Film Critique | Dandansoy’s Unforgotten Melody

Antique’s Preservation of Culture through Film

WRITTEN BY MDPN. ANTHONY KEN BUCASAS | FILM STILLS FROM DADANSOY BY ARDEN ROD CONDEZ

People live to move. We move because we have intentions. Most of the time, our intentions are for the people we love. In our case, our wings can only go strong when we still have reasons to fly.

If Antique is being recognized for what it is famous for, it is not only being a land where the mountains meet the sea but also of the rich culture that extends from witchcraft to the stories of “aswangs.” “Dandansoy”, a film directed by Arden Rod Condez, showed both sides of how Antique preserved its individuality. Just like culture, if an “aswang” had no one to pass their “mutya,” it can turn into ashes and disappear forever.

Who would not be sucked up to the beauty of the pristine beaches? Who would not enjoy the exotic chills from the forests? Who would not enjoy the stories of mythical creatures? If there is someone to be asked of the feeling, it will always be nostalgic for Antiqueños. Originally, “Dandansoy” is a famous folk song on the island of Panay that speaks of love and goodbyes. In the film, the grandmother personifies the old culture of Antique, and how her children left her for greener pastures.

But she just can’t die because she grasps her chances to the younger generation for them to contact her children who left her. She wanted to know if she was truly forgotten, but in the end, her broken wings were restored because she found out that she will always be remembered.

The cinematography and musical score of the film have supplemented the richness of the culture of Antique. Direk Arden reminds us of the importance of why we should preserve the culture that has been passed from generation to generation.

Way back in 2019, Direk Arden introduced us to the modernized culture of Pandan, Antique in his film John Denver Trending. Jansen Magpusao, the lead actor of the two films executed his role differently but boldly knew the assignment. Direk Arden truly knows how to relate the culture of the past and present society and showed to his films the different struggles that are being faced.

The answer to a bigger question lies within us. A question that challenges our values as a society and as well as our own identity - as a warrior of preservation. Will we let the wings of our culture lose their reason to fly?