Benjamín Roberto "Behn" H. Cervantes (August 25, 1938 – August 13, 2013) was a Filipino artist and activist. He was highly regarded as a theater pioneer, teacher, and progressive thinker who was detained multiple times during martial law in the Philippines. He directed the film ''

Sakada Sakadas ( es, sacadas; krj, manga sakada; ilo, dagiti sakada; hil, mga sakada; roughly "imported ones") is a term for migrant workers in and from the Philippines, doing manual agricultural labor. Within the Philippines, sakadas work in province ...

'' (

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

), about the struggle of

Negrense The Negrenses (; ) are the native cultural group of the Philippine provinces of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor. Overview Negrense (English: ''Negrese''; Hiligaynon and Cebuano: ''Negrosanon'' or ''Buglasnon'') identity is clos ...

peasants at a sugarcane plantation. Copies of the film were seized by the military under the Marcos dictatorship. Musical scorer Lutgardo Labad described the film as "a major cinematic coup that unearthed the inhuman conditions of our people then." In 1981, the film won a Dekada Award for Best Film of the Decade. At the

University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 200 ...

(UP), he founded the theater group UP Repertory Company in 1974 "to combat the censorship that was in place during martial law." He was also a member of the

Upsilon Sigma Phi The Upsilon Sigma Phi () is the oldest Greek-letter organization and fraternity in Asia. Founded in 1918, it is also the oldest student organization in continuous existence in the University of the Philippines. It has two chapters — a single ch ...

fraternity. He was also founding member of the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) and the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Filipino. Cervantes’ name is on the

Bantayog ng mga Bayani The Bantayog ng mga Bayani (), sometimes simply referred to as the Bantayog, is a monument, museum, and historical research center in Quezon City, Philippines, which honors the martyrs and heroes of the struggle against the dictatorship of for ...

Wall of Remembrance, which recognizes heroes who fought against martial law in the Philippines under Ferdinand E. Marcos.

Work on stage and in film

In theater

Among Cervantes’ work as stage director are ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also bo ...

, The Short, Short Life of Citizen Juan,'' and ''Iskolar ng Bayan.'' Cervantes appeared in many stage productions as actor, including ''

The Mikado ''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan, operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, whe ...

, Waiting for Godot,

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead ''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'' is an absurdist, existential tragicomedy by Tom Stoppard, first staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1966. The play expands upon the exploits of two minor characters from Shakespeare's ''Hamle ...

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...

,'' and ''

M. Butterfly ''M. Butterfly'' is a play by David Henry Hwang. The story, while entwined with that of the opera ''Madama Butterfly'', is based most directly on the relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, a Peking opera singer. T ...

.'' He also worked on activist plays, including ''Pagsambang Bayan'' and ''Estados Unidos versus Juan Matapang Cruz.'' He also directed ''Sigaw ng Bayan'', which was about the Philippine Revolution.

In film

Cervantes directed ''Sakada'' in 1976 while the Philippines was under martial law. The film about sugarcane plantation workers "was a thinly-veiled criticism of the country's feudal power structure." It starred

Rosa Rosal Florence Danon Gayda (born Florence Lansang Danon; October 16, 1928), better known as Rosa Rosal, is a FAMAS award-winning Filipina film actress dubbed as the "original femme fatale of Philippine cinema." She is also known for her work with the ...

Robert Arevalo Robert Ylagan Arevalo (; born May 6, 1938) is a Filipino film and television actor. Personal life Arevalo is the son of Filipino film actor/composer/musician Tito Arevalo; his uncle Angel Esmeralda is the father of the late Jay Ilagan and his un ...

Hilda Koronel Hilda Koronel (born Susan Reid; January 17, 1957) is a MMFF, FAMAS, Luna and Urian award-winning Filipino actress. Born to a Filipino mother and an American father who was a serviceman in Clark Air Base, she has starred in around 45 films, ma ...

Alicia Alonzo Germelina Viana Hernandez (born June 1, 1946), better known by her stage name Alicia Alonzo, is a Filipina actress in movies and television in the Philippines. She is the sister of action star Anthony Alonzo. Career She was a flight stewardes ...

Pancho Magalona Enrique Gayoso Magalona Jr. (January 22, 1922 – April 7, 1998), popularly known as Pancho Magalona, was a Filipino actor from the 1940s to the 1970s. Early life Born Enrique Gayoso Magalona Jr. in Bacolod, Negros Occidental, he was the son of ...

Bembol Roco Rafael Aranda Roco, Jr. (born November 20, 1953), popularly known as Bembol Roco, is a Filipino actor whose work ranges from films to television. He is famous for his critically acclaimed role as Julio Madiaga in '' Maynila: Sa mga Kuko ng Liw ...

Gloria Romero Gloria Romero may refer to: *Gloria Romero (actress) Gloria Anne Borrego Galla (born December 16, 1933), known professionally as Gloria Romero (), is a multi-awarded Filipino actress, regarded as the “Queen of Philippine Movies”, her care ...

, and Tony Santos Sr. After the movie had spent three weeks in theaters, Marcos ordered the military to seize copies of the film. The film led to Cervantes' arrest. ''Sakada'' received its first screening on Philippine television in 2005. He also directed ''Bawal, Ito Kaya’y Pagkakasala'', and ''Masikip, Masakit, Mahapdi.'' He appeared in the films ''Bomba Star,

Aguila Águila or Aguila is Spanish for "eagle". It may refer to: Places *El Aguila, Valle del Cauca, a town and municipality in Colombia * Aguila, Arizona, United States Ships * Chilean brigantine ''Águila'' (1796), the first ship of the Chilean Navy ...

, When I Fall In Love, Memories of Old Manila, Waiting in the Wings, Alas-Dose, Ang Anak ni Brocka'', and ''Barako''.

Activism

Cervantes took part in the 1984 Welcome Rotonda protest, during which pro-Marcos forces hosed down and fired tear gas at several thousand peaceful protesters gathered at Welcome Rotonda. In 1985, Cervantes and fellow filmmaker

Lino Brocka Catalino Ortiz Brocka (April 3, 1939 – May 22, 1991) was a Filipino film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and significant filmmakers in the history of Philippine cinema. He co-founded the organization Concerned Art ...

attended a nationwide transport strike in sympathy with public transportation drivers who organized the strike against rising gas prices. Cervantes and Brocka were arrested and charged with illegal assembly, which carries a penalty of life imprisonment. They were released after 16 days. He was a member of the Concerned Artists of the Philippines.

Awards

* Life Achievement Award from University of the Philippines Alumni Association * Aliw award for Life Achievement in Theater *

Cultural Center of the Philippines The Cultural Center of the Philippines ( fil, Sentrong Pangkultura ng Pilipinas, or CCP) is a government-owned and controlled corporation established to preserve, develop and promote arts and culture in the Philippines.Presidential Decree No. ...

' centennial award

References