Turumba celebrates traditional craft and artisanal labour over industrial modes of production and a life of subsistence over one of accumulation.
Murtaza Vali

After a lockdown-induced hiatus, Documentary Meets is ‘back in business’. The program’s fifth instalment takes the recent ‘END OF FINANCIAL YEAR’ as its theme – a moment to reflect on the value, and cost, of our labour.

Join us at Composite on the evening of Thursday, July 15, for a one-off screening of Turumba (1983), a subversively scrappy docufiction from multi-disciplinary artist and ‘father of Philippine independent cinema’ Kidlat Tahimik. Set in the small town of Pakil, about 100 kilometres from the capital of Manila, this post-colonial allegory turns on the production of the brightly coloured papier-mâché toys associated with the Catholic festival of Turumba. While a whopping order from a German department store means that young Kadu’s family can purchase some handy tech (a fan, a radio), it also transforms their seasonal work into capitalist drudgery, and sees their handicrafts stripped of their traditional function.

Time: Doors and drinks start from 7; introduction and screening from 7.30.
Prices: $10 waged / $5 unwaged / no one turned away for lack of funds. Seating allocations will be on a ‘first come, first served’ basis and capacity is limited.