thy womb: a local variation on a theme of international commendation

11/21/12

a local variation on a theme of international commendation

In the wake of the glowing reviews from the foreign media and critics, their Filipino counterparts are starting to see why Thy Womb has been sailing high since the standing ovation it received from its world premiere at the 69th Venice International Film Festival where it was officially selected for competition. Here's a recent review from one of the Philippines's respected critic Pablo Tariman:

"The film captures the colorful life and tradition of the Badjaos as seen in courtship and wedding rituals and in the process showcase a rare unselfish kind of love between a Badjao comadrona and his husband. The irony of her life is that while she helps give birth to countless babies every week and keep count of them by keeping a part of their umbilical cord in her abode, she herself is childless. For love of her husband, she even helps find a suitable bride who can procreate.

It is in the role of Shaleha, the Badjao midwife, that Nora Aunor gives an incandescent performance. She has very little dialogue in this film but every time the camera focuses on her with her marital predicaments quietly etched on her face, she delivers a kind of acting that is natural and thus even more astounding.

Scriptwriter Henry Burgos has woven a tale of unselfish love that is unusually quiet and very cerebral. The breath-taking cinematography of Odyssey Flores captures the scenic way of life of the Badjaos. On his part, Brillante's direction unwittingly stayed away from unnecessary details that will detract from the simple life of this gentle Badjao couple. When the couple makes love for the last time before the takeover of the new bride played with sensitivity by Lovi Poe, you can see that the heroine in this film is made of sterner stuff.

For its portrayal of the way of life of the Badjaos, the Brillante Mendoza film is a refreshing entry in the 2012 Metro Manila Film Festival. It could educate a bulk of our young moviegoers who equate love with the usual "kilig" formula. It can further educate them on how our Muslim brothers live and how they cope with unstable peace and order in their territory..."

Click to read the rest of the article, and click here for another Filipino reviewer's insight.

Below is the video of the director's interview at the Brisbane International Film Festival.

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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