Mangatyanan
Encyclopedia
Mangatyanan is a 2009 Filipino
independent film
directed by Jerrold Tarog
. The film was a finalist in the full-length feature category of the 2009 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
The title refers to a Mangatyanan "blood trail" ritual of the Labwanan tribe, which plays an integral role in the plot. Both ritual and tribe were invented for the film.
Things come to a head for laya when her father suffers from a heart attack. Although she pays for his hospital bills, she refuses to see him at the hospital, which leads to even further strain between her and her mother. The film reveals that her father used to visit Laya in her bedroom in the small hours of the night in order to abuse her - a fact which leads Laya's mother to leave, thinking that Danilo was seeing another woman, but not knowing that "the other woman" was in fact her daughter.
Not long after, Laya and new co-worker Eric (Neil Ryan Sese) are assigned by their boss (Mailes Kanapi) to document the Mangatyanan blood trail ritual of the Labwanan (a fictional Filipino tribe created for the story) before the practice dies out forever.
When the pair meet the Labwanan, they discover a severely dwindled group whose cultural identity is now asserted only by their tribal leader Mang Renato (Publio Briones III). While documenting the ritual, Laya feels a connection between the tribe’s predicament and her own.
When the disagreements and moral failures among the Labwanan lead to the disruption of the Mangatyanan ritual, Laya and Eric are asked to leave. Before finally leaving the tribe however, Laya runs away and takes it upon herself to perform the steps Mangatyanan ritual, one of the final steps of which is drinking a potentially fatal hallucigenic concoction.
While Eric and the tribesmen attempt to resuscitate Laya, the effects of the drink give her a vision of her father, who asks for her forgiveness. When she refuses, he instead convinces her to forgive her mother, which finally allows Laya to experience dignity and personal freedom.
, and partly in Zambales
. Manila locales include EDSA, the Metro Rail Transit, and various establishments near the Elisabeth Seton school. Zambales locales included Anawangin Cove PAndaquit Casa San Miguel and Capones Island.
As Director, writer, composer, editor, and sound designer (credited under different names), Jerrold Tarog had a great deal of control over many aspects of the film, but recognized that the other people who made the film were as much its creators as he was, saying "There's no such thing as an Auteur
."
and Bisaya
, and then modified slightly.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
directed by Jerrold Tarog
Jerrold Tarog
Jerrold Tarog is a multi-awarded Filipino film director, composer, writer, editor, and sound designer. All three films he has directed - Confessional, Mangatyanan, and Senior Year - have been critically acclaimed, receiving numerous awards. His Short Film "Faculty" has become a viral hit on...
. The film was a finalist in the full-length feature category of the 2009 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
The title refers to a Mangatyanan "blood trail" ritual of the Labwanan tribe, which plays an integral role in the plot. Both ritual and tribe were invented for the film.
Plot
The film tells the story of Himalaya "Laya" Marquez (Che Ramos), a 27 year old travel photographer who projects a cold, aloof persona to her family and workmates. The beginning of the film reveals that she is estranged from her mother Luzviminda (Irma Adlawan) and her father, the famous Photographer Danilo Marquez (Pen Medina). The film also reveals that she hasn't had a complete dream or a full night's sleep since age 12.Things come to a head for laya when her father suffers from a heart attack. Although she pays for his hospital bills, she refuses to see him at the hospital, which leads to even further strain between her and her mother. The film reveals that her father used to visit Laya in her bedroom in the small hours of the night in order to abuse her - a fact which leads Laya's mother to leave, thinking that Danilo was seeing another woman, but not knowing that "the other woman" was in fact her daughter.
Not long after, Laya and new co-worker Eric (Neil Ryan Sese) are assigned by their boss (Mailes Kanapi) to document the Mangatyanan blood trail ritual of the Labwanan (a fictional Filipino tribe created for the story) before the practice dies out forever.
When the pair meet the Labwanan, they discover a severely dwindled group whose cultural identity is now asserted only by their tribal leader Mang Renato (Publio Briones III). While documenting the ritual, Laya feels a connection between the tribe’s predicament and her own.
When the disagreements and moral failures among the Labwanan lead to the disruption of the Mangatyanan ritual, Laya and Eric are asked to leave. Before finally leaving the tribe however, Laya runs away and takes it upon herself to perform the steps Mangatyanan ritual, one of the final steps of which is drinking a potentially fatal hallucigenic concoction.
While Eric and the tribesmen attempt to resuscitate Laya, the effects of the drink give her a vision of her father, who asks for her forgiveness. When she refuses, he instead convinces her to forgive her mother, which finally allows Laya to experience dignity and personal freedom.
Production
Mangatyanan was shot over the course of ten days, partly in ManilaManila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, and partly in Zambales
Zambales
Zambales is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Iba. Zambales borders Pangasinan to the north, Tarlac and Pampanga to the east, and Bataan to the south. The province lies between the South China Sea and the Zambales Mountains. With a land area of...
. Manila locales include EDSA, the Metro Rail Transit, and various establishments near the Elisabeth Seton school. Zambales locales included Anawangin Cove PAndaquit Casa San Miguel and Capones Island.
As Director, writer, composer, editor, and sound designer (credited under different names), Jerrold Tarog had a great deal of control over many aspects of the film, but recognized that the other people who made the film were as much its creators as he was, saying "There's no such thing as an Auteur
Auteur theory
In film criticism, auteur theory holds that a director's film reflects the director's personal creative vision, as if they were the primary "auteur"...
."
Fictional Tribe, Language, and Ritual
In a disclaimer at the end of the film's credits, Director Tarog notes that: "The Labwanan Tribe of Dimacan, their languages and customs, including the Mangatyanan Ritual are products of fiction created for the purpose of allegory. They do not represent real indigenous tribes of the Philippines." In the two commentary tracks on the DVD, he claims that the language of the Labwanan was created from a mix of KapampanganKapampangan language
The Pampangan language, or Kapampangan , is one of the major languages of the Philippines. It is the language spoken in the province of Pampanga, the southern half of the province of Tarlac and the northern portion of the province of Bataan. Kapampangan is also understood in some barangays of...
and Bisaya
Visayan languages
The Visayan languages of the Philippines, along with Tagalog and Bikol, are part of the Central Philippine languages...
, and then modified slightly.
Cast
- Himalaya "Laya" Marquez:Che Ramos
- Eric:Neil Ryan Sese
- Luzviminda Marquez:Irma Adlawan
- Mang Ramon:Publio Briones III
- Danilo Marquez:Pen Medina
- Queen:Mailes Kanapi
- Junel:Bor Ocampo
- Manang Nida:Madeleine Nicolas
- Mang Igo: Ronald Legaspi
- Chits: Julia Enriquez
- Young Laya: Danielle Afuang
Awards Won
- Festival Finalist - Mangatyanan - Cinemalaya Cinco 2009
- Best Production Design - Benjamin Padero - Cinemalaya Cinco 2009 - “for effectively creating the physical and oppositional terrains for the urban and rural, and the real and mystical, in a story of a young girl’s coming to terms with her own troubled past."
- Best Editing - Jerrold Tarog (credited as Pats R. Ranyo) - 8th Gawad Tagapuring mga Akademik ng Aninong Gumagalaw (2009 Gawad Tanglaw)
Award Nominations
- Best Actress - Che Ramos - 33rd Gawad Urian AwardsGawad Urian AwardsThe Gawad Urian Awards are annual film awards in the Philippines held since 1977. It is given by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino and is currently regarded as the counterpart of the United States' New York Film Critics Circle....
(2010) - Digital Movie Cinematographer of the Year - Mackie Galvez - 26th Philippine Movie Press Club Star Awards (2010)
See Also
- Jerrold TarogJerrold TarogJerrold Tarog is a multi-awarded Filipino film director, composer, writer, editor, and sound designer. All three films he has directed - Confessional, Mangatyanan, and Senior Year - have been critically acclaimed, receiving numerous awards. His Short Film "Faculty" has become a viral hit on...
- Confessional (film)Confessional (film)Confessional is an internationally awarded mockumentary indie film by Jerrold Tarog and Ruel Dahis Antipuesto. It won Best Film in the First Features Section of 10th Osian Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema in New Delhi, India.-Plot summary:...
- Senior Year (film)Senior Year (film)Senior Year is a 2010 Philippine film directed by Jerrold Tarog, which tells the story of ten students of a private Catholic high school in Manila, as they go through the many transitions that come with their final year in high school...
- Cinema of the PhilippinesCinema of the PhilippinesCinema of the Philippines started with the introduction of the first moving pictures to the country on January 1, 1897 at the Salón de Pertierra in Manila. The following year, local scenes were shot on film for the first time by a Spaniard, Antonio Ramos, using the Lumiere Cinematograph...