Cinema One Originals' documentary features have always challenged the form in one way or another. The first of two documentaries in this year's lineup is Bundok Banahaw: Sacred and Profane by Dempster Samarista. Though it's not as out there as some of last year's entries, it's still a fascinating piece, a hypnotic film filled with indelible imagery.
The film takes an immersive approach to its subject. There is no narration or overlying text, and the film does not take sides or push a thesis. Through the camera lens we see Banahaw as if we were a pilgrim, listening to these people's stories. The footage is stabilized and floaty, as if we were ourselves spirits wandering the holy mountain.
The mountain itself is a character in this documentary, its presence felt everywhere. It hums in the background as we hear people talk about God, faith and spirits. Rocks and caves are filled with candlelight, giving darkened interiors a strange golden, ethereal glow. The footage of the mountain itself and its surrounding forest is worth the price of admission, yet it is not the only subject of the documentary.
The people occupying Banahaw are equally as interesting. Their stories form a kaleidoscope of faith, history and belief, a hodgepodge of Christian beliefs (the legacy of the Spanish occupation) and pre-Spanish Filipino mysticism rooted in atavism, animism and paganism. The result is something that is far different than vanilla Christianity, best seen in a scene juxtaposing a blessing ritual inside a cave with scenes from a Catholic mass.
The fluidity of these people's faith is also something I did not expect. One of the most fascinating scenes in the entire film for me is when some of the mystics or wise men gather and discuss scripture and faith together, testing and debating it. Here they show their own views on God and faith and their own sense of spirituality. It's a far cry from the rigid dogmatism and resistance to change that I'm accustomed to, and yet this may more accurately describe man's own ever-changing relationship with his soul.
A lesser filmmaker might have opted to opine, to ascribe motive or judge character. But Samarista wisely lets these spiritual people speak for themselves earnestly and honestly. Bundok Banahaw is not only about the mountain, but also the story of a people seeking connection with the divine in their own, culturally unique way.
***
p.s. as an aside, the only real problem I had with the film was that the end titles and text were too small to read, which was an unfortunate choice.
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