Private Project

The Scent of Warmth

In the Philippines, albularyos (herbalists) and hilot (a traditional Filipino healer who uses hand manipulation) are sometimes seen as equivalent to "quack" doctors. Yet, for many Filipinos, especially in the provinces, they are the answer to a worsening illness and a universal problem: expensive medical bills. But does traditional Filipino medicine, or Gamutang Filipino, actually work?

  • Gio Gonzalves
    Director
    Black Market, One Night, FML, Konsumatumes, Kambalingan, Jet and the Dark Lord of Dol Gurksul
  • Gio Gonzalves
    Writer
  • Gio Gonzalves
    Producer
  • Searle Lira
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 9 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 2, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Philippines
  • Country of Filming:
    Philippines
  • Language:
    Tagalog
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • KF ASEAN Culture House Exhibition
    Busan
    Korea, Republic of
    May 23, 2024
Director Biography - Gio Gonzalves

Gio Gonzalves is a Filmmaker from the Philippines. He wrote, directed, and edited several short films and documentaries under the film production collective called Lakan Film Collective–a collective he co-founded where he serves as the Creative Director.

Some of his short films were screened and have won awards in several local film festivals such as the Cinemalaya Film Festival, CCP Gawad Alternatibo, Manila Broadcasting Film Festival, Mindanao Film Festival, Maginhawa Film Festival, Sundayag Film Fest, Calabarzon Film Festival, and the Metro Manila Film Festival. His short film Isang Gabi was also screened at the 1st Pakistan International Film Festival.

He has been lensing documentaries for Singapore's Channel News Asia, Vice News, and Probe Productions. His short experimental documentary called Kambalingan won as the Best Documentary during the 2nd Manila Broadcasting Film Festival (2022) and 2nd best documentary during the 33rd Gawad Alternatibo (2021). His short film Konsumatumes was awarded Best Film and Best Director during the Ateneo Video Open (2022), and the same awards during the Industree TV Digital Film Festival (2020).

His recent short documentary, EDXiao, was exhibited during the 35th Gawad Alternatibo. He is currently filming his first documentary feature film about the Filipino Historian Xiao Chua and his role as a Public Historian.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

There’s no Filipino alive that hasn’t heard of an Albularyo. Albularyos are healers who specialize in supernatural healing. With their vast knowledge on herb lore and their “direct” communication with the spiritual realm, they can reverse illnesses caused by supernatural influences. A significant number of Filipinos believed in their healing abilities, especially those who are too poor to go to a hospital
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I myself had several visits with an Albularyo when I was younger. Albularyos conduct rituals that are so visual and auditory I was even inspired to make a short film about it (insert link.) Their hut-like houses are lit by candles providing light only for the Albularyo and patients to see each other. They are mostly surrounded by their collections of healing oils, herbs, and roots; as well as figures of Christian saints they venerate. While murmuring Latin prayers, they massage their healing oils onto a patient. But everytime I try to remember these moments from my past, there is also one aspect that remains vivid from these rituals - the scent.

But even with the intensity of the oil's fragrance in my memory, it is still a great mystery to me. What are those bottles of oils filled with bits and pieces of unidentified plant matter? And how does the oil relieve whatever illness I had back then? And why do they smell so… fragrant yet odorous?

For Dr. Isidro Sia, an ethnopharmacologist and the Executive Director of the Integrative Medicine for Alternative Healthcare System, scent plays a possibly vital role in an Albularyo trade. He said that scent is the most evocative of senses when it comes to identifying a key role in three elements of Traditional Filipino Medicine - the ingredients, the invocation of the spirits, and the efficacy and potency of a healing oil or herb. This documentary dives into the often overlooked world of scent in Albularyo practices, revealing its hidden influence on ingredient identification, spiritual connection, and perceived healing power.