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Disney made an amazing Filipino-themed Xmas ad, but since most of the media coverage I've seen misses the pinoy-ness of it all, I thought I'd make a thread about all the little cultural details for any who might be interested #philippines #DisneyChristmasAd2020 https://twitter.com/Disney_UK/status/1325589167003201536
First, because a lot of publications seem to have misunderstood the term 'Lola', it's not her name, it's the Filipino word for grandmother
Parols! The starring motif of the ad are star-shaped Christmas lanterns. These are traditionally 5-pointed and made of wood and paper, but can also have more elaborate designs, and may be composed of other materials ranging from metal to sea shells
This gesture is the Mano or Pagmamano, and is made as a sign of respect to our elders. It's often accompanied with a verbal 'mano-po' and is usually done when entering a home or seeing an elder for the first time that day
The Filipino flag can be seen in the background, but it's upside down with the red over the blue. This format is used during war time, though it's slightly anachronistic here because the scene is set in 1940, but the Philippines didn't enter WW2 until 1941
Another flag-related detail - the tin with all the crafting supplies is rendered in the same colours as the Filipino flag, and also features an 8-pointed star/sun. The 8 rays represent the 8 united provinces that first fought for independence against the Spanish
Jeepneys! A bus-esque form of public transportation found all over the country, originally made from leftover WW2 Jeeps. A precursor of the modern version can be seen in the short. Again, a slight anachronism as Jeepneys weren't really a thing till nearer/after the end of the war
That same scene also features what might be a reference to a Kalesa, a 2-wheeled, horse-drawn carriage, which were introduced in the 1700s, and declined in use after the introduction of motorised vehicles. A picture of one also appears in the house in 2005.
The Baroque Churches of the Philippines are 4 churches built in the Spanish Colonial era, and are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The one in the ad seems to be based on San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila
Sampaguita is the national flower of the Philippines. There's one sitting in on a table in the house, and possibly also on the balconies in the opening scene. Sampaguita street vendors are common and you can always tell when they're near because the flowers smell amazing
A giant wooden spoon and fork can usually be found hanging or propped up in a lot of Filipino dining rooms and kitchens. FYI, spoon and fork is the default pinoy cutlery set. The fork is never in shot in the ad, but I bet anything that there's prongs behind that Christmas tree.
In the darkened corner of one shot (lightened for clarity), you can make out the shape of a walis tambo, a type of grass broom, which you'll find sweeping many a Filipino household
At one point the grandmother has a scarf draped around her shoulders, which is reminiscent of a panuelo, a kind of kerchief that is part of the traditional Maria Clara or Filipiniana gown ensemble
There's a picture of (presumably) the granddaughter's mom where she is implied to be a nurse. The Philippines is known to be a major (if not, the biggest) supplier of nurses worldwide. Ask any Filipino you know, and they will most likely have multiple nurses in their family
The family live in the UK (note the red postbox). I moved here with my mom (a nurse) to a city that looked very much like this, and seeing this story and culture, which I share with many others, represented this way, was something really special. So, thanks @Disney_UK
So that's just a few things I picked up on. Thanks for stopping by. Bonus tidbit: Filipinos celebrate the run up to Christmas for all of the 'Ber' months, so you'll often see decorations going up as early as September. Here's a couple pics from when I visited last year in October
