Gunita - Karilyo | Benilde Culture and Arts Unit (Philippines)

Gunita
Target Audience: for 10+  ages
Duration: 30 minutes
Performance contains flashing lights and images that may look scary for very young children. 

Synopsis
Lost in the dark woods, a boy encounters three creatures who torment him — the first mocks, the next manipulates, and the last scares him. He tries to get away, but falters. When all hope seems lost, someone comes in to bring the light. 

Gunita in Tagalog means memory. It also means grab or hold in Bisaya. In this shadowplay story, we hold on to memories that may not be good for us, until we realize that we can create new memories with others who can hold us to keep us safe. Performed in 2024, this production was collectively directed by Karilyo members to shed light on the anxieties that trouble people internally as they brave challenging mental health situations almost alone, and how this can be overcome with the help of people who care enough to reach out to them. 

Performance Credits
Trainer: Maria Cristina Quiocho Tulay
Coordinator: Kenneth Rodriguez Mangurit
Puppeteer: Reena Anne Padernos Alamodin | Diego Benito de la Cruz Arellano | Kristelle Zoie Miranda De Guzman | Trisha Mae Bautista Fernandez | Jelli Anne Morata Gando | Klark Lynus Guzman Marquez | Soleil Eve Brosas Senen

Artist’s Profile
Karilyo is an artist group under the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s Culture and Arts Unit, which aspires to popularize shadowplay as a Filipino art form in the Philippines. In the past 13 years, Karilyo has been conducting outreach workshops and performances that cater to the youth, as supported by different institutions and foundations, such as the Museo Pambata ng Maynila, the Aurora Artist Residency Program and Space, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines, as well as collaborated with different professional companies, like Tanghalang Pilipino and Anino Shadowplay Collective.

The group has also received recognition from national competitions like the Animation Council of the Philippines’ Animahenasyon and the Film Academy of the Philippines’ Alamat sa Animasyon, for their stop-motion silhouette animations “Alamat ng Giraffe” and “Alamat ng Butiki”. Amidst the challenges of the digital age, Karilyo continues to explore contemporary shadow puppetry as a transdisciplinary medium that exemplifies visual storytelling for young audiences, and hopes to express the voice of their generation. 

IG: @karilyobenilde