Demie Dangla

Mga Istorya Ng Pag-asa

Mijan Jumalon, Analisa Puod

This program is a collection of the ten finalists in the Istorya ng Pag-asa Film Festival 2019 under the Office of Vice President Leni Robredo, in partnership with Ayala Foundation and Film Development Council of the Philippines. These five-minute documentaries tell stories of hope, focusing on ordinary people – volunteers during the Marawi siege, a Tausug rapper who gives his social commentaries through rap, a Muslim woman running a unique tour of Manila, a street kid who becomes a policeman, a teacher who goes from one village to another to read stories to the young, a young man who does breakdancing to counter depression, two blind brothers who work in a coconut plantation to make a living, villagers who act to counter the effects of over-fishing, a former drug addict who runs art workshops, and an aging woman who learns to operate a still camera.

Hijabs and Hopes in Quiapo

Demie Dangla

Amanah Busran Lao

In Quiapo, Manila, one can find an intersection of different faiths. The place is not only a center of Catholic faith but also of Muslim faith where one of the largest mosque can be found. Amanah Busran-Lao is a Muslim woman who conducts a tour in her community in Quiapo. From the tour, she learns how people from different faiths can unite to a common goal: peace.

Mga Huni sa Kabundukan

Demie Dangla

"Mga Huni sa Kabundukan” (Whispers from the Mountains) offers an immersive take on the issue of the China-funded Kaliwa Dam that is bound to displace Dumagat communities along Sierra Madre. In the short documentary, we witness Anly Peñamante and Norming Astubesa, who are both Dumagat, sharing their thoughts on the dam construction after coming from a meeting with other community members. On the background, we are taken into the slow and simple life in the mountains, where Dumagats live peacefully. However, there is fear and uncertainty that comes from the pronouncements of President Rodrigo Duterte, who is determined to push for the construction of the Kaliwa Dam no matter what the cost.