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Muslims in Mindanao take centerstage in New Moon |
It begins with lush meadows framed by majestic mountains in the early morning mist. The Adhan, or Muslim call to prayer, rings out through the countryside, echoing over rivers and land, calling people for the morning Fajr prayer. So begins another morning in the life of Filipinos in predominately Muslim Mindanao, an island in the southern Philippines.
Locals gather at a small mosque to listen to the Imam give a sermon. The Imam, offering advice on the seemingly unending battle between the armed forces of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), quotes the Qu'ran as saying: "Fight your enemies, but never trespass on their rights."
He adds, “Jihad is the words we speak … our actions … but remember Islam is always a religion of peace,” thus setting the stage for an astounding, intimate drama of one Muslim family’s tragedy and triumph amidst the ongoing battle in Mindanao’s fight for independence from the Philippines.
With the choice of Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s Bagong Buwan (New Moon) as the opening night film of last month’s 25th Asian American International Film Festival in New York City, Islamic dramas are entering a new stage in filmmaking. Though Islamic-themed films aren’t a novel undertaking (note the explosion of Iranian cinema), New Moon breaks ground by detailing the struggles of Muslims in Mindanao in a fictional, yet completely compelling medium.
It isn’t just a story in which Muslims happen to be the protagonists. It explores the impact of Islam on the people of Mindanao to a forceful degree. It is a movie about Islam, not what the religion is, but why people love and fight for it so much.
Instead of another discourse on how Islam is practiced and what jihad is, New Moon lets the character’s lives speak for the beauty of the religion. It perhaps better illustrates Islamic beliefs, pride, love and strength than the numerous documentaries that have surfaced of late.
The story contrasts the lives of Moro Muslims (the ethnic group in Mindanao) by following the Ismael family through the hardships and deadly confrontations they face.
Early in the film, gunfire disrupts the pre-dawn morning, scattering the family throughout their home to huddle in darkened doorways and on porches. Switching to Manila, we meet the tragic hero, Ahmad, who left Mindanao to become a pacifist doctor.
In a tearful conversation with his wife, Fatima, Ahmad learns that his son was killed and rushes back to his native land to grieve with his family. Ahmad, aptly played by Diaz-Abaya’s favorite leading man Casar Montano, is thrust into an uncontrollable situation where his loved ones live in fear and defiance of the Philippine army in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
Though Ahmad – his struggle with whether to remain a pacifist or join the rebels – is the main protagonist, his family members often steal the scenes. Ahmad’s mother Farida (Caridad Sanchez) holds the family in her firm, wise and gentle grip. She tells her grandchildren that she has been running from the army her whole life and will always fight for Islam.
And most promising is the relationship between Rashid (Ahmad’s nephew, played by Carlo Aquino) and Francis (Jiro Manio), a young boy who attaches himself to Rashid when losing his parents. Rashid, like his father Musa, is a fierce supporter of the MILF and disdains his uncle’s beliefs. Francis, a young Catholic, wears down Rashid’s gruff exterior to build a tenuous friendship – a symbol of what Diaz-Abaya hopes for the future of Mindinao.
Diaz-Abaya spent nearly two years researching Islam and immersing herself in the refugee camps of Mindanao to get a feel for its political and social climate. Following the events of September 11th and the war in Afghanistan, she and writers Ricky Lee and Jun Lana revised the script to highlight Moro Muslims’ peaceful interior.
Although the movie is fictional, Diaz-Abaya says the stories and dialogues have a sense of reality because they come straight from interviews she conducted. Ahmad’s and Musa’s relationship is based on real life, she adds. “It is typical for Muslim families (in Mindanao) to send one brother out to be educated, while the other one ends up a mujahedin/warrior.”
It is a gripping story with persuasive characters who grab you by the throat and don’t let go. One drawback is that much of the film takes place in the dark, with night skirmishes, raids and escapes. This makes for difficult viewing. It’s hard to distinguish the characters and their actions, which sometimes takes away from the story.
But the film’s driving message pulls you through the bumps. Says Diaz-Abaya, “The title … translates to 'new moon', signifying the one week period when the night sky is at its darkest – unseen but present. It is a metaphor for hope: the belief in peace even when we don’t see it yet, we know that eventually it will be there. Peace is a worthy endeavor, Insh’Allah, God-willing.”
Bagong Buwan has some violent battle scenes and a few mild, intimate moments. Teenagers should view it with their parents. The film is traveling with the Asian American International Film Festival throughout America. For more information visit www.asiancinevision.org.
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