Story of Filipinos

Bautista, Karen Mae O. COMA 104 - B

2011-27192

"Malan: director's cut" was one of the full length films that were shown in UPLB community last February 5-8, 2013. This independent film has an objective to show people the reality of what is happening in our country -- which its objective was met. It is a story of Filipinos in Marcos regime; the struggles of our fellow Filipinos in Mindanao. The main characters are the heroes in their own way to protect our country from the military rule. But it has story of romance as both protagonists, Anton and Malan, developed feelings for each other.

Malan is a native of Mindanao who lives her life bounded by traditions of their tribe and Anton is an activist student from Manila who is a Cebu native. Basically, in the film, we can already witness the culture of people in Mindanao. Based on what the film shows, women in the right age are arranged to marry their own tribe mates, which is happening in real life in specific communities in the Philippines. Also, we can see their different lifestyle and types of clothes they wear. They follow certain religious beliefs wherein those are sacred and if one dis obeys it, the consequence will be death.

Since the setting is in Mindanao, the language that they used is Bisaya. The language was manifested in the culture because of how they use it to interact with each other. Also, language serves an important role in their way of life. According to Hofstede, language is also used to pave respect to elders and leaders and it is a part of their culture to follow their superiors. Also, they have traditions and rituals in worshiping their gods.

We can see an important role of language in it alongside with gestures and symbolic rituals. Language and culture needs each other in order to have progress and develop in community. In the film, we can see that those two were used so that people can have freedom from Marcos regime. Even though both the protagonists differ in culture, they utilize those in order to lead our fellow Filipinos and enlighten them on what the country was experiencing that time.

Reference:

Hofstede, G (1997). Culture and Organizations: Software of the mind. New York: McGrow Hill. Retrieved from http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/choudhury/culture.html