BY ERIS DOBLE
Forgotten Island celebrates Filipino culture on many levels at once, and in some unexpected places, too: from the adoration of karaoke, the band Journey,and the lechon at parties, there has never been a major animated studio movie quite so enamored of Filipino history and culture, past and present.
Forgotten Island follows teen pals Jo (R&B artist H.E.R.) and Raissa (Liza Soberano) on the brink of finishing high school. When Raissa decides to leave home for college at Caltech, potentially leaving Raissa behind, the rowdy pair decide to spend one last night together — at which point they’re whisked away to the mythological island of Nakali, where they’re tasked with figuring out how to get back home. Along the way, there are several amusing twists and turns that test the boundaries of their friendship, magical creatures beyond their wildest dreams and mystical forces that threaten to remove memories of their friendship altogether.
As the story progresses, the movie perfectly captures the warmth of the Filipino people by emphasizing the importance of passing down memories through stories. The neverending nights eating sinigang (sour soup) during hapunan (dinner) or staying up laughing until dawn is so common it’s become tradition. This film gives its flowers to the Filipinos struggling to start anew. No matter how old we get, or how far we are from home, our memories are the cultural bond that ties all of us together.
The Philippines’ rich history and culture is laid out beautifully in its depiction of Nakali. From the Memory Aswang as a Tarsier (a beloved animal in the Philippines) to the villainess Mananangal being referred to as Manang (a term of endearment for older women), the film introduces audiences to the unique words and images that give the Philippines its unique identity.
Even the tattoos glimpsed on these creatures connote a specific aspect of the Philippines’ pre-colonial history. The images on the arms of the Kapre Datu (Chief), Batiba’s body, and the Mananangal’s neck, show Nakali’s untouched identity before other figures landed on Filipino soil. Forgotten Island also captures the essence of Filipino hospitality. Being offered a variety of food like lumpia (Filipino egg rolls)is not a suggestion but a requirement for guests to indulge. Everyone is family and everyone must eat.
Jo and Raissa’s friendship is itself part of the movie’s Filipino identity: Theirs is an unbreakable bond that can withstand many challenges to their future. Forgotten Island is giving this age a foundation for a new way of filmmaking and storytelling. It gives Filipinos a platform to dig deeper into the treasure trove of wonders underneath the sand.
We’re hosting a community screening of Forgotten Island as part of Southamptonfest on October 3. Tickets are complimentary but must be reserved in advance at this link.