E kasi, babae

Title: E KASI BABAE: MYTHS ABOUT WOMEN WHO LOVE WOMEN IN FILIPINO FILMS

Abstract: This qualitative study examines the representation of women who love women as observed in Filipino films which are considered broadcast texts. The research explores whether such representations are supporting or deconstructing the dominance of patriarchy in society. Through purposive sampling, the researcher studied the films T-bird at Ako (1982) and Rome & Juliet (2006) as the materials of the research. I chose these films because they were possibly the earliest and the latest Filipino films that mainly focused on woman-to-woman love. Using textual analysis as a methodology, the study explores the issues of homophobia, gender and women’s oppression. The units of analysis are the representations and interactions of both female and male characters, script, symbolisms and narrative development. This study examines the Filipino struggle for lesbian visibility as cited by Roselle Pineda (2001). The study identifies, describes and critiques the differences and similarities in the representations of love between the 1982 film and the 2006 film; it is important to note that the former was produced before the active struggle for lesbian visibility began in the Philippines. This research offers a critique of the existing representations as interpreted by a woman.

Keywords: film, gender, homophobia, patriarchy, representation, same-sex love, women

View thesis: File:E KASI BAB44.pdf