Kun maupay man it panahon

From a survivor's point of view, the movie brings back so many memories of that unfaithful day. The struggles were very much reminiscent of how we Taclobanons behaved days after Super Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the city. Above all, I'm just impressed as to how they genuinely sounded like native Waray people. It amazes me to see a representation of us Warays in the big screen.

Carlo Francisco Manatad's Kun Maupay It Panahon (Whether the Weather is Fine) revolves around the aftermath of the super-typhoon Yolanda at Tacloban, Leyte. It is told from the perspective of three people: Miguel (played by Daniel Padilla), Andrea (Rans Rifol), and Norma (Charo Santos). The film presents the struggles that Filipinos experienced in order to survive the devastating effects of the typhoon.

Right at the beginning, one can already tell that the production design is remarkable. It was able to replicate the horrendous sights; dead bodies lying on the ground, destroyed appliances and furniture scattered around, the children's innocence (personally, I felt scared for them), people fighting, praying, wailing. Combined with the wide-angle compositions, it gives off a sense of immersion for the viewers as to what it could feel like being in those places-rather, in that state. Dir. Manatad focused more on the characters' emotions and thoughts, which made it more intriguing considering that the three main characters had different goals. They also had different perspectives of the reality they are experiencing.

Generally, the film was able to showcase the various impacts of a typhoon (though this film is centered on typhoon Yolanda, it also speaks up for the other typhoons that the Philippines encounter) to people.

At the end, my mother stood on the cliff and fireworks bloomed behind, contributing a very beautiful and unforgettable scene.

Whether the weather is fine is a film that focuses on immersing its audiences to the experiences of the characters, rather than the plot. At its core, this film tells the story of lost people, attempting to find direction in the midst of the chaos and the fog caused by the Typhoon Yolanda.

Something inherent in this film that can be both admirable in the perspective of a film-maker, but detrimental to the box office, is how personal the whole film feels like. It's as if we were asked to experience what these victims felt like when the typhoon hit the Philippines, and it does a tremendous job doing so.

Every frame in this scene smells stinky, and I mean that in an absolute good way. It succeeded in giving out an atmosphere that's only present in a third-world country that's been hit by a natural disaster this drastic, thanks to the cinematography that felt grounded and the direction that bodes well with its gritty visuals.

One weakness of the film can be traced back to its writing, and more specifically, the character's decisions throughout the film. It felt as if it were trying too hard to be humorous at times, which could feel unnecessary.

It's disgusting nature proved at times to be enough, and the moment it decided to go on a tonal shift, it felt too much.

The film dwells on the story of how Filipinos from a rural place struggles to survive before and after a typhoon. This may seem like it focuses more on the experiences with typhoon Yolanda back in 2013, but this could also happen in every typhoon that has passed in the Philippines especially as a 3rd world country. Not only did they tackle typhoon problems, but also personal problems as well which makes it a bit more realistic and painful.

I like how the film included traits that Filipinos would do when a typhoon hits the country. An example would be in regards with our faith or how Filipinos would manage to smile especially with the media's presence. In terms of visuals, the film seems to make poverty an aesthetic which would be fine as a film since it could capture the audience's attention and make them feel like they are part of the story. Although in reality, it should not be much glorified for the media and people must actually help these survivors instead. I was kind of sceptical with Daniel Padilla's role in the film at first since it is mostly based on real life situations and it is a heavy topic to ponder upon. His instead has this mainstream image where we only see him as an actor specifically for romantic films. However, he sort of nailed this one along with his Waray language since he did play his part as an actor of his character too.

Overall, it is a great film. This deserves more recognition especially as we live in a country filled with islands which could be greatly affected by typhoons. We must support our own country's films, even if the language being used is not our main language. Imagine it with the same situation as watching Korean series or films without truly understanding the language, but still show our support thanks to subtitles.