“TAGA” Non-Spoiler Review

Welcome to my coverage of Sundance Film Festival! We’re starting off with my mini-review of “TAGA”!

‘TAGA’

We have Sundance! What a wonderful opportunity to be able to cover it and we start that off with “TAGA”. Written and directed by Jill Marie Sachs you have a journey that is not expected. Rooted from the Tagalog word “from” it is a push to discover the truth. 

Intertwined with Filipina culture you have our lead, Vivi played by Kim Adis. Vivi is a third culture Filipina American who ends up traveling to the Philippines. The eco-volunteer she travels with ends up bringing about a tension no expects. For Vivi this is about connecting with her roots, but the conflict that arises between the eco-volunteer group and the locals end up creating a commotion.  

What is really touching about “TAGA” and should be worth a glance is the personal connection Sachs has with our story. This is very much based off her own experiences, and you feel that level of intimacy throughout the short film. One thing to keep in mind is that the eco-volunteers don’t show any respect for its locals which leads to the horror element of the tale. We have our tale turning into an unraveled myth or folklore with the appearance of Nangangtok. 

The meditation of cultures and having audiences being drawn in with the horror aspect does retain your attention throughout. There are consequences for a lack of respect and culture. The setting of having the Philippines feel as a character of importance just as anyone else. You feel the intensity of Sachs vision, but what stands out is having this production being approximately 90% were Asian or Asian American which crafted a more delicate vision unfolding.

Continue for the rest of my coverage trickling in tomorrow, but hope you’ll have an opportunity to catch ‘TAGA’!