So Strange

So Strange, Yet So Familiar A Critical Analysis of the Film, Yanggaw Mary Kareen Gancio University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City

I.

Introduction

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In the past three to six years, we have seen the rise of independent films in the country. Local indie films such as Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros, 2005), Kubrador (The Bet Collector, 2006),

Tribu (Tribu, 2007), Serbis (Service, 2008) had achieved recognitions including from local and international International film Film festivals Festival,

Cinemalaya,

Cinemanila

Gawad Urian, Cannes Film Festival and Asian Film Awards. These films served as inspiration for other Filipino film enthusiasts to produce their own movies. The availability of digital handheld cameras and user-friendly editing equipment has played a significant role in the democratization of filmmaking in the country. Filmmaking was no longer limited to large production studios alone. These technological individuals as innovations the gave even the

ordinary, movies. Cultural

middle

class

capability

to

produce the

Organizations Center of

such

Cinemalaya and

Foundation Econolink

with

the

Philippines

Investment,

Inc. as well as Cinema One and Creative Programs, Inc. have encouraged filmmakers from the different regions of the country to surface and participate in the production and revival of the Philippine culture through filmic expression. They have provided these filmmakers with the opportunities and the platform to

articulate their own narratives or stories to audiences both

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local

and

foreign

allowing

these

audiences

to

see

the

Philippines in a variety of perspectives. Given this presumption on the movements in the countrys film industry, the researcher finds the importance and raises the concern for media scholars to study the ways these films are able to construct a social reality and for them to explore their social and cultural implications. One particular film of

regional orientation that the researcher has found to be worthy of this endeavor is Richard Somes, Yanggaw (Affliction,

2008). Yanggaw is a melodramatic horror film written in

Hiligaynon. It tells the story of a family from a remote barrio in Western Visayas (a region in southern Philippines) whose

daughter had acquired a condition that forces her to crave for human flesh. The story highlights the familys struggle as they deal with their daughters condition. Yanggaw won in the 2008 Cinema One Originals Digital Film Festival Awards including Best Director (Richard Somes), Best Actor (Ronnie Lazaro), and Best Supporting Actor (Joel Torre). The film was also nominated the 25th Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) Star Awards for Best Movies. Digital The categories of the where Year, it was

nominated

included:

Movie

Digital

Movie Director of the Year, Supporting Actress of the Year, and Digital Movie Cinematographer of the Year. The film also won

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Best Actor, Best Sound, and Best Supporting Actress in the 2009 Gawa Urian Awards. It had several screenings in Metro Manila and Bacolod. The film was also exhibited at the Hong Kong Convention Center during the Hong Kong International Film Festival. The primary subject of the movie, Yanggaw, is the aswang, a mythical creature in the Philippine folklore. Noted as the most feared among the mythical creatures in the country, they are usually described as a combination of vampire and witch and are almost always female. Other descriptions include shape-

shifters and corpse eaters. The most notable characteristic of the aswang is its crave for human flesh, blood and innards. There are various interpretations and versions of the aswang in the different regions of the country, except in the Ilocos

region the only region that does not have an equivalent myth. In an interview with Michael Tan, dean of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP) at the University of the Philippines reflect and Diliman, he mentioned public that elements (Arao, of folklore As a

alleviate

anxiety

2009).

folklore, aswang reflects the peoples fear of the night and of incidents and diseases that they could not explain, at least in the past, before the the advent of industrialization aswang stories and modern been

medicine

in

country.

Nowadays,

have

extended to the popular media including tabloids, books, TV, radio and film basically for the purpose of entertainment.

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In

the

Philippine with the

cinema, of

films

about

aswang

are

often

associated acclaimed

region

Western

Visayas.

Nationally (Shake,

Western

Visayan

director,

Peque

Gallaga

Rattle, and Roll I-IV (1984-1992), Impaktita (1989), Sa Piling ng mga Aswang (1999)) has contributed to this myths association with the region. Although it should be noted that Western

Visayan culture is as multi-dimensioned as any other culture out there, this association does not necessarily have to be

dismissed as negative. It is simply because the region plays an important role in keeping this folklore alive by being a source of aswang stories. As described by Richard Bolisay (2008) in his review of the film, Yanggaw, The aswang is understandably a striking facet of local belief that managed to endure through the years. In our ascent to the standards of Western living in exchange of cultural amnesia, it must be noted that the aswang is doing us a favor of sustaining this heritage. However, Bolisay continues that this mythical creature remains the most exploited in character Tito in Genova Pinoy horror stories also

particularly

cinema.

Valiente

(2008)

emphasized in his review of the same film that the aswang has become a major victim of the tendency of Filipino film directors to latch the figure to Western, i.e. Hollywood, mode of narrative. Or, to Asian Gothic, i.e. Japanese horror.

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As a consequence, the myth has eventually lost its essence in sustaining a part of our cultural heritage. The researcher observed that majority of the Filipino

horror films portray aswang as a stranger with non-human, evil and horrifying characteristics. It is usually the antagonist in these movies. In Yanggaw, the mythical creature was presented in a different manner. The film displayed the aswangs

vulnerability and patheticity as a person. In this film, the aswang is the victim. This manner of re-presentation exhibited the films defiance from the conventions of the countrys

mainstream horror cinema. The researcher also observed that Yanggaw is one of the very few films in dialect with a regionally-specific narrative that has achieved national recognition. This recognition served as a significant milestone not only in the filmmakers career but also in the Western Visayan culture considering that the regions representation in the national media scene is very

limited. In the Philippines where films are dominantly produced by practitioners from the National Capital Region, it is easy to assume that filmmakers from other regions such as the Western Visayas are not spared from their ideologies and discourses. On the other hand, the researcher recognizes the possibility that

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filmmakers from the other regions are capable of challenging these dominant ideologies. These observations have roused the researcher to explore the ways the film, Yanggaw, either challenge or articulate the existing dominant ideologies in our society. In this study, the researcher intends to discuss the films social implication and the ways it exemplifies medias hegemonic and counter-hegemonic potentials.

Statement of the Problem This study aims to answer the following questions: 1. What are the socio-cultural

elements of the film, Yanggaw? 2. How were these elements

represented in the film?

3.

How does the representation of these elements articulate ideologies of a culture?

Objectives of the Study

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This

study

aims

to

explore the ways the film, Yanggaw,

articulated ideologies in our society. Specifically, this study aims to 1. Identify the socio-cultural elements of the film 2. Explore the ways these elements were presented in the film
3.

Examine

and

discuss

how/whether

these

representations

articulated dominant ideologies in our soviety

Significance of the Study By examining the films socio-cultural elements and the

manner these elements were represented in this film, this study can reveal:
1. issues of hegemony in our society as perpetuated by

the countrys film industry

2. medias potential in reinforcing subverted ideologies

in our society
3. languages

significant

role

in

the

process

of

reinforcing subverted ideologies This study can serve as a call for Filipino filmmakers to become more culturally-critical when producing films. This study

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can also serve as a useful resource for film scholars who intend to conduct studies about similar topic in the future.

Scope and Limitations This study employs the cultural approach in communication research. ideology Cultural of a approach concerns other with how the via dominant various

culture

subverts

ideologies

social institutions, the media in particular (Pernia, 2004). Content analysis is used in this study to explore the films socio-cultural elements more than its technical aspects. This study also made use of local and foreign reviews of the film gathered from the World Wide Web.

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II.

Review of Related Literature

Philippine Cinema In the Philippines, cinema is considered as a popular art and a business at the same time. Since 1897, when it was first introduced in the country as a technological innovation from the West, film has won the hearts of most Filipinos. Besides being a means of entertainment for the people, film also served as a time capsule for individual as well as national experiences. The mediums money-making potential was also discovered by the early proponents of film in the country. The Big Three production

studios in the past were primarily profit-oriented. One of the greatest legacies of these pioneers is the use of capitalism in the industry. Although film was initially used as an instrument for American colonialism in its early years in the Philippines (and arguably until today), it has undeniably evolved from being a mere colonial remain into an indispensable industry in the country. Needless to say that it plays an essential role in Philippines socio-cultural as well as economic development. Philippine cinema is classified into two according to its motivation in film production. These are the mainstream and the independent or alternative cinema. The mainstream cinema, which is primarily profit-oriented in nature, has dominated film

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production in the country since the time film became a popular medium. The contemporary mainstream cinema in the Philippines is often criticized Due as to being the mediocre, demands unimaginative, of the and

predictable.

economic

industry,

producers have refused to take risks with new ideas that could not guarantee return of their investment. On the other hand, independent or alternative cinema, which is usually (not

exclusively) artistically-motivated, has recently reclaimed its spot in the countrys film industry. It should be noted that independent or alternative cinema is not new in the countrys film scene. However, since cinema is naturally a capital-

intensive industry, producing films independently was a serious challenge for these filmmakers. However, recent technological contributed Initiatives to taken this by cinemas different

innovations propagation

have in

significantly the country.

institutions such as universities, government units and private corporations have also played an important role in the process by providing venues for the exhibition of these materials. Philippine cinema is also characterized by genres including drama (melodrama), horror/fantasy, action, and comedy-musical. For the purpose of this study, the melodramatic and horror

genres will be given more attention.

Melodrama in Philippine Cinema

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Melodrama is described as a dramatic work which exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. Elements of melodrama had existed in 18th Century forms like sentimental comedy, domestic tragedy, neoclassic tragedy and even pantomime (www.wayneturney.20m.com, Melodrama, 2010). The use of this genre in the Philippine cinema is said to have come from the sinakulo or the passion play that was very popular among the Filipinos prior to the advent of film in the country.

Filipino Family in Philippine Cinema Melodramatic films perpetuate the strong bond shared among members of a typical Filipino family. As Patrick Flores

described these films, the locus of the conflict is the home and the source of its problem is the threat to the cohesion which sustains the domestic universe (Flores, 2008). Kinship and family are two of the primary discourses presented in Filipino melodramatic films such as Laurice Guillens, Ang Tanging Yaman (A Change of Heart, 2000), Joel Lamangans

Mano Po (Mano Po 1: My Family, 2002), and Chito S. Roos Bata, Bata, Pano Ka Ginawa (Leas Story, 1998). The genre

was also evidently popular in the independent cinema with films such as Magnifico (2003), and Mga Munting Tinig (Small

Voices, 2002).

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Horror in Philippine Cinema Horror films are characterized by its ability to terrify its viewers. In fact, this is primarily the aim of the film. Films in this genre provide a revealing mirror image of the anxieties of the people (www.horrorfilmhistory.com, Horror Film, 2010). In the Philippine cinema, concepts for horror films are usually inspired by pre-colonial myths combined with Hollywoods mode of narrative. One of the most favorite characters in this genre is the aswang. Horror films that featured aswang include Aswang (segment of Shake, Rattle, and Roll, 1984), and

Impaktita both by Peque Gallaga, and Ang Lihim ng San Juaquin (The Secret of San Jauquin segment of Shake Rattle, and Roll VII, 2005) by Richard Somes.

Aswang in Philippine Cinema Aswang (Philippine Ghoul) is a mythical creature in the Philippine folklore. Noted as the most feared among the mythical creatures in the country, they are usually described as a

combination of vampire and witch and are almost always female. Other descriptions include shape-shifters and corpse eaters. The most notable characteristic of the aswang is its crave for human flesh, blood and innards (Gancio, 2010). The myth is especially popular in the region of Western Visayas. There are also other

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14

versions of the myth in the other regions of the country, except in Ilocos region, the only region with no counterpart for the myth. According to Michael Tan, dean of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP) at the University of the

Philippines Diliman, elements of folklore reflect and alleviate public anxiety (Arao, 2009). In the case of the aswang, it is the peoples fear of the night and of incidents and diseases that they could not explain, (at least in the past, before the advent of industrialization and modern medicine in the country) that is being reflected and alleviated by this folklore.

Nowadays, aswang stories have been extended to the popular media including tabloids, books, TV, radio and film basically for the purpose of entertainment (Gancio, 2010). Even in the early years of the film industry in the

Philippines, the folklore has already inspired a number of films including George Mussers, Ang Aswang (The Witch, 1933) with English and Spanish dialogue, and Romy Suzaras Anak ng Aswang (1973). This local myth has also been featured in foreign

produced films like, Aswang: A Journey into the Myth in 2008 by Jordan Clark, and Surviving Evil in 2009 by Terence Daw. The consistent presence of the aswang in these films has also caught the attention of contemporary Filipino film critics. For instance, Richard Bolisay (2008) observed that

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This bloodthirsty figure has that strong and timeless halo over its head that it remains the most exploited character in Pinoy horror stories, from short pieces of fiction to TV serials, in every Halloween episode of magazine shows and documentaries, news reports of terror in provinces, without cracking the obvious, where else could it give such esteemed overuse than cinema, the annual Metro Manila Film Festival that breathes life to endless Shake, Rattle, and Roll flicks that scare less than their ability to frustrate. Tito Genova Valiente (2008) added that the aswang has become a major victim of the tendency of Filipino film directors to latch the figure to Western, i.e. Hollywood, mode of narrative. Or, to Asian Gothic, i.e. Japanese horror. Recently, attempts were made by independent film

directors/writers like Richard Somes (Yanggaw, 2008) and Ray Gibraltar (Wanted: Border, 2009) to redefine the myth of the aswang in the Philippine cinema.

Manila-centric Philippine Cinema In the years 1916-1940, the public of cinema has settled into place, mainly in Manila and Cebu. Since then, consumption of the Philippine films continued to spread all over the

country. Accounts on the history of Philippine cinema note that

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the industry was also once set up in Cebu, the only vernacular film industry that flourished in the 50s and 70s. However due to its capital-intensive nature, coinciding with the limited

availability of most filmmaking resources in regions other than Manila, the film industry in Cebu eventually died a natural

death. Flores noted that as a consequence, film became the only popular culture that can lay claim to a national audience inasmuch as radio, print, and TV all have vernacular versions. Recently a number of events were organized by government and non-government agencies to once establish the film industry in the other regions of the country. For instance, CINEMA

REHIYON 2010, a project of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Crossing Negros Cultural Foundation, Inc. and the Cultural filmmakers highlighting Center from the of the film the Philippines, regions and features across movements films and

various

the in

country, Bacolod,

communities

Baguio, Bohol, Calabarzon, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Naga, Pampanga, Pangasinan and Samar.(www.culturalcenter.gov.ph, CINEMA REHIYON, 2010).

Hiligaynon in Philippine Cinema Hiligaynon is an Austronesian language spoken in Western Visayas in the Philippines. Speakers of this language are called

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Ilonggo(s). Ilonggo is used to refer to an ethnolinguistic group inhabiting the province of Iloilo, and the culture associated with native Hiligaynon speakers. The terms Hiligyanon and

Ilonggo is often used interchangeably by native speakers of the language when referring to the local dialect. Hiligaynon is also spoken in some parts of Mindanao like Koronadal City, South Cotabato, Cotabato. Films written in regional dialect are very rare in the Sultan Kudarat, Davao and many parts of North

country. Ilonggo films, in particular, are never mentioned in majority of the accounts on the history of Philippine cinema. It is only in the recent years that these types of films have enjoyed national recognition. Film festivals like Cinemalaya and Cinema One Originals Digital Film Festival have featured nonTagalog recent films, Ilonggo including films those written in these in Hiligaynon. festivals Most are

featured

film

Wanted: Border (2009 Cinema One Originals) by Ray Gibraltar, Namets (2008 Cinemalaya Film Fest) by Jay Abello, and Yanggaw (2008 Cinema One Originals).

Yanggaw Yanggaw is an independent film written in Hiligaynon. The word yanggaw is locally described as an infection that leads to the condition of being an aswang. The film is about a family

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from a remote barrio of Western Visayas, a region in southern Philippines, whose daughter had acquired an illness that makes her crave for human flesh. The film tackles two primary

subjects, the folklore of aswang and the values of a Filipino family. Both melodramatic and horror in genre, the story

revolves around the familys struggle as they deal with their daughters condition. Directed and written by Richard Somes, the film won in the 2008 Cinema One Originals Digital Film Somes), Festival. Best Its awards (Ronnie

included

Best

Director

(Richard

Actor

Lazaro), and Best Supporting Actor (Joel Torre). The film also won Best Actor, Best Sound, and Best Supporting Actress in the 2009 Gawad Urian Awards. Other achievements of the film include nominations for Best Digital Movie of the Year, Digital Movie Director of the Year, Supporting Actress of the Year, and

Digital Movie Cinematographer of the Year in the 25th Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) Star Awards for Movies. The Bacolod. film It had several screenings at the in Metro Kong Manila and

was

also

exhibited

Hong

Convention

Center during the Hong Kong International Film Festival and at the Reel Asian International Film Festival in Toronto both in 2009.

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III. Study Framework

Theoretical Framework This study employs the cultural approach in communication research. ideology social Cultural of a approach concerns other the with how the via dominant various 2004).

culture

subverts such as

ideologies media

institutions,

(Pernia,

Specifically, the Cultural Studies theory serves as the primary theoretical framework of this study. Cultural Studies involves the investigation of the ways culture is produced through a

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20

struggle among ideologies (Littlejohn, 2005). For the Cultural theorists, multiple ideologies exist next to one another in a dynamic tension. This the theory process makes use of the concept of are

articulation

through

which

realities

reinforced by different social institutions, in explaining why certain ideologies are more dominant than the others. As a

social institution, media is perceived by Cultural theorists as a powerful tool in this process. Media is also seen as a site of hegemony the ability of a dominant group to exert its

ideologies upon another group, regardless of the latter consent.

This study draws its framework from the theorys key issue on the question of agency whether resistance and change are possible in a mass-mediated world. The researcher investigated the ways the film, Yanggaw re-presents its socio-cultural

elements. The researcher also explored the possibilities that this film articulated or challenged the dominant ideologies

perpetuated by the countrys film industry.

Conceptual Framework Media articulates dominant ideologies in a society.

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Operational Framework Yanggaw demonstrates medias potential to articulate

ideologies in a society

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IV.

Methods and Procedures

This

study

made

use

of

the

qualitative

design

of

communication research in examining the ways the film, Yanggaw demonstrated medias potential to articulate ideologies in the society. This research design best served the researchers

intent to focus on identifying the socio-cultural elements of the film and in discussing the film. the manner these the elements researcher were re-

presented

Specifically,

applied

content analysis of the film, Yanggaw in this study. Reviews of the movie were also gathered to substantiate the researchers discussion on the films social implications.

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V. Results and Discussions

Findings

of

this

study

revealed

three

notable

socio-

cultural elements of the film. These are the elements of the aswang folklore, the Filipino family and the Hiligaynon dialect.

The Aswang Folklore The mythical creature in the film, Yanggaw was

characterized by the following features: 1) The aswang is a woman, a characteristic consistent with how the myth is popularly depiction in Philippine folklore and cinema.

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2) The aswang is the vulnerable and pathetic victim that was supposed to have been saved. 3) The aswang is seen through the eyes of her family from inside her own home, a rare experience provided for the audience, as opposed to the conventional visitors or

strangers point of view

The Filipino Family The features 1) The family is financially insufficient 2) The family demonstrates the close bond among its members 3) The family is very patriarchal in nature with the father having the most say in the decisions for the family. 4) The family lives in a rural community, suggestive of both the simple lifestyle and the inaccessibility to modern Filipino Family was characterized by the following

services

The Hiligaynon Dialect Used as the primary language in the film, the researcher observed the following 1) Hiligaynon was initially awkward to listen to

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2) Hiligaynon

served

as

reconciling

element

between

the

lived culture of the Hiligaynon-speaking individual and the culture prescribed by the popular media. 3) Hiligaynon could have served as a limiting factor in the film for non-Hiligaynon speakers to understand the essence of the narrative 4) Hiligaynon was spoken naturally by majority of the casts

The representation of the aswang in the film as a female is consistent with the popular depiction of the myth in Philippine folklore and the cinema. Since the idea of a female aswang is not new, this allowed the audience to focus on the other

elements of the film without being disturbed by the gender of its character.

The aswang is often depicted as a monster that consciously and willfully submit to their evil tendencies. In this film, more emphasis was given on the aswangs human weaknesses and internal conflicts as it struggles against these tendencies.

Besides the multi-dimensioned persona given to this character, the film also generates, among its audience, a sense of

attachment to the aswang by using the familys point of view in the narrative.

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Poverty,

family

and

patriarchy

are

three

of

the

most

recognizable themes of Filipino films that were exploited in Yanggaw. In this film, the family was treated in a conventional manner financial insufficiencies as a prevailing cause of

conflict; a father who makes the decision for the whole family; a family that is extremely attached with each other. The idea that rural lifestyle is associated with misery as brought by the limited access to modern technology was also articulated in the film.

Finally, the film radically departed from the conventions of the Philippine cinema with its use of the Hiligaynon

language. More common in the regional radio dramas, Hiligaynon initially sounded strange in film. The strangeness was

eventually lost as the language started to blend with the other aspects of the film. For instance when it was combined with the gritty and unstable camera shots, it created an extreme sense reality, at least among the Ilonggo-speaking audience. Foreign reviews of the film reveal that the absence of a background of the myth prevented foreign audience from experiencing the same thrill that the film has generated among its Filipino audiences.

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VI.

Summary and Conclusion

Generally,

the

film

demonstrated

negotiation

between

foreign and local influences, as well as dominant and undermined ideologies. The film articulated the following dominant ideas of: (a)the female aswang; (b)the poor Filipino family that is patriarchal by nature; and (c)the rural lifestyle that is

relatively miserable. On the other hand, the film managed to create a new perspective of the Philippine cinema by utilizing local or regionally-specific resources such as the folklore of aswang and the Hiligayon dialect. It is evident that Yanggaw served as a site of hegemony and counter-hegemony at the same time.

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References

Arao, D. A. (2009, February). Folklore kasi! Unpopular folklore and popular culture (Interview with Michael Tan). Plaridel (A Journal of Philippine Communication, Media, and Society), 6 (1), 123-142. Flores, P. Art and society handbook. Quezon City: CAL Foundn & CHED, 1998. Littlejohn, S. and Foss, K. Theories of human communication. 8th Ed. CA: Wadsworth:2010. Pernia, E. Communication research in the Philippines issues and methods. QC: University of the Philippines Press: 2004. Stam, R. Film theory: An introduction. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell, 2000. Online Reference http://www.starmometer.com/2008/11/29/2008-cinema-one-originalsfilmfest-winners/ http://abs-cbn-kapamilya-aficionado.blogspot.com/2009/04/yanggawnominated-sa-25th-pmpc-star.html http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1332644/awards http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Tan http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Top_10_Scariest_Philippine_Movies http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peque_Gallaga http://astig-gid.blogspot.com/2009/10/yanggaw.html

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http://lccians.ning.com/group/arfienpeople/forum/topics/yanggaw-an-illongomovie-we http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reception_theory http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1332644/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shake,_Rattle_and_Roll_2k5 http://oggsmoggs.blogspot.com/2008/12/yanggaw-2008.html http://www.clickthecity.com/movies/?p=5310 http://www.reelasian.com/ http://www.mediaknowall.com/camangles.html http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/00/7/hongkong.html http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185910/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Manila_Film_Festival http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0283037/ http://www.aenet.org/family/filmhistory.htm http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0188415/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0804539/