Puso in SHELTER – FAREWELL TO EDEN | Food for thought by Writer / photographer Jude Thaddeus L. Bautista

‘Pepsi’; from the documentary SHELTER – FAREWELL TO EDEN by Enrico Masi part of Cine Europa 23, Philippine edition running from October 26 to November 29, 2020. Watch it and many other titles for free on: http://www.cineeuropaph.com

Written by

Jude Thaddeus L. Bautista

Puso, in the Filipino language, literally means heart. But in colloquial terms can refer to resilience, courage in the face of great adversity or the ability to fight after being hurt. Just like the use of ‘Heart’ in combat sports, boxing, MMA or sports in general.

The central figure here is best described as Puso, all heart. ‘Pepsi’ is a Pinoy, transgender, Muslim refugee in Europe. She has a grim determination to survive and be a productive member of society to the point of obsession.

She is the main subject in an Italian produced documentary: SHELTER – FAREWELL TO EDEN. And viewers don’t even know her real name or see her face. Pepsi is one of several chosen pseudonyms. This is for her own protection, to find out why read on.

The film SHELTER – FAREWELL TO EDEN by Italian Enrico Masi is part of Cine Europa 23. This is the 2020 version of the esteemed film fest held annually in the Philippines, specifically its home in Shang Rila Plaza Mall in Mandaluyong City.

Cine Europa 23

We may not be able to watch Cine Europa in the swanky new RED CARPET Cinemas in Shang but it has other advantages online. The newer online format will allow film fans to view titles from E.U. countries who don’t necessarily have an embassy presence here.

All you need to do is register and you can watch the screening films for the day for free. Log on this link today: www.cineeuropaph.com

A scene from the documentary SHELTER – FAREWELL TO EDEN by Enrico Masi part of Cine Europa 23, Philippine edition running from October 26 to November 29, 2020. Watch it and many other titles for free on: http://www.cineeuropaph.com

The fest will run from October 26 to November 29, 2020. The EU Delegation, the European Union member states embassies and Embassy of Switzerland, cultural institutes including Goethe-Institut, Instituto Cervantes Manila, Philippine-Italian Association, continue to value the support of the Filipino moviegoing public and have endeavored to curate a sample of films showing the diversity of the European film industry.

Deluge of Migration

The past decade, millions of migrants from various countries in the Middle East and Africa have flooded Europe. The rise and fall of ISIS, EU Turkey Deal, Brexit even droughts and general poverty are all contributory factors. BUT who knew joining that human deluge, among them would be a Filipino? Migration is an extremely complex and politically divisive issue. And is the strong undercurrent in SHELTER FAREWELL TO EDEN documentary.

Because of Pepsi’s migration journey, the viewers also see or get a sense of several European member states. The nations share more than just borders. From the Mediterranean she reaches Italy goes through the backwoods, even mountain ranges and highways to reach France. From there she sets her sights on crossing the channel to the U.K.. It’s a unifying EU theme that literally traverses countries, all through the eyes and struggles of a Filipino. Now, viewed by her compatriots through Cine Europa 23.

Enrico Masi and Team

Describing the dangers of producing this documentary can never be overemphasized. Imagine hiking in a forest trail in pitch black dark with nothing but a cellphone lighting your way. So as not to alert the authorities on your trail. Or walking 30 km of highways and bridges where several migrants have already been run over and killed.

Director Enrico Masi, cinematographer Stefano Croci and Sound Recordist Jacopo Bonora have also experienced these dangers through the course of shooting. Masi and his whole team deserve tremendous credit for the hard work and sacrifice they’ve made to put this truly human story to screen. Puso can also refer to the perseverance of the whole CAUCASO production which shot a total: 90 hours of footage over a 3 year period.

Portrait of a Person

In an interview with Universidade Católica Portuguesa School of Arts, Masi revealed that they initially wanted to shoot the migration phenomenon only in Northern Italy. But it gradually evolved into following the route of the migrants themselves not just through Italy but across to France and other territories.

Through that process they discovered Pepsi, “At a certain point a particular character was capable of representing the whole group. This was the moment when the individual portrait was born. That’s why this portrait became a portrait of a person and no longer a territory. But we still couldn’t film this person’s face to protect her identity. It was in any case a ‘missing’ portrait. At the same time this figure that was moving through the territory was exactly like in painting or photography, cropped by the landscape. We were thinking about this during the production and photography phase of the film.”

Interview · Enrico Masi · Portrait and Landscape of the Migratory Flux

(For non-Italian speakers you can turn on subtitles button at bottom right of screen marked CC)

Spirit of Endurance and Resilience

SHELTER is the third part of a trilogy that began in 2012 for Masi. The unifying theme is social change and their impact on the less fortunate or those without access to resources. What he discovered are characters who ‘embody a spirit of endurance and resilience’.

It began with THE GOLDEN TEMPLE, “a tale of the upheaval in the lives of the inhabitants of London following urban redevelopment in conjunction with the Olympic Games. The work, presented at the Giornate Degli Autori of the 69th Venice Film Festival, won acclaim in other prestigious festivals including the Festival Dei Popoli in Florence and the Reykjavik International Film Festival.” From Enrico Masi’s profile on People Pill: https://peoplepill.com/people/enrico-masi/

Then came THE LAST CANGACEIRO in 2016 (Lepanto – Ultimo Cangaceiro), how the World Cup in Brazil affected “the most disadvantaged neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro and on indigenous peoples, with the personal story of Mike Wells, in struggle between the desire to fight the ongoing injustice and the repercussions of his choice on the sentimental side.” Cangaceiro in Brazil means social bandit or modern Robin Hood figure.

Pepsi’s Youth and Calling as Nurse

As a young boy at age 10, she was already recruited to join the MILF, Moro Islamic Liberation Front. She was one of many child soldiers recruited in the southern part of the Philippine archipelago in Mindanao. Perhaps, fortunately due to her effeminate traits, or how she moved, the MILF Commander assigned her as a nurse. She took a liking to her post and was good at her job. And gained formal training for it.

By the year 2000, their MILF stronghold was overtaken by then President Estrada through the military. Erap, as the president was more commonly known, famously ate lechon there (roast pork) to add insult to injury on the defeated Muslim rebel force.

At a young age she already experienced discrimination, “I escaped from Moro Islamic Islamic Liberation front. You cannot put Islam religion and gay in one box. It is not accepted that’s why I ran away. I steal weapons and grenades. I sell it to the farmers in secret. And they give me money, a lot. Then I go to Manila.” As a homosexual, there was persecution even from her own faith.

Libya and ISIS

Not surprisingly, she was able to go overseas to Libya and work as a nurse. This is where she was able to earn money and establish herself in the profession. Until, ISIS invaded Libya and was fearful for her safety. ISIS believes in a more radical form of Islam and may execute homosexuals or anyone who doesn’t follow their creed.

She decided to pay a trafficker $1,000 USD for a boat ride crossing the Mediterranean to Italy. What she didn’t know was the trafficker then assigned a 14 year old as ship captain to traverse the sea. By some miracle she reached Italy safely. Although thousands of migrants who attempted the crossing have lost their lives over the years. This was only the beginning of the dangers in her harrowing sojourn to Europe.

Mentally Strong

After landing on port she was detained by immigration authorities in what was essentially a prison. But later on released. If safety was the only concern, she needn’t go further. As she received free daily meals from Caritas, a Catholic charity. But because of her grim determination to be productive and work as care giver, she insisted in crossing the border to France and perhaps to the U.K.. A caregiving job was her goal, being sure that her nursing credentials from Libya and the Philippines wouldn’t be honored.

The problem was she had to go through several Italian cities from Genova to Ventimiglia. She was out of money and was desperate. Being Asian, having long hair, she had feminine features, was offered a job as prostitute earning 100 Euro per client. In spite of her desperation she still had a strong sense of right and wrong and refused, “My friend, we have different strategy how to survive in this world.”

Dark Fate

The route from South to North Italy is long and difficult. With no money she‘s forced to walk on trails in the backwoods. Even if you reach the North of Italy there was literally a mountain range blocking your way to the French border: the Alpes Maritimes.

(20) ‘Pepsi’; from the documentary SHELTER – FAREWELL TO EDEN by Enrico Masi part of Cine Europa 23, Philippine edition running from October 26 to November 29, 2020. Watch it and many other titles for free on: http://www.cineeuropaph.com

As dangerous as the backwoods are, the cities for her are even more dangerous. One night, in an attempt to cross the English channel, she was raped. “We will kill you if you will not have sex with us. If the young possess weapon and pointing to your body and asking for sex do you allow them? For me yes, I allowed them. I was raped there for 6 persons. Because actually I don’t have money to cross English channel. You must pay the trafficker.”

Her admission of being gang raped is just one of the reasons for hiding Pepsi’s face in the documentary. The attempts to cross borders illegally can also be a means to prosecute her, in several countries. The pseudonyms etc., are all meant to protect her identity.

Heroine

The docu, however, is not all dark and depressing. Through it all she is true to her calling. Helping her kababayan (countrymen) choose medication, warning them of dehydration, because they know she’s a nurse. She would receive an intimate phone call from her boyfriend abroad, asking about her. The docu ends with her in Paris working as masseuse in a relatively safe environment.

The mental fortitude that she has shown through her ordeal with her thriving in a new city is nothing short of astounding. She encapsulates her life well, “The world will not be complete without Pepsi even if I am as small as an atom because I am here, a part of the world. Gay, Muslim, rebel, nurse, refugee; all of that I love it. I have to stand it because it is my right.”

Personally what I’m hoping for in this COVID pandemic, is that somehow they accept her as a volunteer nurse. This is a possibility with the shortage of medical front liners world-wide. At the very least she could be a medical assistant or orderly.

Pepsi has come to represent not just Middle Eastern, African migrants to Europe, as Masi described. She has also come to symbolize the trials of Overseas Filipino Workers; members of the LGBTQ, women and men, anyone who has been sexually abused and marginalized. She is a modern day hero.

Masi very aptly quoted Jose Rizal’s poem Mi Ultimo Adios (My Final Farewell) in the credits. Shortening the first lines into ‘Farewell to Eden’ as the title of the film:

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Original Spanish version by Rizal:

Adiós, Patria adorada, región del sol querida,

Perla del mar de oriente, nuestro perdido Edén!

A darte voy alegre la triste mustia vida,

Y fuera más brillante, más fresca, más florida,

También por ti la diera, la diera por tu bien.

English translation by

Encarnacion Alzona & Isidro Escare Abeto:

Farewell, my adored Land, region of the sun caressed,

Pearl of the Orient Sea, our Eden lost,

With gladness I give you my life, sad and repressed;

And were it more brilliant, more fresh and at its best,

I would still give it to you for your welfare at most.

Filipino Translation by

Andres Bonifacio:

Pinipintuho kong Bayan ay paalam,

lupang iniirog ñg sikat ñg araw,

mutiang mahalaga sa dagat Silañgan,

kalualhatiang sa ami’y pumanaw.

Masayang sa iyo’y aking idudulot

ang lanta kong buhay na lubhang malungkot;

maging mariñgal man at labis alindog

sa kagaliñgan mo ay akin ding handog.

For full version of poem click here:

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Mi_%C3%BAltimo_adi%C3%B3s

Film maker Enrico Masi talks about SHELTER – FAREWELL TO EDEN (29)

SHELTER, currently being distributed in Italy with Istituto Luce Cinecittà, is produced by Caucaso and Ligne 7 in collaboration with Rai Cinema and Manufactory Productions, with the support of the Emilia-Romagna Region Emilia-Romagna Film Commission and the Sardegna Film Commission Foundation. S

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(33) A scene from the documentary SHELTER – FAREWELL TO EDEN by Enrico Masi part of Cine Europa 23, Philippine edition running from October 26 to November 29, 2020. Watch it and many other titles for free on: http://www.cineeuropaph.com

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(36) A scene from the documentary SHELTER – FAREWELL TO EDEN by Enrico Masi part of Cine Europa 23, Philippine edition running from October 26 to November 29, 2020. Watch it and many other titles for free on: http://www.cineeuropaph.com

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(39) A scene from the documentary SHELTER – FAREWELL TO EDEN by Enrico Masi part of Cine Europa 23, Philippine edition running from October 26 to November 29, 2020. Watch it and many other titles for free on: http://www.cineeuropaph.com

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(44) A scene from the documentary SHELTER – FAREWELL TO EDEN by Enrico Masi part of Cine Europa 23, Philippine edition running from October 26 to November 29, 2020. Watch it and many other titles for free on: http://www.cineeuropaph.com

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(47) A scene from the documentary SHELTER – FAREWELL TO EDEN by Enrico Masi part of Cine Europa 23, Philippine edition running from October 26 to November 29, 2020. Watch it and many other titles for free on: http://www.cineeuropaph.com

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(50) A scene from the documentary SHELTER – FAREWELL TO EDEN by Enrico Masi part of Cine Europa 23, Philippine edition running from October 26 to November 29, 2020. Watch it and many other titles for free on: http://www.cineeuropaph.com

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(53) ‘Pepsi’; from the documentary SHELTER – FAREWELL TO EDEN by Enrico Masi part of Cine Europa 23, Philippine edition running from October 26 to November 29, 2020. Watch it and many other titles for free on: http://www.cineeuropaph.com

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(54) ‘Pepsi’; from the documentary SHELTER – FAREWELL TO EDEN by Enrico Masi part of Cine Europa 23, Philippine edition running from October 26 to November 29, 2020. Watch it and many other titles for free on: http://www.cineeuropaph.com

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http://judebsports.wordpress.com/ , https://judebfood.wordpress.com/ , http://judebphoto.wordpress.com/ , http://judebgallery.wordpress.com/ , http://judebautista.wordpress.com/