For most love stories, those that are set in the time of vacations and colorful festivals almost always seem to have that backdrop and atmosphere of a light-comic pop movie, complete with colorful costumes and the festivities of the affair.
But Gugma sa Panahon Sang Bakunawa is more than just your average love story. Writer and director Peter Solis Nery explores themes of morality, economic success, and the struggle to find the balance between the two surprisingly opposing factors in the backdrop of a fictitious festival.
“I’ve always wanted to make a film about any of our colorful festivals, something like a movie to promote Philippine tourism,” says Peter.
Delving deeper into the story, one finds that the main struggle here is between the loss of morals brought on by the Bakunawa Festival (which, apparently, was a festival invented by lead character Matt’s grandmother) and the fact that it has also become a source of employment and success for the people in Isla Pulang Pasayan.
In Gugma sa Panahon Sang Bakunawa, we find Matt, a struggling musician who goes back to his hometown. There he meets a girl by the beach, Dulce Amor, whom he falls in love with. Their love story is set against the colorful Bakunawa Festival.
As Nery’s first full-length 109-minute feature film, Gugma sa Panahon Sang Bakunawa is in the Hiligaynon language with English subtitles. It has seen both local and international audiences, and both parties have received the film with open arms and positive praise. Continue reading “Love in the time of a festival”