Left Leaning
THE COLLEGE Editors Guild of the Philippines, in behalf of its National Office, regional formations and chapters, all member publications and affiliate organizations nationwide and across the globe, expresses its most heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Rachelle Mae Palang (1986-2008). Read More
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Last summer I tagged along with a classmate whose research was about cemeteries. Cemeteries? Yeah, I know it’s weird, not to mention creepy. Despite my natural fear for the dead I managed to muster enough courage to navigate the cramped but relatively clean public cemetery. And of course, photo buff that I am, I lugged around my old and beaten camera to take a few shots not only of the tombs but also of the people whose lives pretty much revolve in this place for the dead.
This was taken a few steps away from the entrance of Mintal’s public cemetery. Contrary to what most people think, this public cemetery wasn’t too bad. The place was clean and the trees lent a beautiful shade to mourners who stay here. Read More
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Ethnography, Film, and Capital
A Reflection Paper on the film Nanook of the North
The film Nanook of the North starts with a preface, an explanation of the author, or in this case the film maker, informing the audience his intent and the context of the film. Created by Robert Flaherty in 1960, the film showcases the everyday life of an Inuit family in the Arctic North with most of the scenes showing how Nanook and his people hunt for food in the Arctic wilderness. As a documentary it has earned both accolades and scathing criticisms- especially with the ‘staged feeling’ of the whole film which I’ll discuss towards the end of this paper.
The Big Aggie
Nanook of the North is now regarded as a classic. The film has been crowned as a pioneer of ethnographic film. Given the context of the film industry back in the 1960s, the accolades and the crown is well deserved by Nanook of the North. Flaherty’s methods, specifically the use of narratives in his film spurred revolutionary changes in the film. He lent his voice to the film and introduced the use of narratives in documentary making. This is something that most producers now use and something that we viewers tend to take for granted. Admittedly, I’ve been so used to hearing film makers use narratives in telling their stories that when I first saw Flaherty’s film I focused on how basic and sparse it was. Reading more about the background of the film however enabled me to appreciate Flaherty’s use of narratives and can only flinch at the thought of what Flaherty’s contemporaries presented to their audience.
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Mintal. I’ve stayed in this damn place for too long now. Four years ago I was stumped at how, pardon me for the word, primitive the place is. The roads leading to UP Mindanao were barely passable. There were no motorellas, only habal-habals, (single motorcycles) that can charge you for as much as P20 per ride. UP Mindanao just shattered my dreams then and there of a comfortable and exciting university life.
A lot has changed by the way. The roads have improved, but it still needs a lot of work. Habal habal is still the preferred mode of transportation, and yes they still charge expensive rates. The Convenience Store Chain has landed in Mintal, and as rumors go, so will Jollibee in the next uhm… 20 years? 
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