Isa sa Sanlibong Alitaptap

Abstract

Perez, M.C.N. (2018). Isa sa Sanlibong Alitaptap. Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis. University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication.

Isa sa Sanlibong Alitaptap is about Francis and Talia’s journey of bereavement. Losing a wife, Francis struggles between trying to forget and remember his wife at the same time. Because he sees so much of Anna in his daughter, Talia, he develops resentment towards the child. Talia, on the other hand, just wants to make wings she could use to fly to her mom in the sky. Along the way of coping with losing a loved one, they find each other and realize that maybe that’s what they really needed all along.

The film mainly follows the Dual Process Model of Coping with Bereavement proposed by Margaret Stoebe and Henk Schut. This theory explains that it is not always facing the tragedy (loss-oriented coping) that helps a person cope with the loss, rather the griever will also need to take time avoiding the loss (restoration-oriented coping).

Magic Realism was also used in the film, which is the use of fantastical or magical elements portrayed as something normal in the “real world”. Magic realism is able to blend reality and “magic”, similar to how it can sometimes feel unreal when stricken with grief and loss.

Keywords: Alitaptap, Magic Realism, Dual Process Model, Family, Child, Grief, Loss

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