definition of art based on its own personal experiences.

Art is art as you see it, as to conclude this. Your definition of art might be influenced by your personality or by the knowledge you acquired from educational institutions. As for me, art is when I see something that is unlikely to be cliché. Art is when it stands out even though no one is likely to pay attention to it. Art is when it exceeds the basis of being mediocre. But art is everything that we see around us. The nature, whether maintained or ruined, is art.

So, Plato was right.

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[1] An online dictionary that is likely favored by this author as one of the most reliable reference websites on the cyberspace.

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Author's Note: This is an essay about "What is Art for you?"

Faith, Love, Time and Dr. Lazaro by Gregorio Brillantes (SCRIPT ADAPTATION)

Faith, Love, Time and Dr. Lazaro 

SCRIPT DRAFT 1 (TAN)       

09-04-2014

SCENE 1

INT.   

DR. LAZARO’S HOUSE – LIVING ROOM.

LATE AFTERNOON

(SFX: Chopin or Local classic)

Dr. Lazaro is sitting in the sofa and he is half-asleep, probably enjoying the music he’s listening to. Dr. Lazaro’s wife is also sitting opposite him and she is reading a book.

Dr. Lazaro: Andiyan ba si Ben?

Mrs. Lazaro: Nasa kuwarto niya, malamang ay nagbabasa rin. Ang alam ko’y mayroon siya pinagkakaabalahang libro ngayon.

Dr. Lazaro: Akala ko’y lumabas muli ang batang yun. Sino nga ba yung babaeng kinakatagpo niya nitong mga nakaraan lang?

Mrs. Lazaro: (She will look up at Dr. Lazaro, will not speak, but her eyes will show that she doesn’t know the answer)

Dr. Lazaro: Hindi lang maligamgam, napakainit. Dapat ay nanatili na lamang sa Baguio. Mga karamdaman, sakit, paghihirap, lahat ay dulot ng pagkagat ni Adan sa mansanas. Kung sana’y may sagot na nakalaan sa lahat ng katanungan…

Mrs. Lazaro: (while Dr. Lazaro is speaking, she should be looking at the husband)

Then, Dr. Lazaro’s phone rings

(SFX: TWO RINGS)

SCENE 2

EXT.

PALENGKE/TINDAHAN - PAYPHONE BOOTH

LATE AFTERNOON

Pedro Esteban is wearing some kind of ragged clothes. He’s kind of weary and tired. He is running along the market to look for a payphone.

PEDRO ESTEBAN: Ale, may payphone po ba kayo?

TINDERO: Ay wala e. Subukan mo sa tawid.

PEDRO: Sige po, salamat po!

Pedro will run towards the store.

PEDRO: Ate, pwede pong pagamit ng telepono ninyo?

TINDERA: Sige, tawag ka lang.

(The sales girl will hand out the phone.)

(SFX: dial tone)

(SFX: ringing on the other line)

SCENE 3

INT.   

DR. LAZARO’S HOUSE – DOORSTEP

LATE AFTERNOON

From the sofa, Dr. Lazaro will stand up and answer his phone while making his way outside the house.

Dr. Lazaro: Hello, sino ito?

SCENE 4

EXT.

PALENGKE/TINDAHAN - PAYPHONE BOOTH

LATE AFTERNOON

Pedro: Pedro Esteban po, kapatid ko po si Nanding Esteban, yung katiwala niyo po sa ospital?

SUPERIMPOSITION of IMAGES OF a sickly child in bed being cared by the mother

Pedro: Opo, susunduin ko na lang po kayo sa may gasolinahan. Opo, salamat po!

SCENE 5

INT.   

DR. LAZARO’S HOUSE – LIVING ROOM.

LATE AFTERNOON

Mrs. Lazaro: Huwag mong sabihin pasyente na naman yan.

Dr. Lazaro: Newborn Tetanus (papalatak)

Mrs. Lazaro: Ang sabi mo hindi ka papasok sa ospital ngayon? Hindi ba’t sasamahan mo kami ni Ben mag-dinner ngayon?

Dr. Lazaro: (will look away)

SCENE 6

INT.

DR. LAZARO’S HOUSE – BEDROOM

FLASHBACK

Dr. Lazaro’s eldest child, Anna, is lying on the floor. Blood is gushing out of her mouth, a bottle of cyanide is still in her hands.

Mrs. Lazaro is crying, she is wailing. She is kneeling beside her daughter, shaking her to wake her up.

Mrs. Lazaro: Anna! Anna! Diyos ko, hindi mo naman kailangan gawin ito e. Naiintindihan ka naman namin ng papa mo e. Anna! Anna!

Dr. Lazaro is standing at the doorstep, his face is unexplainable. His face is not showing any kind of expression. He is just looking at his wife and his deceased daughter.

(BG:

Dr. Lazaro: Pasensya na talaga mahal ko. Babawi na lang ako sa susunod ha? (Bebeso sa asawa) Sige mauuna na ako.

Mrs. Lazaro: O sige mag-iingat ka.

(Ben will enter the living room)

Ben: Pa? Aalis po kayo?

Dr. Lazaro: Oo e. Gusto mo ba ako samahan? Mayroon akong pasyente pupuntahan. Bata.

Ben: Sige po pa. Nang makalabas-labas din ako.

The two goes out of the house.

SCENE 7

EXT.

ROADSIDE –

ALMOST NIGHTTIME

Dr. Lazaro and his son are walking together in somewhat like fast manner.

Dr. Lazaro: Mabuti at napirmi ka sa bahay ngayong araw na ito. Balita ko’y abala ka raw sa pagbabasa ng libro?

Ben: Opo, papa. Talambuhay po.

Dr. Lazaro: Mainam yan.

Ben: Marami po kasi akong napupulot na magandang aral.

Dr. Lazaro: Talaga? Kung gayo’y mabuti nga iyan. Kanino bang talambuhay iyang binabasa mo? Talambuhay ba yan ni Einstein? O ni Bill Gates?

Ben: Ay hindi po papa. (will laugh)  Tungkol po siya sa isang lalake na naging monghe.

Dr. Lazaro: Hmm. Subukan mo ring ipabasa iyan sa mama mo. Magkakasundo kayo ng mama mo sa ganyan, iyon pa naman ay napakarelihiyosa.

Ben: Sa tingin ko nga po. Nakaka-inspire po siya.

Dr. Lazaro will suddenly stop and look at his son. He’s trying to search his son’s eyes, but his son will look down.

Ben: Pa …

Dr. Lazaro: Anak, sa tingin ko’y mapapabuti ka kung magtutuloy ka sa medisina pagkatapos ng AB mo.

Ben: Sa totoo lang po papa, hindi ko pa rin po alam e.

Dr. Lazaro: Kapag naging manggagamot ka na rin tulad ko balang araw, makakatulong ka sa mga tao. Sa mga mahihirap. Dun sa mga walang pambayad sa ospital.sPero pwede ka rin maging manggagamot sa Maynila. Para kumita ka, para magkapangalan.

Ben: Pa ang pinakagusto ko po talaga ay makatulong sa mga nangangailangan…

Dr. Lazaro: Mainam nga iyan. Teka, hindi ba anak at magaling ka sa Math? Sa tingin ko pwede ka ring maging engineer.

Ben: (Smile) Pag-iisipan ko pa muna pa, wala pa po talaga akong maayos na plano e.

Dr. Lazaro: Sige lang anak. Matagal pa naman iyon. Ang gusto ko lang naman e gawin mo kung ano iyong gusto mo, at kung saan tingin mo e mas sasaya ka.

Ben: Opo papa. Salamat po.

SCENE 8

EXT.

GASOLINE STATION

NIGHTTIME

Dr. Lazaro and his son have almost reached the gasoline station. Pedro Esteban is standing at the side and he is fidgeting. Then, when he sees the two, he will run towards them.

Dr. Lazaro takes out his hand to shake Pedro’s hand.

Pedro: Ako po si Pedro Esteban. Mabuti po at nakarating kayo agad. Halina po kayo doktor.

Dr. Lazaro: (he will nod his head)

The group walks away from the gasoline station as Pedro leads the way.

They walk along the busy streets. The streets are crowded and filthy.

(SFX: Market noise, car honking)

SCENE 9

EXT.

IN FRONT OF PEDRO’S HOUSE

NIGHTTIME

Pedro gestures his hand as they reach a small barong-barong.

Pedro: Narito na po tayo, Dr. Lazaro. Tuloy po kayo.

SCENE 10

INT.

PEDRO’S BARONG-BARONG – BEDROOM

NIGHTTIME

As they go inside the barong-barong, they see some women who are whispering to each other. Dr. Lazaro will not mind them although he will look at them. Meanwhile, Ben is behind his father, he follows him as he goes inside the bedroom.

(SFX: women whispering)

As they go inside the bedroom, they see the sickly child together with the mother. The mother, who is stifling a cry, reaches out for the doctor.

Mother: Parang awa niyo na po, ginoong doktor, pagalingin niyo po ang anak ko.

Dr. Lazaro: (He looks at the wife, and places a hand at her shoulder) Gagawin ko ang lahat, huwag kang mag-alala.

Dr. Lazaro puts down his bag and takes out alcohol to wash his hands. Then, he goes to check the skin of the child. He realizes that the child is not going to last longer, his skin is turning cold and the heartbeat is irregular.

(SFX: Irregular breathing)

Dr. Lazaro removes the blanket that encapsulates the sick child and injects something to the child. Ampule. However, the child becomes rigid and suddenly becomes stiff as wood. Dr. Lazaro breaks another ampule again and injects it to the child. He is sweating. He is very nervous. He thinks that the life of this child lies on his hands.

VO OF DR. LAZARO: Nasa kamay ko ang buhay ng batang ito… Kailangan kong maisalba ang buhay niya…

However, the child is not moving at all. Hence, he tries to revive the child through CPR. But it’s useless as the child turns greyish. The child is dead.

SCENE 11

INT.

PEDRO’S BARONG-BARONG BEDROOM

NIGHTTIME

Dr. Lazaro tries to stand up but he’s faltering. His legs are not helping him well. He looks straight at the lamp; he cannot look at the eyes of the spectators around him.

VO OF DR. LAZARO: Alam kong masakit para sa kanila ito, pero masakit din ito sa akin sapagkat ako ay isang doktor. Responsibilidad ko ang isalba ng buhay ng isang nag-aagaw buhay. Tungkulin kong pagalingin ang may-sakit. Isa akong manggaggamot.

SCENE 11

INT.

PEDRO’S BARONG-BARONG BEDROOM

NIGHTTIME

Pedro approaches the doctor. He is crying. He is clutching the arms of the doctor.

Pedro: Doktor, ano pong nangyari sa anak? Doktor …

Dr. Lazaro: (He faces Pedro, he tries to put a stern face but he is faltering. He softens up. Then, he shakes his head, and reaches for his things, and taps Pedro’s shoulder. He is about to say something when he hears someone murmuring.)

Ben is kneeling beside the dead child. He is whispering a prayer.

VO OF BEN: In the name of the Father, of the Son, and the Holy Spirit

 *unfinished*