Synopsis
An indigenous family, one of the last forest people of old, copes with the unusual changes in their environment including the imposing lifestyle and customs of the more sociable tribes on the plains.
Wailings in the Forest
2016 ‘Baboy Halas’ Directed by Bagane Fiola
Director
Popular reviews
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A slow and dark fairy tale of sorts with enchanting images of the forest, intriguing mysticism, and consistent immersive portrayal of the indigenous people interacting with nature. I'm quite amused (and frightened). My astigmatism is healing.
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Stunning in its technical aspects—yet failed to be as engrossing narratively as it was thematically.
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The film clearly draws from a bunch of local and international influences and it shows. Baboy Halas is one filmmaker's exercise in trying to navigate the spaces of nature through both the camera and the characters that sparsely populate the jungle. It's honestly a challenging watch for plenty of reasons (no dialogue, nature sounds indefinitely playing, etc.), but I think the best way to describe how this film operates is that it employs some European New Wave auteur styles (Truffaut, Antonioni) and applies it in a place that is closer to the Philippine psyche by historical roots. Oh and anyone who has seen Sherad Sanchez's Imburnal might also feel at home with this too.
But my god is this movie…
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Draggy with a capital bagal. All technical aspects of the film was great though.
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Best to come in with complete rest. Otherwise, you'll slip into one for its hypnotizing forest creaks and calming captures of green landscape. Lovely cinematography.
The tribe's ways —treetop dwelling, food hunting & prep, gender roles, warring, rituals & prayers, handiworks, peacemaking— will keep the audience looking because opposite our modern living, they now seem novel. However, this could use a better storytelling. Say, keeping a consistent character perspective, rather than letting the viewers see from different but loose angles, or from a distant copse.
P.S. I have no other stronger desire now than to camp in the mountains.
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2020
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Nakakita Ka na ba Ng Lab Diaz film na puro cut at colored Ang pictures. Eto Yun!!! Hahahaha
I love this film so much Kasi mukhang dapat SA bundok ako nakatira namamana Ng baboy kasama Ang aso ko.