Working Progress

What does it mean to be a young Filipino? The answer lies in well-crafted cinematography and unique perspectives from regional cinema's films

- Rogin Losa

Youth culture in the Philippines isn’t defined by one term. In a nation of 7,641 islands and 110 ethnolinguistic groups, being young means different things to different people. We live under one flag, yet there’s a disconnect with each other’s culture.

So how do we try to change this? Maybe the answer lies in regional cinema.

Viewers gain new perspectives through regional cinema’s lens. And thanks to these filmmakers, coming-of-age stories shorten distances and demolish cultural borders. These stories may not represent every kid within our 110 ethnolinguistic groups. But don’t worry, that isn’t a bad thing. It only means we need to give more storytellers from different regions a platform.

From Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Del Sur: Xeph Suarez, “Si Astri maka si Tambulah”

What does it mean to be queer in a traditional community? And what more in a conservative Sama Badjao community? Zamboangeño filmmaker Xeph Suarez attempts to answer this in his critically acclaimed short film “Si Astri maka si Tambulah” (“Astri and Tambulah”).

“It shows a different story about the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community,” he explains. “Most of the current queer stories in popular media are set in Manila. I wanted to show these issues affecting LGBTQ+ Filipinos in the provinces.” In the film, a young queer couple, 16-year-old Muslim transwoman Astri and her 17-year-old boyfriend Tambulah, try to protect their love after Astri’s father forces her to marry a woman she’s betrothed to.

Growing up, Xeph watched coming-ofage queer stories on YouTube. It helped him become more confident as a gay man, which eventually helped him come out to his loved ones. He returns the same favor to young queer Zamboangeños by giving them a story to relate to.