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.
Denne historien er fra July - September 2019-utgaven av Scout.
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Denne historien er fra July - September 2019-utgaven av Scout.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Girl of the year
After years on hiatus, 17-year-old Ylona Garciaa has found her way back to her first love: music
Walking on a Tightrope
The Binisaya Film Festival grew from pop-up screenings in beaches, rooftops, basements and basketball courts. How did founder Keith Deligero go against the tide?
URBAN DISRUPTION
As street art falls into the trap of commercialism, collectives like koloWn of Cebu reclaim urban spaces through works that dare to disrupt
Take no prisoners
At 13 years old, Alex Bruce has already built a name for herself in the local hip-hop scene
Paperback dreams
As print was beginning its decline, we were passionate, young creatives who wanted to resuscitate publishing—even if it meant making our own magazines
Putting the spotlight on the South
Run by DJs, MCs and dancers, Laguna Hip-hop is ready to break borders with their growing community
Bekiand the great Gay language
Our local gay lingo is radical in nature
Baybayin: a renewal through art
Filipino-American Baybayin artist Kristian Kabuay talks about Baybayin as a didactic art form that bridges past and present
Wild card
Marco Gallo never dreamt of becoming an actor, so why is he working hard to be the best one out there?
Postcards after the drug war
It went from promises to end illegal drugs in three to six months, to countless protests from human rights activists, and a vice president appointed and (eventually fired) to head the government’s campaign on illegal drugs.
