Cheyenne Suarez

Don Eblahan's 'Vox Humana' amplifies indigenous voices

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ABS-CBN News

<div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1738224330812Vox-Humana.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=" &quot;Vox Humana&quot; director Don Eblahan"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"> &quot;Vox Humana&quot; director Don Eblahan </span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>At the heart of the snowy slopes of Sundance 2025, a voice from the Cordilleras is making waves. Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan is a 28-year-old filmmaker bringing his roots to the world stage with his latest short film, &quot;Vox Humana.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Malaking bagay ito sa amin at pati rin sa cast and crew and sa community na nire-represent ko. Kasi minsan lang naman tayo makakita ng indigenous na taga-Cordillera na nakakapunta sa mga ganitong lugar,&quot; he said.</p><p>We met at a Filipinos-in-Sundance breakfast mixer organized by one of the festival&#x27;s programmers, Irene Soriano. Eblahan&#x27;s quiet confidence and genuinely humble presence mingled nicely with fellow Pinoy creatives, most of whom are Sundance veterans like &quot;Last Days&quot; producer Salvador Gatdula.</p><p>For Eblahan, this year&#x27;s festival is personal. While the writer-director&#x27;s debut short, &quot;The Headhunter’s Daughter,&quot; won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize in 2022, he only experienced that moment virtually. But this time around, he was proudly representing the Philippines in person.</p><p>Set against the breathtaking landscapes of his homeland, &quot;Vox Humana&quot; is a poignant exploration of humanity&#x27;s connection to nature. Eblahan&#x27;s inspiration? The Cordilleras, where he grew up surrounded by natural beauty — and the devastation of natural disasters. </p><p>He explained: &quot;I&#x27;m from the Cordilleras, I&#x27;m Ifugao-Visayan but I grew up mostly in the Baguio area. My hometown is La Trinidad. Part of my imaginations and my ramblings when I was growing up there were reflecting on natural disasters that somehow hit our area. I try to interrogate through my cinema why these things happen: Is it man-made problems or is it really the will of our ancient gods?&quot;</p><p>Through the lens of a zoologist character, &quot;Vox Humana&quot; dives into this complex web of questions, reflecting Eblahan&#x27;s own inner dialogue about his culture and environment. But it&#x27;s more than a film about the past — it&#x27;s a call to action for the future. </p><p>With the climate crisis decimating various places in the world, I asked Eblahan if he thinks there&#x27;s still hope in saving the planet. </p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s easy to feel like it&#x27;s too late,&quot; he said, adding, &quot;but even small changes can have a big impact.&quot;</p><p>In what specific ways? I prodded. He said: &quot;Sa amin, of course, sustainable farming and supporting land workers especially the indigenous land workers in the Cordilleras, all over the Philippines, kasi sila &#x27;yung nakakaalam talaga nung terrain ng lupa natin.&quot;</p><p>He emphasized the importance of empathy, listening, and preserving indigenous knowledge — values central to his storytelling. &quot;It&#x27;s a reflection on my culture, my landscape, and our role in this world,&quot; he added.</p><p>His films&#x27; power also lies in its authenticity. </p><p>&quot;I&#x27;ve only mostly worked with non-professional actors. Pero ang hinahanap ko pa rin talaga are masters in their own craft,&quot; Eblahan shared. &quot;Kasi lumalabas &#x27;yung talagang tunay na personalities and the imperfections, and the little movements na nakikita mo sa hindi talaga trained na actors.&quot;</p><p>This year, &quot;Vox Humana&quot; stands as the sole Filipino entry at Sundance.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s such an honor to represent the Philippines,&quot; he said. &quot;I hope this inspires more indigenous filmmakers to share their stories. Gusto ko ring ipakita na gumagawa kami ng films na pwedeng makarating sa mga ganitong lugar, just by being small-scale, pwedeng gawin.&quot;</p><p>For the Filipino artist, filmmaking is deeply personal and intimate, but his impact is anything but small. From the mountains of the Cordilleras to the global spotlight of Sundance, Eblahan&#x27;s voice is one the world is ready to hear. With &quot;Vox Humana,&quot; he reminds us to listen — not just to the earth, but to each other.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uoiISGHx3z8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The Filipino filmmaker goes to Sundance with a poetic call to action.</p>

The Filipino filmmaker goes to Sundance with a poetic call to action.

From the Cordilleras to Sundance: Don Eblahan's 'Vox Humana' amplifies indigenous voices

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From the Cordilleras to Sundance: Don Eblahan's 'Vox Humana' amplifies indigenous voices

ABS-CBN News,

Yong Chavez

Published January 30, 2025 04:06 PM PHT

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