2018 will be remembered as the year the sounds of Balangiga echoed through the Pacific one more time. On 11th December 2018, after almost 120 years, the bells of Balangiga in Eastern Samar, Philippines were finally returned to their rightful home after they were seized by the American troops during the Philippine-American war.
It was also this year when Filipino director Khavn dela Cruz released his film ‘Balangiga: Howling Wilderness’, a film based on the harrowing accounts of the Balangiga massacre in 1901-1902. The bells were seized during a retaliatory attack by the US after almost half of its troops where killed in the area during the time.
Khavn dela Cruz explains the story to SBS Radio during his visit in Brisbane for his nominations (Best Feature Film, Best Feature Film and Cultural Diversity Award under the patronage of UNESCO) at this year’s Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
