SANTA SANTITA

Philippines, 2004, 113 minutes, Colour.
Angelika Panganiban, Jericho Rosales, Hilda Koronel, Johnny Delgado, Cherry Pie Picache.
Directed by Laurice Guillen.

Santa Santita literally means fake saint. This is a film about Catholicism, Philippine piety, the possibility of miracles.

The film was directed by veteran Laurice Guillen, who made a number of popular entertainments as well as some serious films, with a special interest in Catholic life in the Philippines. The screenplay was co-written by her husband, Johnny Delgado, who plays Father Tony in the film.

Very often in Filipino films, explicit religious belief and practice is in the background, frequently having little more influence than a family (generally, the mother or the grandmother) having pious pictures of Jesus and Mary on the wall. Life is often shown in a context of squalor and/or sexual exploitation with minimal reference to the church or religion. Those which do explore Filipino Catholicism more explicitly show it in a social light (for example, Brillante Mendoza's Tirador (2007) or Lola(2009)) or exploring themes of prayer and the possibilities of prayers being answered with miracles. Two classics on faith and miracles are Himala (1982, directed by Ishmael Bernal) and Magnifico (2003, directed by Mario J. de los Reyes). With its theme of a woman, prayer and miracles, Santa Santita could be seen as a companion piece to Himala.

Angelika Panganiban, a former child star, plays Malen, a young woman who lives with her mother in rented property from the church cooperative. The mother spends her time, as did her own mother, with a number of women at the church who are consulted by people who need prayers and pay an offering for the prayers of intercession by these women. With their attentiveness to the stories of the petitioners, the women sometimes perform a function of confession without the sacramental absolution. Malen, however, is rebellious, trying to sell scapulars and rosaries at church but ignoring her mother and defying her at home.

For a member of another religious faith watching Santa Santita, there would be a great deal of recognition with parallels to their own practice: the shrines and churches, the devout people (women pray-ers and petitioners, both men and women), the rituals of devotion and the emotional reliance of the petitioners on devotion and prayers, possibilities of a superstitious approach to God, prayer and problem solving and healing, the role of the hierarchical leadership. But, the flavour of the story and characters and their behaviour is distinctly Filipino, a local development of the Mediterranean devotion from Spain.

As with any solid drama, Santa Santita does not simply accept the status quo of how religion is practised. It sets religion in the social (and justice) context of the country and raises questions about authenticity while respecting the idiosyncratic ways of prayer and devotion.

Malen is a flirtatious young woman. Outside the church, she encounters a young man, Mike, who is a confidence man, a gigolo. However, he has a sick child at home and is concerned to find money, selling himself, for the child’s recovery. As might be expected, Malen’s rebellion leads her to being with Mike. But her mother suddenly dies and Malen blames herself. The only thing she knows that she can do is survive economically is to pray like her mother.

It is here that the film becomes different. There had been a prologue, a dream of Malen dressed in white walking in the desert with the stigmata wounds in her hands and dropping blood. She later dreams this dream again at her time of personal crisis and choices for her future. She does take the petitioners' money, listens to the people’s intentions – but, against all expectations, the prayers are answered. This has a bewildering effect on her, knowing herself to be a fake, despised by the other women.

A subplot involves Father Tony, a priest from the countryside who had built a shrine with parish money but who had problems with alcohol but could not acknowledge them. His friend, the bishop, transfers him to the Manila cooperative. He becomes a confidant for Malen and also, later, for Mike. The experience enables him to go back and tell the truth to his community in the country. There is also a sympathetic character, a nun (played by the unusually named Cherry Pie Picache) who is healed of sores on her leg by the prayers of Malen.

The portrayal of a struggling priest (by way of contrast with a good-willed but comfortably in charge bishop) and a nun who is humble and has the courage of her faith and convictions in serving others anchors Malen's individual story in the life of the broader, organised church of the Philippines.

The film offers a great deal about Filipino piety, language about God, but show the people's strong preference for praying to the saints. The faith is expressed in the desire for answers to prayer and miracles. In the climax, Mike challenges Malen to resuscitate his son. In the meantime, Mike has shot a politician in anger when he crashed into the politician’s car. The police come to get him.

The film believes in the possibilities of conversion as well as God working through unworthy instruments for healing and changing people's lives.

1.The title, the fake saint? Themes of religion, miracles, God and faith, prayer, hypocrisy? Philippines style?

2.The atmosphere of Manila, the homes, the churches, the squares outside the churches, the crowds? Shops? The authentic atmosphere, a sense of realism? The musical score?

3.The prologue, the dream, Malen in white in the desert, walking, the sun and light, the wounds, the blood drops? Her later dreaming it again? Part of her conversion experience?

4.The setting, the women praying in the church, the mothers, the tradition of women praying, the crowds, the people coming individually with their petitions, almost like confession? Malen’s mother, saying her prayers, the wise responses to the clients, at home, her exasperation, praying, pious, a good woman in herself, her husband having left? Trying to cope with Malen?

5.Malen, selling rosaries and scapulas, her provocative clothes, the reaction of her mother, the absent father? Her self-centredness, being rude, pushing the blind man out of her way, the food at home, the arguments with her mother, prayers?

6.Malen going out, her mother criticising her dress, provocative walk through the streets, the people’s reaction, her reputation? The encounter with Mike, talking with him, the scapular, meeting him again, liking him, the appointment, pretending to be sick, going out, the kiss?

7.Mike, conman, gigolo, with Mrs Hoffman, always smoking, exerting his charm, meeting Malen, liking her, talking with her? Going out, his story about the car, the agency, the lies, taking tourists around? The contrast with his going home, love for his son, the son’s illness? His visits?

8.Father Tony, the shrine in the countryside, the visuals of Calvary? His friend the bishop, the bishop trying to warn him, issues of money? His leaving and going to Manila, talking with the bishop, the full house, going to the cooperative, settling in, with Sister Dolour helping him? His work at the cooperative, helping people? Hearing Malen and her mother shouting? The mother bringing food? His observing people, the mother as nice, Malen and her changes, talking with her, the experience of the confession, Mike and his anger, talking, Mike confronting him about the drink? The monsignor, his not believing in miracles, his giving the long explanation and the rational explanation? Father Tony, his return, acknowledging his drinking? The effect of the experience in Manila?

9.Malen, deceiving her mother, going out, the women criticising her? Her mother’s death, discovering her mother in the coffin? Not crying? Blaming herself? Her going to pray, the pretence? The petitions, the man wanting a job in Taiwan, the child with the hole in the heart? People’s gratitude, money? The monsignor banning this in the church? Her change of dress, her discussions with Mike, with Father Tony?

10.The dream and its effect, disturbing her, the confession, blaming herself for her mother’s death? The crowds gathering? Her growing reputation? Her God-language?

11.Sister Dolour, her help, charity work, the wound on her leg, Malen praying, the healing? Sister Dolour trying to explain it to the bishop? His taking the rational approach?

12.Mike, the car, Mrs Hoffman and her not paying him for services, his anger, the crash, shooting the politician, going to his son, finding him dead, wanting to move to Mindenow, going to Malen, trying to persuade her? His desperation and demanding a miracle from her? His despair, against God? The police, the chase, his arrest?

13.Malen and her praying, not raising the child from the dead? The effect on her, Tony talking about her choices to her? Her decision, praying, visiting Mike in prison? Mike and his being better, his saying it was ironical that he was calmer in prison? The scapula?

14.Issues of God being fair or not, healing, prayer, unworthy instruments? The pious and proper people and their righteousness? Sin as being an instrument of grace?