By: Michael U. Obenieta
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“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 neighboring 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 MA. MENDOZA
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