We are happy to announce that Stanford University’s Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) has recently published a Teacher’s Guide for The Gift of Barong: a Journey from Within (dir. Benito Bautista). The guide was written by Will Gutierrez and Victoria Yee.
The Gift of Barong is a feature documentary film about two generations of Filipino Americans – Dan and Jon – who both grew up resenting their ethnicity and disassociating themselves from their Filipino background. However, both Dan and Jon experienced personal awakenings that led them to start thinking about who they are and wonder about their family’s true heritage. Together, the two embarked on a journey to the Philippines to learn about their culture and history and to somehow reconnect with their country of descent. They did this by way of surfing various Philippine surf breaks in different regions of the country, being avid surfers that they are.
“The Gift of Barong: a Journey from Within is more than a story about finding one’s roots and reconciling identities. The film also encourages viewers to consider the legacies of previous and present immigrants as well as the push-and-pull factors behind immigration. As the world becomes increasingly globalized, it is now more important than ever to learn about diverse cultures and explore different perspectives on ethnicity, identity, and migration.”*
*Excerpt from A Teacher’s Guide for The Gift of Barong: a Journey from Within by Will Gutierrez and Victoria Yee
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