A JOURNEY ON WINGS A documentary film on Panay Bukidnon

A Journey on Wings is about the rediscovery of ancient attire and dance interwoven with its cultural heritage, beliefs, music, arts and crafts of Panay Bukidnon Sulodnon indigenous people of the highland of Calinog, Iloilo explored in real life by modern young people from the lowland. 

 Their story is a journey towards how young people with contemporary lifestyle will appreciate and help conserve the many wings of Philippine indigenous cultural diversities. There is a wing on storytelling and a wing in the appreciation for a distinct cultural identity on indigenous attire and traditional dance. 

From the story and direction of PJ Aranador. The film is in four (4) EPISODES. 

Link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb6W_zFsDv8 

 “Binanog” of Panay Bukidnon Sulodnon is a traditional dance what imitates the flight of Philippine eagle.The dance movements mimick the wings of the hawk while flying.The use of handkerchief has meaning to the courtship ritual.The wooing dance shows ethereal aeronautical movements through sprightly hand gestures while the steps are heavy and gravitational.

It is performed with musical instruments like the “agong” or gong, the “tambur” or a drum and the “subing” or a bamboo wind instrument. Rennel is a dream catcher of his own heritage with the indigenous peoples of Panay Bukidnon Sulodnon of Calinog, Iloilo, central of the Philippines. Three of his lowland dwelling friends visit him in the upland. 

Rennel leads them to discover his own culture in their arts and crafts, traditions and beliefs, music and dance. Their curiosities initiate a journey in their own ancestral heritage within their perceptions in our modern time. 

 The time channels of Rennel’s elders imparting their way of life and beliefs to these young city dwelling generation, Rennel bridges them up graciously. The beauty, the message and the soul of ancient art forms unfolds right in their eyes much like a bird's eye view of an eagle in flight imitated in their dance from which the title of the film is inspired from. 

 Rennel’s journey stands strong from his own distinct cultural identity while his friends are transformed into understanding their cultural roots. They rediscover who they are, where they come from and where they are going.

 Ultimately, their dance expresses their soul to a celebration of life.

Produced by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) I Al Ryan Alejandre Executive Director I Marichu Tellano I Deputy Executive Director I NCCA International Dance Xchange 2021 Shirley Halili Cruz I Over-all Festival Director I Project Collaborator I Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation, Inc. ( IDFI) I Special thanks to National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) CIP Region VI & VII Regional Director Agosto Maglunsod I Brgy. Garangan Tumadok Organization (BGTO) Garangan, Calinog, Iloilo. 

 DISCLAIMER. The production has ensured all staff and participants involved in the filming and general production was working in safe environment against covid-19 according to the official regulations of the health authorities and the government. It observed minimum health protocol requirements such as wearing of facemasks during off-camera takes, social distancing while filming, hand and alcohol disinfection and shooting outdoor.