Write a review of the movie answering the questions below. Your review must be at least 300 words: Title of the movie, actors playing it Talk about the plot of the movie What are some of the Filipino culture/traditions/ways of life did you see/observe from the movie.

Assignment Question

GOAL Demonstrate understanding of Filipino culture by gaining knowledge and awareness of various aspects as such traditions, customs, beliefs, values, and social practices, as depicted in a movie. Analyze the movie to identify and interpret cultural themes, symbols, and messages portrayed, and understand how they reflect the Filipino culture and society. Develop cross-cultural competence by developing empathy and appreciation for cultural diversity by engaging with a different cultural context through compare and contrast one’s own cultural perspectives with those in the movie. Foster global citizenship by exploring and appreciating the Filipino culture and understand the interconnectedness of different cultures.

INSTRUCTIONS

Write a review of the movie answering the questions below. Your review must be at least 300 words: Title of the movie, actors playing it Talk about the plot of the movie What are some of the Filipino culture/traditions/ways of life did you see/observe from the movie. What is your opinion of these tradition/lifestyle/culture? What are some of the Filipino words did you pick up or learn watching the movie? Please write as clear and comprehensive as possible. Your submission is visible to your classmates on-line.

EXAMPLES The title of the movie I watched was U-Turn, a Filipino horror film starring Kim Chiu, JM de Guzman, Tony Labrusca, Janella Salvador and Martin Del Rosario among others. The movie follows the life of a young reporter trying to further her career. The reporter’s investigation involves apparent suicides, but in actuality she finds a connection to a haunted road involving an illegal u-turn. The ghosts of an accident, a mother and daughter start killing people who make an illegal u-turn at a roadblock. One Filipino cultural tradition I observed was in a scene where a family gets together for dinner to celebrate the reporter’s success. After the dinner, her mother insists they take baon(food) home. Baon in Tagalog means to “pack a supply of food for a long journey.” One example of baon would be taking a to-go box or doggy bag. This is a tradition I am very familiar with that I believe is a gesture of love and care. I grew up witnessing my family members sending off friends and relatives with baon after a party. It is also a tradition I continue to practice and show my own children. Some new Filipino words and phrases I picked up in the movie included: In a scene where the reporter may have unintentionally gotten a police officer suspended, she tells him “Pasensya na talaga.” (I’m really sorry). When the reporter revisits the u-turn sight to look for the ghosts, she screams to them, “Bakit mo pinatay ang kapatid ko?!” (why did you kill my brother). When the reporter finds out her fiancé might have been the cause of the mother and daughter’s death, she asks him, “Bakit ka nag-illegal u-turn dyan?!” (why did you make an illegal u-turn there?). When the father of the two victims admits it was his fault, he moved the barrier, he tells them, “Kasalanan ko.” (It was my fault). At the end of the movie, the reporter was able to bring justice to the mother and daughter ghosts and they never returned. U-Turn (2020), directed by Roderick Cabrido is a reiteration of the hit Indian thriller, U-Turn from(2016). While I did not watch the 2016 version, I found this remake to be a fun and entertaining classic horror film. Similar to previous Filipino dramas I have watched, the tonality of this movie was dramatic and violent. There was a lot of crying and screaming scenes. At the same token, there were small moments of hope, joy and love that contrasted the horror and more gory, bloody scenes. While the ending was not exactly a happy one, it ended on somewhat of a positive note with justice for the ghosts of the mother and daughter victims. I recently watched Hello, Love, Goodbye–the highest-grossing filipino film of all time, starring Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards. The story explores what it’s like to be a Filipina domestic helper (DH) in the demanding, noisy streets of Hong Kong. Joy, played by Kathryn Bernardo, is one of these domestic helpers. She’s great at her job and finds friendships within the local DH community, though she’s focused on her dream of leaving the city for Canada. However, things change as she meets Ethan (played by Alden Richards), a local bartender. Their growing friendship leads Joy to think twice about her goal to Canada and has Ethan face left-behind responsibilities. Being a Filipina domestic helper in Hong Kong is an example of living the life of an overseas Filipina worker. Prior to watching, I knew that many Filipinos left the country to earn money elsewhere, but it was only after the movie that I really began to think about what that was like. As a DH in Hong Kong, time never stops. You’re rushing from one task to the next, from 5 am to midnight. Despite these struggles, you find other Filipinos like you and build communities radiating with support. I think it’s very misfortunate that many Filipinos have to look for work outside of the country and find themselves in a constant grind; however, it makes me very happy to know that within the ever-busy city, communities form. Filipinos find each other! As for words I picked up while watching the movie, I heard “sulitin,” which means “to make the most of it.” That’s exactly what the Hong Kong experience demands of domestic helpers. A second word is minsan, which means “sometimes.” You can use minsan at the beginning of a sentence. Sometimes, you need the word “sometimes” to clarify that there isn’t clarity–I’m glad to have learned it. Overall, I enjoyed the watch and experiencing a different take on a Filipino’s way of life.