Haunting of the postcolonial abject

Date of Publication

2023

Document Type

Bachelor's Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts in Literature major in Literary and Cultural Studies

Subject Categories

Film and Media Studies

College

College of Liberal Arts

Department/Unit

Literature, Department of

Thesis Advisor

Anne Frances N. Sangil

Defense Panel Chair

Tanya Katrina Sevilla Simon

Defense Panel Member

Tanya Katrina Sevilla Simon
Shirley O. Lua

Abstract (English)

The central aim of my discussion is to delve into the intricate relationship between abjection and postcoloniality within the context of Philippine horror cinema. I analyzed how these local horror films serve as powerful tools for exploring and interrogating the national anxieties and broader socio-cultural undercurrents of the Philippines, to contemporaneously reveal the enduring impact of colonialism.

To achieve this, I conducted an in-depth examination of the following contemporary horror texts: Kenneth Lim Dagatan’s Ma (2018), Benedict Mique’s ML (2018), and Dodo Dayao’s Midnight In A Perfect World (2020). Each of these carefully selected films embodies a distinct sub-genre, mirroring some of the cinematic trends in this recent decade in Philippine horror. Kristeva’s theories on abjection served as a critical framework, allowing me to uncover the unique sources of terror inherent in each of these films, and the various ways it is cinematically represented. Importantly, the Gothic functions as a guiding thread throughout my analysis, playing a pivotal role in accentuating the eerie and unsettling aspects of these narratives, which in tandem helps me provide a nuanced perspective on how these films navigate the shadowy recesses of history, culture, and identity on-screen and its ongoing reverberations in Filipino society. My study aspires to contribute to this largely unexplored area in Philippine film scholarship, by offering fresh insight into how local horror films amplify and rearticulate historic experiences, as well as outline the current state of local horror filmmaking today.

Keywords: Philippine cinema; horror; abject; gothic; postcoloniality

Abstract Format

html

Abstract (Filipino)

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Abstract Format

html

Language

English

Format

Electronic

Keywords

Motion pictures--Philippines; Horror films--Philippines; Abjection in motion pictures; Postcolonialism in motion pictures

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Embargo Period

12-9-2023

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