THE University of the Philippines-produced Sa Pagpula sang Lawod (When the Ocean Bleeds) short film was officially launched on Monday, April 12 at Iloilo Cinematheque, Iloilo City.
The 18-minute film was narrated in three perspectives – the coming age of a daughter, dilemma of a father, and the resilience turned to grudge of the mother.
The film talks about the plight of fisherfolks who were greatly affected by the challenges brought by territorial disputes. The issue is very timely since the country now faces a dilemma due to the presence of some foreign vessels in its territory.
It also tells about gender struggles associated with beliefs in a fishing community. There, the women were seen as “weak” and were treated merely as commodities by men. This issue is no stranger to us since women are sometimes the target of attacks and abuses and have long battled for gender equality.
Its director, Kenneth dela Cruz, strived hard to work on this film as his way of “contributing to the battle faced by our country,” may it be bad governance, territorial disputes of the challenges of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
“It is my first time to work with a sensitive content that demands from the actors to be daring. It is a challenge to the team to cast actors who will fit the role especially given the conservative culture of the Ilonggos. The film also requires scenes to be shot in the middle of the sea that challenged the creativity of the production team given the limited time for the shoot,” said dela Cruz.
Furthermore, the film is a response to the current situation of the country and a way of giving voices to the marginalized and the oppressed./PN
