MariaClara: Contemporary dance film

Sana po ay masamahan niyo kaming ipagbunyi kung gaano kasaya maging Pilipino!

About the project:
Who is the Filipino woman? This is a question no single Filipina can answer alone. I aim to work with 25 other Filipino women to collectively reflect on this question and create movement that expresses our celebrations of being a Filipina.

Maria Clara has become a byword in Filipino culture for the traditional, feminine ideal. She is a character in our National hero's book, "Noli Me Tangere," and is known to be demure, modest, loyal, and self-effacing.  Picture a liberating image of 25 female bodies in a vast Filipino setting- celebrating their own ideas of womanly ideals as well as depicting the "soft" qualities  of Maria Clara in such a way that highlights their beauty and strength. 

This dance film will involve a cross-continental collaboration between myself (based in Vancouver, Canada), 25 filipina dancers, a videographer, and composer (most of whom are based in Manila, Philippines). When this dance film is completed, I will apply to numerous international film festivals in order to showcase and share the work. Your support would greatly aid the collaboration, process and completion of this piece.

About Tin:
I was born and raised in the Philippines and moved to Vancouver to study dance at Simon Fraser University. It was through a directed studies course with Rob Kitsos that I made my first dance film, shot in Zambia and Vancouver- I fell in love with the art form. It has been an aiding vessel in exploration and expression of universal topics, such as: diversity, relationship to land, connection, cultural roots, etc. I have completed 3 dance films in total and showcased them at independent events and festivals such as Festival of Recorded Movement, Vines Festival, and Artswells. These films have also allowed me to bring community together as some screenings have been interactive installations and/or were immediately followed by movement workshops and discussion between myself and the audience. 

What I Need & What You Get:
My goal is to raise $10,000 CAD, which is about one-third of the cost in order to properly and fairly compensate those  involved (25 dancers, a choreographer, videographer), subsidize flight cost, accommodation/supplies when on site for the shoot, and quality camera equipment.

Any and all contributions will be of great help to this production. Even if I do not reach my full $10,000 goal, all funds will go towards making this film a success and repaying my dancers, composer and videographer for the hours they have already contributed.

As a form of gratitude, I can offer signed postcards from the collaborators, updates on our in-studio progress, and a screening of past films, including group workshop & discussion on human connection to backers who donate $500 or more. If interested, please see email address below and contact me for further details.

Risks & Challenges:
This project is definitely a big undertaking- finding 25 dancers and building a group relationship between people living in 2 different countries will be quite the feat. I believe this is doable with preparation, technology, transparency, open lines of communication, and support. I am also in frequent contact with arts-minded mentors in the Philippines and Vancouver, such as Nina Anonas who is connecting me with dancers, and Rob Kitsos who helps guide the process in the right direction.    

Other Ways You Can Help:
If you like what you hear and what the project stands for, but can't contribute a monetary amount, don't fret! There are many ways to help this project succeed. You can share this campaign on social media, through mass-emails to family, friends, and co-workers! 

You could also attend some fundraising events that will take place within the next few months! Stay tuned! 

If you have any further questions or would like to be involved, please e-mail me at [email redacted]