Tadhana (lit. "Destiny") is a 1978 Philippine adult animated historical satirical comedy film written and directed by cartoonist Severino "Nonoy" Marcelo in his directorial debut.
| Tadhana | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Severino "Nonoy" Marcelo |
| Written by | Severino "Nonoy" Marcelo |
| Produced by | Imee Marcos |
| Starring |
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Release date |
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Running time | 54 minutes |
| Country | Philippines |
| Languages |
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An allegedly claimed first-ever Philippine feature-length animated film, it was based on the book of the same name on the history of the Filipino people by the author, who is credited as an authoritarian, and then-President Ferdinand Marcos, but was actually ghostwritten by other historians.[1]
Synopsis
editThe film presents a satirical, humorous and poignant view of the Philippines' history of Spanish colonization through highly original and surreal vignettes fusing art, mythology and music.[1]
Production
editAfter his first interest of animation filmmaking in the Philippines where he worked his own short film Annie Batangbakal (1974), he was collaborated with Imee Marcos[2] and José Zabala-Santos by creating the first-ever Philippine full-length animated film, which originally conceived as a television pilot that sought to teach the nation's history from the perspective of the Marcos administration.[3]
Release
editTadhana premiered on Philippine television during the anniversary of Martial Law in 1978.[4][5]
Legacy
editFollowing the immense success of Tadhana and the interest of Filipino animation as a hub for subcontracted labor in the 1980s, animators continued to create their own work as the regime deteriorated during the rebellion.[5] Due to lack of commercial release in local theaters, the film was never credited to be the first animated film in the Philippines until Adarna: The Mythical Bird in 1997.[6]
After the television premiere, the original 35mm film reel mysteriously disappeared but the only known copy of the film left is a recording on Betamax tape by film archivist Teddy Co, made during the film's live broadcast. The tape was transferred to U-matic, and this U-matic tape has been digitized, translated and subtitled by Mowelfund Film Institute for this programme.[7]
Tadhana was screened at the National Gallery Singapore’s ‘Painting with Light,’ an annual festival of international films on art.[8] Before the screening, the film was rated NC16 for "some nudity" by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).[9]
References
edit- ^ a b "Tadhana by Ferdinand E. Marcos". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
- ^ Tadhana (1978) | MUBI. Retrieved 2024-11-17 – via mubi.com.
- ^ David, Joel (2013). "Forms and Types: Early History of Filipino Animation" (PDF). Amateurish.com.
- ^ Marcelo, Nonoy (2022-07-16), Tadhana (Animation), Pandy Aviado, Estrella Kuenzler, Bert 'Tawa' Marcelo, retrieved 2024-11-17
- ^ a b Florentino, Maria Paulina P. (2018-07-20). "Re-animating Philippine Cinema: For Filipinos, By Filipinos". The Reflective Practitioner. 3: 37–57. ISSN 2467-5830.
- ^ "Marking of the Past: Original Feature-length Animated Films in the Philippines | animationstudies 2.0". Retrieved 2024-11-17.
- ^ Tadhana (1978) - Plot - IMDb. Retrieved 2024-11-17 – via www.imdb.com.
- ^ "Nonoy Marcelo's 'Tadhana' now screening at National Gallery Singapore". Manila Standard.
- ^ Admin-Ngs (2022-06-07). "INCITE—Programme Two (PART 2)". Painting with Light. Retrieved 2024-11-17.