Opening up the program with Kidlat
Tahimik, a filmmaker and multi-media artist, gave me a new perspective on the
power of influence the United States has in the media and culture all over the
world, specifically in the Philippines. All my life, I never realized how much
power America had on the Philippines and its people until now, especially with
the illusion of the American Dream. My parents have always talked about their
immigration story of wanting to move to America, fulfilling the American Dream
but it never crossed my mind that the mentality of living the American Dream
would be present in the mindset of the Filipino people. But how did the
influence of America become so strong in the Philippines? Through the United
States’ determination in creating a summer getaway in Baguio, the American
culture has influenced both Filipinos and Filipino Americans to assimilate into
the Western culture while struggling to keep their Filipino heritage intact.
Throughout his film Mababangong Bangungot, Kidlat spoke of
growing up in Baguio, aspiring to live in America to produce films in
Hollywood. He told his life story of how he befriended an American soldier who
gave him the opportunity of leaving home to work abroad. Through that offer,
Kidlat eventually found himself in America and educated himself to become a
filmmaker. Even though he was able to find the means in learning more about filmmaking
and he was ready to produce his first film, Kidlat Tahimik had to make a tough
decision. Was he going to follow the stereotype of being a Hollywood filmmaker,
abandoning his cultural background for fame and fortune? Or would he stay true
to his country’s culture in future film projects even if he would have
difficulty putting his name out to the public? In the end, Kidlat decided to
create films that promoted the indigenous culture present in the Philippines in
hopes that his films would help educate people more on Filipino culture. He showed
that art is a strong way of giving people a certain understanding that “art is
linked with culture through its strong utility aspect” (Anderson, 2010, p. 57) by comparing two different cultures in his art installation.
The internal conflict that Kidlat Tahimik went through of
staying true to his Filipino background or converting to the American culture
was represented in his art installation. Each art piece contributed in the
struggle each person tends to battle with; whether or not they will let the
American culture overcome their mindset while forgetting about the Filipino
culture. The art installation consisted of a comparison between the two
cultures, beginning with two female figurines, Inhabian and Marilyn Monroe.
Inhabian is the Ifugao goddess of typhoons and wind, representing the
indigenous culture whereas Marilyn Monroe represents Hollywood. Another art
piece in the installation that represented a conflict between cultures was the
figurine of Pope Mickey. The unique art piece was another representation of
Hollywood and the Philippines’ strong faith in Catholicism. But Kidlat
Tahimik’s most prized possession in the art installation was the bamboo camera
which spoke out to local filmmakers who create indie films. The bamboo camera
piece is a reminded to stay true to what you believe in and create a story that
is authentic and from the heart without any outside influence.
But how does he make it seem so easy to overcome the influences of Western culture when it comes to creating his own artwork?
Kidlat Tahimik is not the only person who struggles with the difficulty
of choosing to uphold Filipino culture when American influence is present
everywhere. Through the United States’ conquer over the Philippines, the
American government took control of everything, assimilating its culture on the
people through education, culture, and tradition. Because of this, people have
become accustomed to the Western culture present in the Philippines. Just listening
to the radio in the car, I noticed that American music played and the news was spoken
in English. Within a matter of time, Filipino culture began to fade with the
influence of America changing its identity. In American history books alone,
the invisibility of Filipinos creates a mystery for Filipino Americans in
understanding more about their cultural history.
“These factors influence Filipino American students’ self-concepts and attitudes toward learning about their ethnic history and culture. Many Filipino American students subsequently face the challenge of deconstructing an immense history of subjugation to find a self-concept that positively removes them from the loss of tradition, capitalism, and the spiritual and physical ordeals of colonization” (Andresen, 2013, p. 70).
But why have Filipinos and Filipino Americans allow Western culture have so much power and influence over them and their culture?
The start of America’s influence in the Philippines began in
Baguio during World War II. Baguio served as an American army base at the time for
American soldiers to flee from the Manila heat. They were surprised to find a
place in the Philippines with cool weather and with scenery completely opposite
of the environment present in Manila. “‘We were literally dumbfounded when
within a space of a hundred yards we suddenly left the tropics behind us and
came out into a wonderful region of pine parks’” (Bose, 2002, p. 262). Seeing how much promise Baguio could
bring for America in terms of economical reasoning, they decided to turn Baguio
into a money making location. “Asserting its colonial authority, it responded
to its critics and drafted a resolution on 1 June 1903 designating Baguio as
the official summer capital of the archipelago” (Alcantara 2002, p. 212).
Even to this day Baguio continues to attract many people into
the cool weather city. After experiencing the long drive through the winding
roads which were a part of the American architecture, it felt like we stepped
into a completely different place. Going from the rice terraces to a city that
reminded me of Seattle and San Francisco weather, I knew we were in Baguio. Seeing
Camp John Hay was an interesting experiencing and walking through the area, I could
see how the United States made it into a place of enjoyment in the past. It was
interesting to know that the place was once for soldiers to cool off from the
Manila heat and seeing how much Camp John Hay has changed since then. One thing
still remained; the city filled with foreigners everywhere, visiting the
mansion, shopping at the mall, and zip lining, all enjoying the official summer
capital of the Philippines.
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