Philippines Travelogue "Pearl of the Orient" Pearl Diving 49274 (1948)

Synopsis

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,…

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Details

Running time

10 minutes

Language

English

Collection

Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

• Stock Footage