| Maria Rosalie Zerrudo |
A poet, filmmaker, chanter, dancer, performance artist, and creator of recycled functional art. Co-founder and creative director of Enigmata Creative Circle on Camiguin Island (off the north coast of Mindanao), Zerrudo has been inspired by Camiguin to strengthen initiatives for environmental protection and education. She made a children’s film for the Culture of Remembrance “Tell Me a Story, Mr. Cloud” Project, sponsored by Patrimoine Sans Frontières, France. Her short film/music video Ovarian Chants (2007) won several awards and will be screened with Yellow Bridge. Her works have been shown in Philippines, Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan. She has resided in Yamagata Prefecture since August 2009, working on her film Yellow Bridge and conducting workshops for children. She is the first YIDFF artist-in-residence. |
Yellow Bridge (tulay na dilaw)
- JAPAN / 2009 / Japanese, English, Tagalog / Color / Video / 45 min
Director: Maria Rosalie Zerrudo
[Director’s Statement] A film of colors blends the bitter, sweet, and dirty . . . like the four seasons, that merges the colors in one cycle explodes in many emotions, fear, hope and joy . . . colors change the way we live . . . colors make statements . . . a film born from memory and people to people encounter blended a juxtaposed of poetry in motion, portrays reconciliation of the past and present . . . your people has wounded our people . . . wounds that may never heal . . . after more than half a century, the color of guilt turned sweet yellow . . . our land has been transformed into the land of bananas to satisfy the blind consumers of export products . . . for the exotic platter . . . food that links islands and people . . . This film is not enough to say my gratitude to my most respected farmers for feeding the world, who sacrificed so much for the love of the land and the people. This film is my conscience. it is what I can do to the global community eating in the same plate . . . it is my visual image of a price to pay to make this country happy. Maybe sugar, mango and banana will be sweeter in your table when you know that it takes the blood out of Negros and Mindanao farmers to bring colors to your life.
Maria Rosalie Zerrudo was invited under the Invitation Programme for Creators, administered by the Japan Foundation, as part of the Japan–East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths: JENESYS Programme.