Mayohan - Trailer

May is the month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of Christ. In Infanta, Quezon, locals turn each of the 31 days of May into a charming honor not only to celebrate good harvest in their agricultural setting, but also to pay tribute to the virginal virtues of the Mayohan. Every month of May, a padasal or series of novenas commences to mark the beginning of Mayohan. This will culminate in a Pasayaw or Tapusan in every purok of each barangay. A system of ambagan or donation ensues for the festivities to take place. In the hopes of keeping a tradition alive, the elders support its continued celebration; through the years, however, decadence has long taken over the Tapusan. Proud beauty queens, town officials, curious participants and passersby, intoxicated men with carnal needs all play roles in the midst of a spiritual undertaking. Some have unwittingly tarnished the event’s reputation and essence. Underlying values and tokens are lost in the turning over of tradition.

Amidst the festivities, a 15-year old young outsider becomes the focal point in the preparation that the Pasayaw entails. As this grieving young man comes of age and deals with the recent loss of both parents, his attention shifts to Lilibeth, a 19-year old provincial lass, the elected presidenta of the pasayaw’s pamunuan, who, herself gets lost in the hoopla and hullabaloo that transpire before May ends. As the event underscores gender lines, generation differences, and class issues, they become entangled in an unlikely partnership, in their own search for growth and acceptance.

Full Length
Cinemalaya 2010