The current Manila film festival, which runs until this week, has brought to the screen a simplified retelling of the life of Gat Andres Bonifacio, with a most provocative message: “I gave my life for freedom, what will you do with yours?” It is a question addressed to all Filipinos.

The story is a tragic one. Bonifacio founded and led the Katipunan, which launched the Philippine revolution against Spain in 1896. But he died not in the hands of the Spanish enemy but in the hands of Magdalo, a rival revolutionary faction, led by General Emilio Aguinaldo.