Cinemalaya 2024 entry 'Tumandok' shifts focus to Ati community in Iloilo

MANILA, Philippines — The feature directorial debut of Richard Jeroui Salvadico and Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay, "Tumandok," about the Ati ethnic group in the Visayas, is among the finalists of the 20th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.

The Ati is a Negrito ethnic group located in the islands of Boracay, Guimaras, Panay, and Negros, and in a historic first, a film will present an Ati community's impassioned battle to reclaim their ancestral lands.

A synopsis for the docu-fiction film notes tales from legend, contested by historians, that an Ati chieftain traded their land to Bornean datus for a necklace and a wide-brimmed hat made of gold.

The plains and rivers went to the Malays, while all that were left to the Ati were the mountains, which to this day are under threat of being taken.

"Tumandok," which means "The Native," features an all-Ati non-professional acting ensemble from Sitio Kabarangkalan in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, speaking their Inati language in their struggle to reclaim their land.

"Tell us where the end of the earth is, and we will go there to live in peace, untouched," one Ati told the filmmakers during their week-long shoot.

The Iloilo-based duo of Salvadico and Sumagaysay is no stranger to Cinemalaya, having submitted entries in the 2019 and 2022 editions. Their feature directorial debut this year, however, is especially significant, given their close ties to the Ati community.

The directors made frequent visits to the community to produce several advocacy videos, and they became more aware of their aspirations and sorrows during those visits. 

"It is this deep connection that impelled us to create this film. 'Tumandok' endeavors to illuminate the ongoing battle of indigenous peoples to safeguard their identity and preserve their homeland," said the filmmakers.

Their film received support from the National Commission for Indigenous People (NCIP).

Salvadico mentioned during a press conference for Cinemalaya 2024 that a majority of proceedings from "Tumandok" screenings will go to the Ati community of Sitio Karabangkalan to aid their efforts in securing their ancestral domain.

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