Claudioismo

Khamille Lim

ABSTRACT This film is a mockumentary revolving around a fictional rockstar-worshipping religion called Claudioismo in the village of Cataggaman, in Tuguegarao. The events of the film all take place in one day, on the eve of what the Claudioistas believe to be Claudio’s second coming, or judgment day, which is recorded by a filmmaker who is determined to prove the Claudioistas’ beliefs wrong, while making them look as absurd as possible in the process. Central to the film’s framework is social constructionism, which believes truths to be socially constructed products of culture and history. Claudioismo is an examination of a local myth that dominates the lives of the people of the barangay of Cataggaman, from the point of view of a skeptical and condescending filmmaker-within-the-film. In doing so, the film aims to the idea of question religion, its traditions and organization, as well as its most extreme critics.

Key words: Religion, Family, Cult, Mockumentary, Ibanag

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