Cinemalaya 21: The search for justice in Padamlagan

By The Varsitarian Staff

Nostalgia and tragedy plague “Padamlagan,” a full-length period film directed by Jenn Romano.

The 90-minute film aims to explore an overlooked tragedy in Naga City and reclaim national history by revisiting the Colgante bridge collapse during the Peñafrancia festival in September 1972.

The film follows Doring (Ely Buendia) as he seeks to find answers on the disappearance of his son Ivan (Esteban Mara), who was among the victims of the bridge collapse.

Romano, a Bicol native, employs a documentary approach to tell a fictitious story, utilizing real-life archival footage, news clippings, and featured interviews from survivors as the narrative unfolds.

This addition allows the viewer to empathize more with the tragedy that the victims had experienced.

The cinematography evokes 70’s nostalgia and makes you feel as if you are an active onlooker to an incident that happened over 50 years ago.

Doring’s search interweaves with real victim narratives from the Colgante bridge incident, adding depth and gravity. The film transitions from general accounts to a specific, fictional story, mirroring the desperation that follows the incident.

Ely Buendia, the former frontman of the Eraserheads, makes his acting debut as Doring. His emotional portrayal is more evident in his lines than in his expressions, which makes him a hit-or-miss performer in silent scenes. While emotional connection is sporadic, his character remains relatable as the story unfolds.

There is also constant internal back-and-forth on Doring’s feelings regarding his son’s whereabouts. The film captures a father’s hope for his child to return, hoping that maybe, tomorrow, he will find his son either dead or alive.

Romano also highlights the frustrating silence of 1972, when speaking up to authorities was impossible.

As Martial Law overlaps with the tragedy, people feel that their plights are ignored, and life continues as if nothing had happened, as one survivor recounts.

Doring’s quest for Ivan mirrors the people’s pursuit of justice against government corruption. As he longs to find answers to his own personal tragedy, he is confronted by the harsh realities of Philippine politics, which take him farther and farther away from his son. Mary Dawn S. Santos