‘Fisting’ changes title to ‘Never Tear Us Apart’

MANILA, Philippines – The title of Whammy Alcazaren’s entry to Cinema One Originals proved to be too provocative for some – and it has now been changed from the original Fisting to Never Tear Us Apart.

The new title announcement was made on the film’s Facebook page on October 2, saying that the change was “requested by Cinema One Originals.”

Previously shared promotional materials for the film bearing the original title – a term widely used to refer to a sexual act – have been taken down.

“The film is so much more than the title and the poster. And because we understand that they are not for everyone, we are doing these necessary steps so that we can continue the dialogue we wanted to have with the audience through our film,” the announcement said.

At a press conference for Cinema One Originals, Alcazaren said that the title change was “a mutual understanding.”

“We were not forced to do it,” he said.

At the same time, Cinema One head Ronald Arguelles gave a statement on the matter saying that while they want to protect the artists’ freedom of expression, they also have to keep the sensitivities of the community in mind.

“As much as possible we want to protect and allow the expression of our artist. Freedom to open discourse is a standard of a healthy community, however, there comes a point where we need to be responsive and responsible to the whole community,” Arguelles said.

“Therefore we are performing steps to address the issue. Changing the title and sensitive steps are taken to navigate the situation carefully. We encourage fearless and daring projects but not at the expense of our corporate, social, and moral responsibility. ABS-CBN films, which we belong to, is in the service of the Filipino people first and foremost,” he added.

The film, shot entirely using an iPhone X, tells the story of an aging spy and his troubled family. It stars Ricky Davao, Meryl Soriano, and Jasmine Curtis-Smith.

Never Tear Us Apart is an official entry to the Cinema One Originals Festival, which runs from October 12 to 21. –  with reports from Precious del Valle/Rappler.com