Water Ghetto
| Water Ghetto | |
|---|---|
| File:Water Ghetto (2011).jpg | |
| Directed by | Nash Ang |
Production company | OBRA Incorporated |
| Distributed by | Goethe-Institut |
Release date |
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Running time | 120 minutes |
| Country | Philippines |
| Language | Tagalog |
Search Water Ghetto on Amazon.
Water Ghetto (alternatively titled Sa Likod ng Palasyo), originally developed as the short film iskWater (alternatively titled Water[1] and My Riverside Home[2]), is a 2011 direct cinema documentary film directed by Nash Ang.[3][4] The film focuses on a community of Muslim informal settlers living over a canal behind Malacañang Palace, the official residence of the President of the Philippines.[5][3] It was Ang's first feature-length documentary and premiered at the 3rd DMZ International Documentary Film Festival in South Korea in September 2011.[6]
Synopsis
The film follows Fitumanan and Minombao, two Muslim migrants who fled the armed conflict between the government and Islamic separatist groups in Mindanao to settle in Manila.[3] They reside in an informal community built directly over a canal, living as a religious minority in the capital.[3] To earn a living, Fitumanan collects recyclable plastic bottles from the polluted water on a makeshift styrofoam raft.[3] Meanwhile, Minombao struggles with a chronic illness and has no access to basic medical services.[7][3] The community faces eviction when the local government plans to demolish their homes to clear the waterways, forcing them to choose between staying in Manila or returning to Mindanao.[3]
Background and production
The documentary originated as a feature-length expansion of Ang's 2010 short film iskWater (alternatively titled Water), which explored the migration of Muslim settlers from Mindanao to Manila and their informal settlement behind Malacañang Palace.[8][9][2] This was his first short film, produced while he was studying broadcasting at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.[10]
In December 2010, iskWater won the champion prize at the Southeast Asian Student Documentary Awards (SEAdocs) at the Science Film Festival in Bangkok, Thailand, an event organized by the Goethe-Institut and UNESCO to raise environmental awareness.[8][11] That same year, another version of the short titled Water also won the Grand Prix at the ASEAN-Korea Multimedia Competition in Seoul, South Korea.[9][10][1] In 2011, the short film, under the title My Riverside Home, won first place in the Developing Member Countries - General Category of the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) MyView H2O video competition.[12][13][14][15] Following these international accolades, Ang received the Ani ng Dangal presidential award from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in 2011,[16][17] and the Senate of the Philippines introduced Senate Resolution No. 314 to commend his filmmaking breakthrough.[18]
Ang subsequently secured a development grant from the Goethe-Institut to expand the project into a feature-length documentary, focusing on the Muslim migrant community settled over the esteros behind Malacañang Palace.[11] Using observational methods, Ang spent several months living in the settlement.[3] The production used direct cinema techniques, relying on observational footage of the residents without voice-over narration or reenactments.[3]
Release and reception
Following its premiere in South Korea, the documentary was screened at the South to South Film Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia, in February 2012.[7] The film was also shown at the Goethe-Institut and Kineforum as part of a program highlighting environmental and social issues.[7]
The film received coverage during its festival screenings. Writing for The Jakarta Post, critic Dina Indrasafitri noted the contrast between the informal settlers and the nearby presidential palace, describing the film's representation of development challenges shared by nations in the Global South.[7]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "2010 ASEAN-Korea Multimedia Competition: Announcement of Winners". ASEAN-Korea Centre. December 14, 2010. Retrieved December 15, 2010.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "파시그강 사람들 (iskWATER) 상세정보". Cine21 (in 한국어). Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 "Water Ghetto (워터게토)". DMZ International Documentary Film Festival (in 한국어). Retrieved October 12, 2011.
- ↑ "워터 게토 (Water Ghetto) 상세정보". Cine21 (in 한국어). Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ Water Ghetto: Sa Likod Ng Palasyo (in Tagalog). Goethe-Institut. 2010. Search this book on
- ↑ "제3회 DMZ국제다큐멘터리영화제 개막". Korea Economic Daily (in 한국어). September 23, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Indrasafitri, Dina (February 25, 2012). "SToS 2012: Movies, meetings and more". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Tanggol, Faizza Farinna (December 5, 2010). "Documentary on estero life tops international science filmfest". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Pinoy filmmaker tops multimedia tilt". The Philippine Star. December 26, 2010. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Filipino Artist wins ASEAN-Korea Multimedia Competition". Embassy of the Philippines in Seoul. December 22, 2010. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "SEA Docs 2011: Trees of Life - Seeds of Change". Hanoi Grapevine. July 21, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
- ↑ "MyView H2O Video Competition - 2010 Winners". Asian Development Bank. 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
- ↑ "One scoop is enough to get you squeaky clean says winning filmmaker" (Press release). Eco-Business. March 21, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
- ↑ "Save Water: Film Pendek Indonesia Juarai Kompetisi ADB". Investor.id (in Bahasa Indonesia). March 22, 2011. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
- ↑ "Pinoy actor-director in Korea stars in episode of action-horror series". GMA News Online. March 6, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
- ↑ Jose, J. E. F. (May 16, 2011). "A more intensive training propels second Cinevita Film Workshop". The Varsitarian. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
- ↑ Kim, Mi-jin (December 2014). "[Sight & Issue] 제5회 한-아세안 멀티미디어 공모전". Monthly Art (in 한국어). Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Senate Resolution No. 314: Resolution congratulating and commending Nassier "Nash" Anggahan". Senate of the Philippines. 2011. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
External links
- Water Ghetto at the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival
- Water Ghetto at Cine21 Script error: The function "in_lang" does not exist.
- iskWater at Cine21 Script error: The function "in_lang" does not exist.
Category:2011 films Category:2011 documentary films Category:Filipino-language films Category:Philippine documentary films Category:Films set in Manila Category:Films shot in Manila Category:Islam in the Philippines
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