[Slokais]

Film Title: The House Upon the Hill: Kisah-Ki Sebuah Keluarga
Nominating Nation: Slokais Islands
Nomination Category/Categories: Best Film, Best Actor, Best Musical Score
Language: English, Kimnajang,(Dubbed in Slokasian, Spanish, Pindai Mandarin)
Run Time: 134 minutes
Director: Pablo Macario
Film Rating: SA-13: Intended for some audiences over age 13 (Some violence, fear)
Producing Studio/Company: Good Melon Productions
Primary Cast:
Sandra Kario (Lina Brimnho)
David Amajang (Nathaniel Brimnho)
Leah Lopez (Valeria Chavez)
Cooper Mansfield (Karino Brimnho)
Amanda Ortiz (Clara Brimnho)
Brief Summary:
The House Upon the Hill: Kisah Sebuah Keluarga is a film adaptation of a 1994 novel by Ana K Kimarong. The novel was considered a cult classic throughout the 1900s and received a modern adaptation with a new time period, yet the same classic story. Instead of being set from the 1870s to 1920s in rural Valleres Province, The House Upon the Hill explores the life of an indigenous woman named Lina from the 1970s to the 2020s. Played by Sandra Kario, who manages to perfectly capture the spirit of a 20-year-old, 40-year-old and 70-year-old through the power of makeup and digital effects.

The House Upon the Hill starts in the aftermath of the Great War as Lina returns to her hometown after years of war, meeting a young man named Nathaniel. Nathaniel is a soldier and throughout the film struggles with PTSD and seems to be haunted by his past. The two eventually marry, with Lina comforting Nathaniel as he begins to put his trauma behind him. However, in the 1990s, the two came upon hard times as raising teenagers and a new economic crisis brought out the same ghosts that haunted Nathaniel to his teen son, Karino. Like his father, Karino is healed by meeting a girl named Valeria. These two acts have several connecting themes and motifs, creating an idea of continuity yet a difference between eras and generations. Finally, in the 2020s, Clara, the granddaughter of Lina, leaves her job in San Jose to take care of her. Still living in the same rural homestead, Nathaniel has passed away leaving only Lina to face the ghosts which have haunted her family. Clara, who struggles with the modern challenges of mental illness, asks why Lina has stayed so resilient. Lina then revealed she had been “scaring away” the ghosts that had haunted her family.

What makes this film special?:

The House Upon the Hill beautifully captures both the modern history of Slokais and the struggles of mental illness with it being personified as ghosts. In contrast to these horrors of the mind is the beauty of indigenous culture which Lina is deeply connected to.

Sandra Kario as Lina Brimnho, beautifully captures the spirit of her character at all stages of life. It’s clear Lina feels a sense of both loyalty and protection to her family yet also deep fears of her own.
Donald Lueng scores the film beautifully with a mix of traditional instruments yet also blends elements of the eras the film captures. A harpy indigenous score for the 70s, a rock-inspired rebellious style in the 90s, and an electronic and synth-filled present.

Any additional info: Ana K Kimarong originally adapted her novel into a TV mini-series in 1999 on SIBC. Pablo Macario eventually was chosen to adapt the book in 2019, under the pretext of creating a new story. Kisah-Ki Sebuah Keluarga means “Ghosts of the Past” in Kimnajang, an indigenous language spoken by 40,000 to 75,000 people in Northeastern Valleres Province.