A film that does not spoon-feed its audience: "Better Dead Than Dying"

by Samuel Harry Adlaon

"Better Dead Than Dying" is an independent short film from the College of Arts and Social Sciences directed by Simonette Intong, Jaana Parulan, Sittie Camal, and Lexan Abellana. The title itself suggests a profound message, implying that death may be better than the unrelenting suffering of a terminal illness (or life in general). The film stars Dansil Hawari as Cass, a blue-collar worker at a funeral home, and Gregory Cabato as her younger brother Syd. The movie follows Cass as she grapples with both a debilitating smoking addiction and a lung cancer diagnosis.

A film more than a cinematic exploration of one woman's struggle with her terminal illness - it serves as a scathing reminder of the failings of the Philippine healthcare system and the consequences faced by those trapped in its inadequacies. Subtly woven (or am I reaching too far?) into the narrative is a lament for the cultural death of humanities and social sciences courses, whose marginalization mirrors the protagonist's grim fate.
Described as an unconventional film, "Better Dead Than Dying" encourages viewers to think deeply and draw their own conclusions. A film that really makes you stare blankly after watching. The film encapsulates the bleak reality confronting Cass, whose name is a direct reference to the CASS college. As she navigates the tangled web of obstacles and financial barriers to accessing proper medical care, Cass's journey becomes a metaphor for the systemic failures that plague the Philippine healthcare landscape. The scenes depicting Cass's attempts to seek help (as seen on the montage) while suffering from an addiction and an illness reflect the harsh realities faced by many Filipinos who rely on an underfunded and overwhelmed public healthcare system. The film's marketing, a gravestone with an "In Loving Memory of the College of Arts and Social Sciences," underscores the symbolic connection between Cass's personal struggle and the broader crisis facing the social sciences in the country.

  The demise of the humanities and social sciences courses, represented by Cass's decline, speaks to a larger societal trend of devaluing these fields in favor of more "practical" and "lucrative" disciplines. As Cass's illness progressively worsens, the film becomes a haunting commentary on both the Philippine public health system and the marginalization of the social sciences. Intertwined with this narrative is the powerful metaphor of the black cat, a symbol often associated with bad luck in the Philippines. Cass's request for the cat to "give her one life" poignantly reflects her resignation to her impending mortality, while the cat's eventual demise further underscores the tragic theme of death and loss. The cake, with its 1 candle representing Cass's remaining life - and the date of her brother’s birthday - being slowly consumed by the cat – a metaphor for death – serves as a powerful visual representation of Cass’ relentless march toward death. The film's attention to detail is further emphasized in a poignant scene where Cass is seen digging a grave for the deceased black cat, a symbolic representation of her deteriorating health. Ironically, it is Cass herself who ends up lying in the hole she has dug, implying that her lung cancer diagnosis is a consequence of her smoking addiction - a harsh commentary on the personal toll exacted by systemic failures. In another scene, Cass is delivering flowers to a funeral, only to be shocked by the exorbitant price tag of a casket she saw. This moment serves as a reminder of the financial barriers that even the deceased face, a harsh reality that compounds the struggles of the most vulnerable in society, this is emphasized more clearly in one of the scenes background karaoke’s lyrics “mahal mamatay.” One of the scenes where Cass calls the number on the missing poster foreshadows Cass's impending fate, echoed in the phone call informing her of the cat's owner's death, a grim portent of her demise. Cass's story, "Better Dead Than Dying" challenges the audience to confront the harsh realities faced by the most vulnerable members of Philippine society – those whose illnesses are compounded by the lack of accessible and affordable healthcare. The film's story and cinematography put you into the shoes of the vulnerable, it’s poignant reflections on mortality and human suffering serve as a rallying cry for systemic change, urging viewers to question the priorities and shortcomings of the country's public health infrastructure.

In the end, "Better Dead Than Dying" is not merely a work of cinematic art, but a bold statement that demands a reckoning with the Philippine government's failings in providing adequate healthcare for its citizens, while also underscoring the urgent need to revitalize and support the social sciences.