Video summary
The video features Arrow Diana Gallang, a filmmaker and former feature writer, discussing her final film for her directing class titled "Teratak." The movie follows the parallel journeys of two track and field athletes, Benjo and Carl, who share a common dream of making a name for themselves in the sports industry but face vastly different obstacles due to their social backgrounds. Gallang highlights that while both characters possess the same ambition, Carl is portrayed as a privileged student-athlete who can focus solely on his training, whereas Benjo comes from a less fortunate family and must work ten times harder just to survive alongside his father, who is a Jipney driver. This contrast serves as the central narrative device to explore how socioeconomic status influences an athlete's ability to pursue their passion.
A significant thematic element in the film is the social and political issue of the proposed phase-out of Jipneys, which Gallang incorporated into the story after learning about the controversy in early 2023. As a lifelong passenger and having friends whose parents drive these vehicles, she felt strongly that without a proper modernization plan, the livelihoods of drivers would be drastically affected. Consequently, Benjo's character arc is deeply rooted in this struggle; when the government pushes for the phase-out, it creates immense pressure on him to abandon his sports focus to help his father survive financially. Gallang explains that she chose to make Carl the audience's eyes into the story because he represents the viewer's perspective, while Benjo remains a realistic figure who simply flows through the narrative challenges imposed by his environment.
The production of "Teratak" was not without its difficulties, including a major setback when the original filming location backed out just a week before the shoot began. Gallang had insisted on shooting in her hometown to ensure her characters lived in the same houses and ran on the same ovals she experienced as a child, but when the local track oval declined their permit, the team was forced to find an alternative site in Santa Cruz, Lagona, where they secured the location for free. Looking back on these events, Gallang believes that nothing happens without a reason and that what seemed like unresolvable dramas at the time actually fell into place perfectly. She emphasizes that as a filmmaker, one must be willing to learn, stay grounded, and leave their ego at the door, viewing every challenge on set as an opportunity to grow rather than a failure.
In conclusion, Gallang asserts that the script is the heart of any film and that there is no better way to tell a story than by sharing personal experiences and relating them to one's characters. By drawing from her own background as a writer and athlete, she aimed to create a narrative where the characters undergo significant internal changes, particularly Carl, who learns to step out of his comfort box and understand himself better. As she moves forward in her career two years after graduating, she advises aspiring filmmakers to remain open to new experiences and to adapt to industry standards with humility. Ultimately, the film serves as both a personal reflection on her journey and a broader commentary on the struggles faced by athletes from different walks of life in the Philippines.
Read the full video transcript
Heat. Heat.
[music]
>> [music]
[music]
>> Arrow Diana Gallang, director,
filmmaker. Teratak. Tatak ball follows
two track and field athletes who wants
to make a name in the sports industry
together, but their social status
hinders them to do so. With choosing
narrative as my genre, personally as a
filmmaker, I feel like that's what I do
best. When I tell stories, uh, with my
background being a feature writer, I
tend to have a subject that I have to
study what interesting angle
uh, there is present in their lives.
With that being my background, whenever
I write the characters for my story, I
also search for that interesting angle
about them, what makes them different
from one another. So in terms of this
film in Teratakbo, I created the
character of Benjo and Carl very
different from each other. Both
athletes, they have the common
denominator of wanting to strive better
in the sports industry, but they have
different family backgrounds. Uh Carl is
a very privileged kid. At the same time,
he is like this student athlete who can
only focus on his wants. On the other
hand, we have Benjo who is a student
athlete who also wants to focus on what
he wants but because there are the
status of his family. It's difficult
from his end to just focus on the sports
itself. So he has to work uh 10 times
harder than Carl to be able to prove
something. There is this social
political touch that I incorporated in
the story which came along as I was
writing the script. uh early in 2023
there was this conversation about the
Jypy phase out that uh I feel strongly
about because ever since I learned how
to commute I've been a Jney passenger my
whole life and I know I have friends who
have parents who are Jipney drivers as
well and that is their source of income
and without proper plan for the
modernization I feel like it would
greatly affect or drastically affect
protect their lives. So, um I
incorporated it in my story uh by making
Benjo as a son of a jypny driver. That's
where it's rooting from. Uh Benja's
character. He's a student athlete with a
father who is a jypny driver. And when
the phase out of the jipney came into
the picture, it became a struggle for
him to just focus on the sports because
for now he has to survive alongside his
father. So that's where it came from.
I'm a firm believer that the script or
the story is the heart of every film.
So, I took my time writing it,
conceptualizing it. It's my finals film
for our directing class. We're a group
of five for this film, but they chose me
to direct it. I really focus on that
character arc, the change that will
happen within the characters, especially
with Carl. I think Carl has that more
evident change compared to Benjo because
Benjo all this time is this realistic
figure that uh just flows along the
story and Carl is our eyes. He
represents us. I think I can also relate
to Carl at some point because whenever I
meet new people, whenever I get new
experiences, I feel changed. So that's
what I wanted my characters to
experience as well. they are changed uh
because of a certain experience in the
film
about the box that you have to get out
of that box. Know something about
yourself and write about it. I think
there is no better way of telling a
story than telling something personal
about yourself and relating it to your
characters and sharing it with your
audience. I think uh since we created
this as student filmmakers uh two years
ago, there are challenges that felt like
they are unresolvable. Uh I think one of
them was when the location backed out uh
a week before the shoot. So there were
those dramas that happened and um
looking back I think it all happens for
a reason. I insisted Tatako to be shot
in my hometown because that's where I
feel the most comfortable working on and
I wanted my characters to live the same
house I lived in to walk the same
Essanita I walked in as a child to run
in the same oval where I trained as a
track and field athlete as well. So um
it just so happened that the oval wasn't
available during our shoot. they
declined our permit so we had to look
for an alternative location which we
ended up shooting the running scenes in
Santa Cruz Lagona uh where we got it for
free so I think that's a blessing in
disguise I think that's one thing that I
always keep in mind now as a filmmaker
that nothing in your set will happen
without a reason everything will fall
into places and it just doesn't make
sense now but looking back it will
really make sense. Almost 2 years into
graduating and working in the industry,
there's still a long way to go. Uh, a
lot of things to learn from. And I think
what people will appreciate from you on
set is when you are willing to learn.
They feel that spirit within you if
you're open to uh new experiences and
learnings and you're able to cope up
with the standards that's already in the
industry. So leave your ego at the door
and be open. Stay put your feet on the
ground and
uh just be a student again when you're
on set.
>> [music]
[music]
>> [panting]
[sighs]
>> Mighty
take the
Hello.
Okay.
foreign.
[laughter]
Whoa.
Oh,
[music]
next
Sorry poach
Hey, tag boy.
probably
Mars.
Oh Yeah.
Heat.
Yeah.
Hey, boss.
Ramirez
Ramirez.
Ah, Ramirez. Oh.
Ramirez.
forus.
FOREIGN
SPEECH.
What
is
No
shield.
Let's go.
Benjo.
He
Contang.
Angal
kaya.
I know
tin.
This one.
Yes.
Heat. Heat.
>> [music]
>> Heat.
[music]
Heat.
>> [music]
[music]
>> Heat. Heat.
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>> [music]
>> Heat. Heat.
[music]
Heat.
[music]
Heat.
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>> [music]
>> Heat. Heat. [music]