Released in 1948 by Paul White and directed by William Winter, “Pearl of the Orient” tells the story of the Philippines as it rose from the disaster of WWII to become a modern nation. The film is notable as it contains native music and songs recorded in the field, along with footage of Filipino arts and crafts including weaving. At 1:12, modern Manila is shown, still bearing many scars of war but appearing bustling and full of life. Starting at 1:30, rural life in the mountains of Luzon is shown along with indigenous handicrafts and at 2:04, native ceremonies including the warrior dance. These are members of the Igorot tribe who live in the mountains of northern Luzon, the largest island of the Philippines. The name Igorot means “mountaineer” in the Tagalog language. There are about 10 main ethnic groups among the Igorot, each with its own culture. At 2:26 Igorot marriage ceremonies are seen.
The film also shows rice farming at 3:00 using flood irrigation methods, the harvest with water buffalo providing some motive power, and a harvest dance called a “rice ballet” by the narrator at 5:00. Fish and then pork is seen being cooked at 5:50, a diet that continues into the 21st Century. At 6:45, a cock fight is shown with the roosters having long, sharp metal shivs attached to their legs. At 7:19 the Sulu Islands are shown and the Moro people. The Moro people is a coined term for the population of Muslims in the Philippines, forming the largest non-Catholic group in the country, and comprising about 5.1% (as of August 2007) of the total Philippine population. Most are the followers of Sunni Islam of Shafi’i madh’hab
At 7:50, Moro Filipinos are seen engaged in a Muslim wedding ceremony. At 8:45, pearl diving is shown. At 9:10, more war ruins are seen — and the narrator mentions that it will take a lot of effort to restore the Philippines to what it was before WWII.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
