Banaag

ABSTRACT

Cabral, J.V. (2010). Banaag, Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication.

In his Tagalog-English Dictionary, Leo James English defines “banaag” as a “soft ray; glimmer; gleam; a moderate, diffused light.” The director used this term to represent the absence of the wife in the lead character’s life. As James Elkins put it in his book What Painting Is (1999), “each medium has its own language of moods, its own way of reporting what the artists did and felt.” From the detail of each brushstroke i.e. speed, direction, force; from the colors used in a painting; from the manner of creating it i.e. scraping, jabbing, scratching, etc.; painting has always been an effective medium for an artist to communicate his or her perception of a memory. (Elkins, 1999)

“Banaag” is a 23-minute film that tells the story of a painter, who is grieving the death of his wife. Through the art of painting, he lives in the memory of the loved one he lost.

Guided by the principles provided by John Bowlby’s attachment theory, the film exemplifies someone’s physical, emotional and even cognitive responses to death; and the tasks one takes in experiencing bereavement.

Keywords: grief, mourning, loss, painting

View thesis: File:Cabral2010.pdf