Movie Review: Padamlagan

Padamlagan is a haunting yet tender reflection on memory, faith, and loss, set against the backdrop of one of Bicol’s most tragic historical moments—the Colgante Bridge collapse of 1972. The film interweaves the collective remembering of Naga’s people with the intimate journey of Doring, a voyador whose devotion to the Virgin of Peñafrancia collides with the fractures within his own family.

At its heart, Padamlagan explores the weight of tradition and the silences passed down across generations. The fluvial procession scenes are both breathtaking and unsettling, capturing the fervor of faith while foreshadowing the instability beneath the surface—both in the river and in the nation, as Martial Law looms. The father-son dynamic between Doring and Ivan mirrors the larger tensions of the time: obedience versus resistance, faith versus doubt, remembering versus forgetting.

This one has an intriguing and interesting story to tell. It reflects the society and political climate of the 70s, echoing issues that still resonate today. The film allows us to peek into the city of Naga during that era, enhanced by striking cinematography with carefully thought-out camera shots. The production design is commendable as well, immersing us in the provincial atmosphere of the 70s with convincing detail. Ely Buendia, stepping into acting, is a promising presence—his restrained performance adds depth and a quiet emotional charge to the film.

Visually, the film blends archival textures with lyrical camerawork, immersing viewers in a dreamlike state where memory feels alive, fragile, and as if it just happened. Sound design is especially powerful—the cries of mourning, the chatter of townsfolk, and the bustling noise of the fluvial parade all merge, capturing the raw energy of the moment.

While deliberately slow-paced, the film rewards patience, building toward a devastating portrait of personal grief entangled with historical trauma. It asks: how do communities—and families—carry the weight of tragedy? And what happens when the act of remembering itself becomes resistance?

Padamlagan is not just a film about a bridge collapsing—it is about what it means to carry faith, grief, and history across time. Subtle, heartfelt, and quietly devastating.

 

My Verdict: 4/5