Taga
Synopsis
Vivi, a third-culture Filipina-American, travels to the Philippines to reconnect with her roots, but falls in with a group of Western eco-volunteers. When they scorn the customs of a remote mountain village, an ancient evil comes knocking.
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
Taga, which means “from” in Tagalog, was born from the urge to seek truth in far-flung places—and the cultural conflict that often follows.
The story follows Vivi, a “third culture” Filipina-American who travels to the mountains of Luzon to understand where she comes from. Instead, she falls in with Western volunteers who disrespect indigenous customs. Their good intentions curdle into intrusion, and they soon face the monstrous consequences of their ignorance.
Like Vivi, I’ve spent my life searching for a place where my mixed identity makes sense. Growing up in a small American mountain town, far from my mother’s Filipino family, I felt suspended between cultures—never fully belonging to either. That longing led me to travel across the world, hoping that returning to the Philippines would spark a sense of recognition. But the truth is complicated: I am both connected and foreign, shaped by the very forces that fractured my heritage.
Travel can be transformative, but it also carries ethical weight. It is beautiful and destructive, sacred and careless—a perfect terrain for horror. Years ago, while volunteering at an eco-reserve abroad, I witnessed firsthand how “saving the world” can mask neocolonial harm. Good intentions collided with local realities, creating a spiral of distrust that felt almost supernatural.
Taga is my attempt to explore that tension through folklore and fear. Instead of portraying locals as villains or saviors, the film centers the unseen consequences of outsiders imposing their narratives. The monster—loosely inspired by the door-knocking Nangangatok—emerges from the space where curiosity becomes trespass.
At its core, Taga confronts the darkness we bring with us when we enter someone else’s home—and the stories that were there long before we arrived.
