thy womb: two upbeat views from Toronto

10/6/12

two upbeat views from Toronto

Capturing the Canadians' hearts. Thus "Sinapupunan" (Thy Womb) proves its universal appeal at the recent Toronto International Film Festival where it was "warmly applauded" as entertainment scribe Nap Alip reports:

Fan Poster: BERNIE PLACIDO

"While watching Thy Womb at the Dundas Cineflex, this writer was surprised. Not because of its sold-out tickets but seeing the Pinoys outnumbered by white people in the audience. More so, at the end of the screening, they warmly clapped in appreciation of the movie. Perhaps, those who go for too emotional or flamboyant scenes would be disappointed. For on the whole, Thy Womb shone in its simplicity. The maudlin sequences were touchingly restrained. As ever, Nora capitalized on her known facial expressions, deeply emoting through her eyes sans dialogues. She tackled the part of a Badjao midwife who lost her husband for another woman perfectly. Director Brilliante Mendoza is indeed a brilliant megger. No wonder, Nora became the Italian critics' favorite at the Venice Film Festival..."

Vouching for the veracity of Alip's impression is scholar Rama Chandra. “The quietly sentimental film of Brillante Mendoza, 'Thy Womb,' is a well-crafted story about what it means to be a selfless individual. It is one of the greater films the country has ever made. This is Nora's finest moment thus far. Effortless on screen but sheer dedication and commitment to her craft behind the scenes. She has mastered the art of subtlety after decades of melodramatic films under her belt. She continues to amaze us with her ability to disappear in the persona of the ordinary Filipino with a big heart.”

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A STORY AS DEEP AS THE SEA

“I am making a film about the Bajaus, with the aim to celebrate a nonviolent people amidst a very violent world. It’s an intriguing premise about a particular people of peace living in a place of endemic violence.

One of the most interesting peoples in southern Philippines, the Bajaus are native sea-dwellers that are also found in the neigh-boring Malaysian and Indonesian archipelagos. They are the so-called sea gypsies who are skilled in building various types of boats, and widely known as fishermen, pearl divers and mat weavers.

As a film, Thy Womb examines the opposing natures of two women (Nora Aunor/Shaleha’s sterility against Lovi Poe/ Mersila’s fertility) to reflect the prevailing condition in Tawi-Tawi, a place endowed with natural beauty and rich resources but mired in economic and socio-political crises. A quiet hell of a paradise, Thy Womb’s “birth place” and its environs are constant reminders of yesterday’s conflict that has remained unresolved up to the present.

The Bajaus are considered to be the most primitive and oppressed among several ethnic groups in the region; and they assume a subordinate status in their diverse and divided community, which includes the Samal and the Tausug, among others. But in spite of this, the Bajaus are generally perceived to be non-confrontational, forgiving, seemingly contented and happy people.

When wronged, it is said that the Bajaus would simply move to another place, bringing their houseboats (lepa-lepa), constantly roving, living in harmony with nature. To this day, they are mostly looked down, degraded and much maligned by their ethnic neighbors and others, thus rendering them harmless, helpless and almost powerless.

But in their heart of hearts, are they really so, or is it just another way of life merely misunderstood by those inured to violence? With this thought and theme, and my curiosity further piqued, the narrative voice of the film has emerged loud and clear.

With intensive research and truthful depiction of certain characters and their circumstances, as articulated in the poignant tale of an aging, childless couple who resolve to find the mother of their much-wanted child, I hope Thy Womb would show a slice of life in the best possible light."

– BRILLANTE MENDOZA