Jesus Is Dead (Patay na si Hesus)

Philippines, 90 mins, 2016

Language: Cebuano with English subtitles

The theatre of life is set on a non-descript roadside by a dog walking across the screen, followed by a food vendor’s van. An eatery materializes, presided over by Iyay (the marvellous Jaclyn Jose), matriarch of a freakish family. Iyay has single-handedly brought up the kids—useless Jay the Bum, successful Jude the Tom, Bert the Down-Syndrome angel (Iyai: “When I gave birth to Bert, I thought he’d be my biggest problem. It’s we who have become his burden”; “I’ve got 2 knives in the back, whoever ends up dead can be buried with Father”), and Bert’s little dog Judas. Iyay stuffs them all into her orange mini-van for the long drive from Cebu to Dumaguete for the funeral of their estranged playboy father, Jesus. So far, so cute, notwithstanding the early sperm-eating scene, but even that is cute (“You could’ve been President,” Jay tells the white goo in his palm, “I’ll give you a second chance,” and eats it.) Even my notes say: “Peopled with wonderful faces and characters, utterly charming!” But then they pick up Aunt Lucy at her convent.

Jesus’ sister is a nun. A black shadow flits across the screen—3 or 4 frames—that’s all. If you blink, you miss it. The nun’s eyes dance and gleam with mischief; she becomes increasingly leery, caustic and worldly, like her dead brother Jesus. And then it grows from the merely odd and mildly troubling to disturbing as she squats down for a crap by the road, her sacred modesty shielded by a chaste mauve umbrella. Crapping done, she pulls off her wimple, unbuttons her habit, folds the crap-stained cloth neatly and throws it into the field. Stripping totally naked, she raises her arms to heaven laughing, her breasts hanging free. No doubt it is this scene rather than the title that some Christians in the Philippines found distressing. The subversiveness is so good-humoured, you have to be a total killjoy though to find it offensive. It’s actually quite beautiful. In a borrowed lace dress, liberated Aunt Lucy hangs out of the minivan window savouring the breeze, laughing with joy. “Iyay, there is beauty in everything!” At their destination, Lucy goes off with a motorcycle bad boy, as Jude tests her machismo at a drinking session with the local men. Through all their heart-warming but nicely twisted shenanigans, Iyay and her family do not shed a tear until the hearse carrying the coffin runs over poor little Judas, then they cry their hearts out. In their black mourning clothes they collapse weeping over Bert’s dog dead on the road, as Jesus’ coffin passes by unheeded in the background. (Alice Skinhead)

Director: Victor Villanueva

Writer: Fatrick Tabada

Cinematography: Ruel Dahis Antipuesto

Editor: Philip Muana

Cast: Jaclyn Jose, Vincent Viado, Chai Fonacier, Melde Montanez, Mailes Kanapi

Producers: Jill Anoba-Tap, Bianca Balbuena, Raymond Lee, Rex A Tiri

Production company: T-Rex Entertainment Productions

Distribution: Columbia Pictures (Philippines)