Director Gio Puyat says creatives have a responsibility to the truth | #KailanganTotoo

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Back when we still watched TV, many of us learned to suspend our disbelief, chalking up all the nice things we saw to “TV Magic.” We know that the superhero on screen isn’t really flying and that that fast food burger won’t get served to you looking nearly as nice as that. With lights, angles, and editing, anything can look like a dream.

I create a lot of make-believe things for a living. When I'm behind those director's monitors, I realize how powerful the visual medium can be. Storytellers can literally create/enhance/manipulate any narrative they want with the right kind of resources.

As a director, Gio Puyat has made a lot of things look pretty in advertisements, but he has also pulled the curtain back on issues like corruption and land-grabbing through the documentaries he makes with VICE News Asia.

As the host of the “Kwentong Creatives” podcast, he interviews artists across different fields to understand the processes that lead to the finished products. Like the #KailanganTotoo piece by Hulyen that he shared on his Instagram, he believes that art always comes from a place of truth.

In all his projects, Puyat keeps in mind that while technology makes anything editable, the truth is one thing that shouldn’t be messed with. 

Read his full post on his Instagram here:

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There’s never a wrong time to talk about the truth. You can still join the #KailanganTotoo campaign! 

Choose from our roster of artists’ work for the campaign that resonates with you most and share that image along with a photo of yourself in your element, share fact-checking tips from our friends at VERA Files, and tell your own story of putting the truth first in your online and offline endeavors. Don’t forget to tag us, VERA Files, and three friends to join the movement. Use the hashtag “#KailanganTotoo” so we can read your stories too!