Ang Pagpakalma sa Unos tells a personal story of grief and trauma and how to process them. It is about the director’s hometown of Tacloban and the 2013 Super Typhoon Yolanda that killed thousands. While the film takes on the perspective of the director, the tale told in the film is that of public trauma. It details the grief, frustration, and anger of a community that was neglected by the people supposed to serve them. 

The film deviates from the typical storytelling of narrative short films. It can even be viewed as a documentary film. Instead of using video clips that tell stories of characters in chronological order, the film uses black and white photos supplemented by the director’s narration. This stylistic choice resulted in outstanding storytelling in its purest form. 

For one, the narration beautifully tells the details of the disaster and its aftermath. The script supersedes the language barrier as it makes the audience feel the pain of the people in the community. Using nothing but personal stories, the narration transports the audience into a world that is far and almost forgotten. Also, the inclusion of mystical tales in the narration gives us a glimpse of how people process grief and trauma. The allegories of ghosts, a patron saint, and other supernatural entities serve as a reminder of how Super Typhoon Yolanda became part of Taclobanon’s collective experience.

Also, the film’s deliberate choice to use a series of photographs somehow forces the people to linger more on images seen on the screen. It demands the audience to soak in all the details painted on every photo. And by the end of the movie, viewers will fully understand why the film had to be told in this manner. 

Ang Pagpakalma sa Unos did not shy away from discussing politics either. It reminds the audience how the incompetence and callousness of the Aquino administration contributed to the disaster. From personal to communal to political, the film was able to touch on these many topics in spite of its limited time. 

It can’t be denied that watching this year’s Cinemalaya can be difficult for many. With the COVID 19 pandemic paired with the government’s inutile response efforts, watching films seems like a convenient and, to be honest, privileged escape. Ang Pagpakalma sa Unos is a great reminder that films can be more than tools of escape. Instead, cinema, wherever they may be situated in this pandemic, can be sites of fervor awakening.  

In this video, we review the Cinemalaya 2020 Short Film FInalist Ang Pagpakalma sa Unos (To Calm the Pig Inside) Directed by Joanna Vasquez Arong. Ang Pagpakalma sa Unos tells a personal story of grief and trauma and how to process them. It is about the director’s hometown of Tacloban and the 2013 Super Typhoon Yolanda that killed thousands. While the film takes on the perspective of the director, the tale told in the film is that of public trauma. It details the grief, frustration, and anger of a community that was neglected by the people supposed to serve them. 

ERRATUM: Director Joanna Vasquez Arong hails from Cebu, not from Tacloban.