I watched some of the film entries in the recently concluded Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). What really caught my attention was the trailer of the full-length animated film Urduja that was being shown before the featured film. Here’s a glimpse to this upcoming movie:
According to legends, “Urduja” is a 14th century warrior-princess who ruled the Kingdom of Tawalisi in Pangasinan. She was famous for leading a group of woman warriors who were skilled fighters and equestrian. Historical reference to Princess Urduja can be found in the travel account of Ibn Battuta, a Muslim traveler from Morocco. He stopped by Tawalisi on his way to China and had known Princess Urduja.
Urduja will be in theaters some time this year. I will definitely see this one.
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salve,
hmmm, interesting, a pinoy animated film based on a “legend.”
off topic: the templados in baybay were my relatives. lolo adon, the patriarch was my lolo’s younger bro. my lolo used to be mayor of tiwi in the 50’s and also the oic of the office of the mayor right after the edsa revolution.
yes, my mom’s a teacher. she has since remarried. me & my younger sister both graduated from TCS. so, i’m sure ako ang nahiling mo kaitu sa eskwelahan. batch ano ka sa central?
btw, how are you related to leo and victor canale na aki ni tio gody na pulis. i grew up with vic and awo na mga aki ni tio binong sa basag.
@manoy mitsuru, i think it’s time that the Philippines produce full-length animated films. a legend is a good start. and since most kids are so hooked into tv and they consider reading a boring activity, might as well they learn about our rich literature thru a movie.
Hi Salve!
A Pangasinan-Ilokano poet-writer mentioned in his blog that the animated film is very much different from the real legend. The film has been Tagalized, he says. He claims the essence of the legend has been drastically changed that the movie no longer depicts Pangasinan culture.
If that is true, then I say it’s sad, because now we, who don’t know much about the legend, will be viewing something that had been changed to suit the taste of the viewers. Commercialization seems to have taken precedence over promoting culture. Very, very sad affair, indeed. To think a full-length animated film of a Philippine legend would have been a big step for the promotion of the Filipino culture.
Hmmm….
I think this film was romanticized. Disney do that all the time. Remember Pocahontas? 😀 Still, I’d want to see this film.
I found this link when I was surfing looking for information about this movie.
I’d like to make a comment.
MY grandmother is from Urdaneta Pangasinan and I travel there every month. One time when I was there in August 2006, I spoke with a guest of my grandmother’s who was a local historian. He told me about the story of Urduja.
Urduja lived in the 13th century and was the leader of a confederation of Ibaloi and Pangasinan tribes called Tawalisi. IN Ibaloi her name was Udayon. The best account comes from the Moroccan explorer Ibin Batuta who says he visited Tawalisi and met Urduja. Batuta wrote that her kingdom was in constant war (with whom he doesn’t say) and that because of this the women had to take up arms and fight alongside the men. Also because of this state of warfare she vowed never to marry any man unless he could defeat her in combat. When Batuta leaves for China she supposedly gives him gifts of lemons (kalamansi?), salt, mangoes, buffalos, and elephants(??[some people think batuta was exaggerating here]).
The reason why people think that the account describes pangasinan is because all these can be found there (minus the elephants of course).
In a folk tale told to me by that Local Historian, A Datu from Indonesia heres about Urduja and comes to Pangasinan to wed her. In the story she refuses to marry him unless he bests her in combat. They supposedly fight on a plain of salt on the Outskirts of Lingayan (This is Pangasinan of course!!!). THe Datu is wounded and Urduja beats him in combat. Because Urduja is merciful she spares him and the Datu goes home in disgrace. As for this story I don’t know if its true but one thing is for sure:
IN this legend and the account of Ibn Batuta she refuses to marry any man unless he beats her in combat.
The movies doesn’t show any of that and instead shows a romance between Urduja and a Li Ma Hong style chinese pirate even though Li ma Hong does not appear until the 16th century during the Ming dynasty.
Also the weapons aren’t accurate depictions of the traditional weapons of Pangasinan.
In Pangasinan they used only 3 types of melee weapons:
Spear
Golok (a, short, broad bladed bolo with 15″ to 20″ blade)
Sibak (uh you get the idea).
aside fromt the spear the other two weapons are slashing weapons.
IN the movie the tribesmen are shown using a Kris. The Kris is the national weapon of indonesia. In the Philippines it is only found among the Tausugs of Sulu, Samal and Yakan warriors of Mindanao. IT was never mentioned in any of the folklore of Pangasinan, the Ilocanos, Cordillera and Igorot peoples.
Having taken Arnis I know that most Filipino ‘swords’ are slashing weapons whereas the Kris is a thrusting weapon.
So its depiction in the movie is totally inaccurate.
THough I’m critical I still want this movie to do well, but I don’t expect much.
I hope that sheds more light on the Real Urduja.