Turumba
Tahimik's ironic cautionary tale charts the momentous changes wrought by the introduction of capitalism on a small Philippine village and its particular effect on a family of craftspeople. A young boy named Kadu and his family fashion ornately decorated papier mache figures for the seven "turumba," seasonal religious festivals honoring the Virgin Mary. Kadu's father Romy is the turumba's highly respected kantore or singer who "animates" the spirited procession of townspeople. During one turumba celebration, the family's craftwork attracts the attention of a German department store buyer who purchases their entire stock. When she returns with an order for 500 more (this time with the word "Oktoberfest" painted on them), the traditional craft is transformed into an alienating assembly line operation with Grandma assigned the job of quality control manager. Soon, the entire village is frantically completing dachshund mascots for the 1972 Munich Olympics. Although electricity has been installed and households now boast fans and television sets, the fabric of age-old communal life has been fragmented. The turumba itself is imperiled when Kadu and Romy are summoned by "Madame" to Munich. At the conclusion, however, nature, in the form of a violent typhoon, restores some measure of normalcy. (Circulates)
Film, English, 1981
Flower Films, El Cerrito, CA, 1981