Hulagway is a two-part documentary linked together by a love story between Consuelo (Sue Prado), and Robert (Kalil Almonte). This documentary features the endangered languages of the Dupaninan Agta in Isabela, and the Tandulanen Tagbanua in Palawan, Philippines. The film follows the journey of Consuelo (Sue Prado) and Robert (Kalil Almonte) against the backdrop of the changing ecosystem in the grasslands of Isabela, where endemic grasses are being slowly displaced by invasive foreign species, and ends in the beaches of Palawan once inhabited by mythological crabs. As a poetic and lyrical rumination on the beauty of words, this film shows how language is indeed the soul of a culture.
I was able to attend the press screening last Aug 24 and I can say that this documentary is an eye opener making us realize that we are rich in native languages. Native language plays an essential role in establishing our identity. History and culture is inherent in language. Learning the native language signifies learning the same history and culture of generations before and after and it is important that we preserve this. Hulagway also tells a beautiful love story in its second half showcasing the myth and mystery of a faraway province. It is deep and weird but I was able to get the message across.
The film raises questions as to the validity of ethnographic intervention in the preservation of dying languages, raising once more the contentious debate between etic and emic, the outsider and insider, viewpoints in ethnography. But in the end, this documentary fiction opts for hope and reconciliation as Consuelo, Robert, and Charlie, Dupaninan Agta guide, find common ground in the Dupaninan word “nakam,” which both means mind and emotion.
Watch video below as filmmaker Alvin Yapan and Producer Michael Coroza for their statement on doing this documentary - Hulagway
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