Bahiwag, Steven Chan 11 – Gold

Montañosa Film Festival: Reflection

When the class was informed that we were to attend the Montañosa Film Festival, I felt
great excitement. Not only would classes be cut but we would also get to watch films in the
cinemas for free. However, my excitement did not meet my expectations. I was disappointed,
not of the films but of something else.

The films were well made, but after watching the five short films, I felt deeply confused.
“What have I just watched?”, I pondered. It took a while to sink in but it came to me – the
meaning of these films.

Naisangsangayan a Daga – The first short film which featured two grandmothers who
were expert potters; they inherited their skills and knowledge from their ancestors. This makes
pottery a big part of Filipino tradition, however, their descendants refuse to learn pottery. This
saddens me because a part of tradition is about to be lost, a part of Filipino identity is about to
be forgotten.

Sariling Gunita – A short film that featured Virgilio Almario, one of the Philippines’ best
poets. According to Almario, we are steadily losing touch of our Filipino cultures, literature, and
history. Today, we are more concerned about foreign influences; we place more significance on
what is not ours. Again, we are losing our Filipino identity.

Tukador ni Tatang – A short film about whose main character is Dante, a great
choreographer. However, time goes on, and his dancing days are now in his past. In the film,
Dante kept reminiscing about his past when he was still a performer. Scenes of his past kept
bothering him in his head, as if his past was haunting him. I believe this implies that we should
not forget our past as it is still a big part of our identity.

Kagahapon – This film featured a grandmother and included several scenes where she
just sat in front of the house in silence for several minutes during the film. The silence was loud,
it was lonely. In one of her remarks, she mentioned a tradition of leaving behind a home before
dying. This home will serve as a remembrance of you as it keeps your remaining family
members safe. She had a home, but she lost her children. This also reflects the great loss we
suffer if there are no children to inherit. If children today are influenced by foreign cultures,
who would inherit our own cultures and identity?

Ang Dragon sa Capanganunan – This last film left the greatest impact on me. The film
showed glimpses of the Spanish Colonial era. The main theme discussed by the film is the true
identity of Filipinos. In the film, Filipino blood was spilled by another Filipino. Despite being
fellow Filipinos, one looked down on the other and they killed each other. This left me
questioning, who are the true Filipinos?

During the film, Ang Dragon sa Capanganunan, a group of students from another school
came in the cinema and sat behind us. They were loud, they kept talking and moving, and they
were disinterested and disappointed in the film. “Anu ba yan, makasaysayan naman pala to”,
“Nag-billiards nalang sana tayo”, they ranted. They then left just after sitting for a few minutes
without even finishing the film.

All the films and the event that occurred lead me to a disappointing fact, that Filipinos
are forgetting history, losing interest in traditions and literature, and are slowly losing identity. I
truly felt sad.

However, the films were amazing. Considering the plot, acting, music, cinematography,
editing, and so on, it was extraordinary, also considering the fact that the films were mostly
independently produced and with limited budget.

The films demonstrated the exceptional talent and creativity of Filipinos in film making.
These films must also continue to spread in order to enlighten Filipinos and reawaken the true
Filipino identity.
Bahiwag, Steven Chan 11 – Gold

ANALYSIS PAPER ON “Ang Dragon sa Capanganuran”

While watching the film, “Ang Dragon sa Capanganuran”, I felt proud and patriotic. The movie
showed me how Filipinos during the Spanish colonization, worked hard to attain the liberty we enjoy
today. Our ancestors fought for our freedom as they sacrificed themselves in war. However, towards the
end of the film, I felt sadness and disappointment. Filipinos ended up killing Filipinos, they spilled their
own blood. They were supposed to unite together against the Spaniards but they failed to identify their
fellow Filipinos, the comrades that they could have worked with. The film got me questioning, how do
you identify an authentic Filipino? What are the standards of being a true Filipino?

The film reflects how society is today; that we lack familiarity among Filipinos, that we do not
know our true identity, and that we are losing the identity we have because of foreign influences. In the
film, the mayor was heavily influenced by the Spanish. Despite being Filipino, he looked down on fellow
Filipinos, the people that carry the same blood as he did. He spoke Spanish, acted like a Spaniard, and
chose to side with the colonizers. He betrayed his people, people and this is all due to him losing his
identity.

Similar to today’s world, Filipino identity is slowly being lost all because of foreign influences.
Filipinos, especially the youth have no knowledge and are slowly forgetting our cultures, traditions and
history, the things that identify us as Filipinos. They prefer foreign products, foreign media, and foreign
culture. The film tells us that as Filipinos, we should not forget our own identity.

Expanding on the setting of the film, it revolved around the Spanish Colonization era. In the first
scene, the characters were located in a traditional house. The house was mostly made of wood,
including the furniture. The chairs were made with rattan weaving common to Filipinos. The house gave
the vibe that it truly was from the Spanish time. Moreover, the clothing of the characters was traditional
which complemented the setting. The mayor wore a suit which showed his status. The general and other
soldiers wore the traditional soldier uniforms which showed that they were true Filipinos who are loyal
to their country.

The central theme of the film is about the life of Filipinos during the Spanish Colonial era. The
film showed how Filipino soldiers tried to fight against the colonization.

There were multiple main characters in the film, the mayor of Carcar, Don Florecio Noel y
Mercado, the general, the Spanish-Filipino soldier, and the Filipino-Chinese character. The mayor was a
Filipino mestizo, and he certainly was of high status because of the way he acts. He wore clothes that
looked expensive, showing the significant difference in status between him and the other characters. He
spoke Spanish and acted like one. He looked down on Filipinos despite being one. The general and the
soldier wore a soldier’s outfit, which showed the Filipino values of being brave, as well as being loyal and
loving to the country. The Filipino-Chinese character wore common clothing.
 The outfits of the characters reflected the differences in their status, that there was a hierarchy
during the Spanish colonization. Some people, like the mayor were on top, and the soldiers and
common folk were below. Their social status also meant that there was a significant difference between
the rights, beliefs, and mentality of between the characters. These differences lead to the characters
failing to identify each other as Filipinos which hindered the possibility of unity. The differences resulted
in different sides fighting against each other. Thus, the film also shows the importance of unity, that
Filipinos need to unite to achieve greater things.