By Lee Cataluna
Advertiser Columnist

Truth be told, if I knew there would be no subtitles, I probably wouldn't have gone.

But then it would have been my loss.

The invitation was to attend a showing of "Dekada '70," a movie that has won acclaim in the Philippines, its country of origin, and awards in the Metro Manila Film Festival this past December. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Lualhati Bautista. The story is of a family caught in the middle of the years of martial law under the Marcos regime. The central character of the story is the mother of five sons who watches as the times affect her boys. Ultimately, she is changed as well.

In a review in the Manila Times, Ernest Herrera wrote: " 'Dekada '70' is significant not just because of its historical weight but also because it serves as a bridge for Filipinos and non-Filipinos who only have a vague or nonexistent understanding of what martial law was in the Philippines."

Sounds like a person could learn something from this movie.

As it turned out, there was quite a bit to learn from the experience as a whole.

The Saturday showing of the film featured a live guest appearance by actor Piolo Pascual, who won an award for his work as the oldest son. Piolo showed up late, but no one seemed to hold it against him. He walked in a side door at the theater and the sold-out crowd screamed for the next 10 minutes. Adult women, grandmothers, and young girls rushed up to get pictures with him. "He's very hot right now in the Philippines," our next-seat-neighbor told us.

"How many people here actually lived in the Philippines during martial law?" Pascual asked the crowd. He said "actually" like folks would have to be really, really old to remember. Probably a third of the people in the theater raised their hands. It was 30 years ago, and for the younger ones, that's history. For others, it's yesterday.

"I myself don't have anything against Marcos," Pascual told his fans, distancing himself from the politics of the project, hinting at the complexity of emotions still there. He spoke to the crowd in English, but in the film, his character never does.

The movie itself was fascinating, even though I understood very little dialogue (some characters use English phrases). The packed house was fully engaged. It is much more fun to be a part of an audience that is totally into a show, even if you don't completely understand the story, than to sit in a house where you understand every word but the whole place is dead. Some things are universal, and it's nice to be reminded of that. Some things are unique to a culture, and it's nice to be reminded of that, too.

One of the great things about Hawai'i is that with very little effort, you can slip into a world that is so completely different from what you know.

The subtitled version of "Dekada '70" is expected to be available at Wallace Theatres this weekend.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.