Donsol is one of the entries in Cinemalaya, an independent film festival held in CCP annualy. Donsol actually is a municipality in Sorsogon, a province in Bicol region just South of Albay (the province of the Mayon Volcano). Sorsogon is my province. Well let us go back to the movie. The movie 'Donsol' was starred by Angel Aquino, who plays a widowed breast cancer patient; Sid Lucero, a tour attendant in Donsol. Did I mention that one of the main feature of the film is the whale sharks (locally known as 'butanding') which annually visit the town's coasts? Ok the answer is no. Donsol have became a tourist spot for people from in and outside of the country to witness the bigest fish in the world, the whale shark.

Location

I can say the locations were generally authentic (as it was really shot there).

Mood

The movie was a sort of 'a-walk-to-remember' type of movie which portrayed a environment isolated to industrial and commercial cities in the country

The Townsfolks

Well they made a great job on portraying the townfolk. You know, I lived with the townsfolks in my father's place during my summer vaction when I was 7 or 8. The feeling the film ellicited was authentic about the people in the community.

Depth

I found it not so very sociological. Well I may not have the license to actually judge the film because I am not a Film maor, I am a Sociology major. Maybe few that could be pointed out there which may be sociological is maybe the tourism & commoditisation of the whale sharks which pratically benefits the locals for the income but somehow raises some environmental issues. Another, social classes could be identified and stressed in the film. Another also, is it is like it was having a propaganda of actually inviting people to pack up and go for a vacation in the province of Sorsogon to witness the sights.

to be continued...