Fil-Am actors star as Pinoy mythology gods in steampunk-themed US web series

The names Mangkukulam and Manisilat may not be familiar even to some Filipinos who like Philippine mythology, but that might change soon with the worldwide premiere of an American web series featuring two of local folklore's most powerful gods in an epic battle between good and evil.

In “The Record Keeper,” Mangkukulam and Manisilat use their powers to unleash evil in the world as “bad angels” at war with heavenly beings who want to save the world from destruction.

The gods are played by Filipino-American actors Aris Juson and Jelynn Sophia, who speak in Tagalog all throughout the series.

The Steampunk-themed sci-fi production is director Jason Sutterland's take on the book The Great Controversy by Ellen White, one of the co-founders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The book tells the story of the war between the followers of Jesus Christ and Satan stretching for a thousand years until it culminates in the destruction and eventual recreation of the world.

The trailer of the eight-episode series won "Best One Shot" at the recent Geekie Awards in Hollywood.



In Filipino anthropologist F. Landa Jocano's Outline of Philippine Mythology, Magkukulam is described as the only male agent of Sitan, the local counterpart of Satan. Aside from possessing the ability to emit fire at night, he can also change his form to that of a healer and then induce fire at his victim's house.

Manisilat, meanwhile, is Sitan's female agent tasked to break up every happy family that she could find.

According to the website steampunk.com, the term “steampunk” refers to a science fiction or alternative history genre focusing on the customs and technology present in the 19th century, such as the steam engine. An article posted on the Adventist website Atoday.org describes "The Record Keeper" as likely the very first film to make use of the steampunk theme in a movie on The Great Controversy.

“Steampunk may be something that most Adventists over 30 have never heard of but it is appropriate for a book that was written in the 19th century and has a transcendent narrative that extends well beyond the here-and-now. The Steampunk world may well capture the contemporary sensibilities that Ellen White experienced as she wrote the book better than other genres of cinema or literature,” said an unnamed Adventist educator in the article.

In an interview on “Kababayan Today” aired on American news channel LA 18TV last August 16, Sophia said she was elated not only to have played a Filipino deity on screen, but also to have spoken Tagalog in her scenes.

“I'm also proud that [I was part of] a show created for a world audience that has a great lesson behind it,” she said.

Sutterland said he chose to feature the Filipino deities in the web series because he wanted it to have a global appeal that can be appreciated by audiences anywhere in the world.

“Even though the series is produced by Americans, we didn't want it to feel as an American story only. We made it rich by including [characters] speaking a total of 20 languages, including sign language,” he said.

Viewers are advised to keep tabs on the website where The Record Keeper can be viewed, although Sutterland said it will debut online in February 2014.  — KBK, GMA News