Cinemalaya 2023: Review of BULAWAN NGA USA: Elusive Enchantment

August 6, 2023

As a child, Makoy (CJ Agasita) would always hear his grandfather (Filemon Capanang) talk about the local legend of the enchantress of the mountain and her golden deer. Grandfather said, if anyone sees the magical animal, his wishes would come true. Makoy said that if he saw the golden deer, he'll wish for his mother Diane (Babbeth Fuentes Vargas) to come back home. She had remarried and left Makoy with grandfather to keep him company. 

When he became a young man (Ron Matthews Espinosa), he dreamed of his late grandfather inviting him to go back to the mountain to look for the golden deer, Makoy set off by himself to do the climb. Along the way up, he met and befriended a little boy Minggo (John Niel Paguntalan) who was gathering medicinal leaves for his mother. Later, Minggo brought Makoy to his home to meet his parents (Tara Rose Lozano Molina and GC Castro). 

This charming, unassuming Ilonggo film by Kenneth de la Cruz was one of the rare films which bravely goes against the usual down, dark and depressing road commonly taken by various Cinemalaya movies. Even if there are some serious issues of child abandonment along the way, most of the film had a light, childlike air about it as it followed Makoy's quest for an elusive enchanted element from his childhood. 

To further add a sense of wonder and delight to his story, de la Cruz integrated animated images to interact with the live actors and scenery, including the golden deer. During his sojourn in the mountain, Makoy discovered that he had a talent for storytelling which his young audiences enjoyed. His stories of the firefly without a light and the four mango seeds were likewise accompanied by animated images, akin to children book artwork come to life.  

There were no famous names in the cast, but the neophyte actors were all able to portray their roles as well as could be expected of them. Ron Matthews Espinosa and John Niel Paguntalan had an easy-going natural chemistry between them, through happy and bittersweet moments that friends like them typically have together. Makoy's fables also deliver some important life lessons to the audience, young and old alike.  6/10.