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The filmmaker Kent Donguines discusses his new documentary Treasure of the Rice Terraces, having its world premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival (05 October 2025), with Joseph Planta.
Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:
I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.
Kent Donguines joins me again. The filmmaker has a documentary that will debut at the 44th Annual Vancouver International Film Festival, this Sunday, 05 October 2025 with another screening on Monday, 06 October 2025. Treasure of the Rice Terraces has several journeys for Kent. First, he travels from Canada to Buscalan, a secluded mountain community in The Philippines. He’s also travelling home to the country of his birth, and at the same time tries to reconcile his roots with his identity. The film is also a journey through several hundreds of years of Philippine history with tattooing. Indigenous Filipinos hundreds of years ago got tattooed to signify rank or status in society. With the arrival of colonisers, especially the Spanish who also brought their Roman Catholic mores, tattooing was frowned upon even banned. This continues into the twentieth century with more recent ideas that a tattoo suggests immorality or criminality. Kent unpacks all of this with historians and contemporary cultural figures in The Philippines and elsewhere, including the tattoo anthropologist Lars Krutak. We also meet Apo-Whang od, who at 108 still practices the art of Kalinga tattooing, which involves tapping. I’ll ask Kent about what that involves, as we see him get tattooed in the film. What’s also fascinating is how Kent finds his own identity through the tattoos he has and adds to. We see him find connection with the Butbut people, especially the apprentices of Apo-Whang od, like Grace Palicas, who is her grandniece, and one of the now many in their village taking up the ancient art. The film is presented by Telefilm Canada, and supported by BC’s Knowledge Network. Visit www.viff.org for tickets and information on the screenings. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Kent Donguines; Mr. Donguines, good morning.
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