Director Alyx Ayn Arumpac’s feature-length documentary “Aswang” became available for streaming to Filipinos over the weekend. First screened in Amsterdam at the International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA), the film focuses on the Duterte administration’s war on drugs and its similarities to the stories and myths about the evil and murderous aswang of Philippine folklore.
The screening was just supposed to be during the past weekend, however, thunderous praise from Filipinos both in the country and abroad have prompted the creators to make more streaming links available and to arrange for a new screening schedule for those who didn’t catch the first one.
Maraming salamat po sa mga nanood. Naka-unpublish na po ang links pero mapapanood pa ito ng mga may access hanggang sa mag-expire. Sa mga hindi umabot, ipapalabas po ulit ang Aswang sa mga susunod na araw, antayin na lang ang announcement. Maraming salamat po sa inyong suporta.
— Aswang (@aswangmovie) July 12, 2020
Many netizens who have watched the film have raved about it on social media and have called it relevant, especially because of the current political climate.
While there’s final no date yet for the next batch of screenings, the creators encouraged people to donate to victims of extrajudicial killings, most of whom were shown in the film. The donations will be used to fund initiatives to create livelihood projects and provide safe spaces for healing and recuperation for surviving family members. Donations may be coursed through the AJ Kalinga Foundation’s Program Paghilom or through Rise Up for Life and For Rights.
Aside from donating, you can also learn more about the facts and data behind the killings shown in the film. The film’s site also includes a collection of educational materials like films, images, research papers and reportage that explains and contextualizes the drug war and the killings for Filipinos. Most of the research also touches on the state of human rights in the Philippines—something we can always brush up on.
Screengrab from the “Aswang” trailer
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