Bernardo Carpio (currently in production)

About the Film

HD, animated adaptation, 7 mins. 2022

Bernardo struggles to free himself from his chains, while he also duels with the mysterious and powerful shape-shifting sorceress who led him to his entrapment under the mountains of Montalban, Rizal.

This adaptation helmed by Rianne Hill Soriano depicts two beings fighting each other as the bigger force above them, the Spanish government, manipulates them both.

Behind-the-scene Video

RISE Project Soft Launch 

As part of its calibrated response towards the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP)  implemented an Innovation Grants Program. 

This paved the way for Tuldok's RISE Project, which opened the doors to the production of the Bernardo Carpio comics with augmented reality component and the short animated films Bernardo Carpio, Si Bulusan nan si Agingay, and Sulayman.

The project, while in the middle of production, initially had its soft launch during the peak of the pandemic in October 2021 as part of the agreement with CCP. Its official launch was slated at the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival: ilumiNasyon as part of CCP's special programs during the festival held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on August 2023.

Film Trailer

Production Team

 Abstract

A battle of strength, power, emotions, and intellect, this character-driven adaptation depicts two beings clashing with each other, just like the way Bernardo continues to fight the two clashing boulders until today, as per the epic.

Their rivalry unveils an account of Bernardo's life and the story behind “The Legend of Bernardo Carpio.”

This action-drama epic exudes an old, heroic, and mythical feel. It is an intimate account of Bernardo's struggle underground and his interaction with the sorceress, a hired gun who apparently is also a victim of the Spaniards' abusive rule. After an introductory sequence featuring Wawa River and "The 2 Clashing Boulders," the motion comics treatment continues with the actual layout of the comics as seen from the opening sequence animated accordingly.

The duel between Bernardo and the sorceress works like a clash between two opposing elements. The production shot and recorded professional actors with the edited live-action footage serving as guide and inspiration for the

animators. 

Production Notes

With the support of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the main funding agency for the film, confirmed in January 2020, the turn of events of the pandemic led to a more solid attachment to the story: realizing how this adaptation of the epic focuses on Bernardo Carpio being locked down, which apparently reflected the people’s plight of being forced to stay inside their homes, unable to pursue their plans and passions due to a world in crisis.

This further grounded the project to keep up with the limitations of working in a completely virtual setting. For the artists involved, pursuing this project offered a means to bring more value to their lives in a pandemic world.

The motion-comics animation treatment utilized for the film expanded to a full-blown comics project with augmented reality (AR) component through the Innovation Grant from the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). This was in line with the team’s long-term goal to produce a series of original Filipino content inspired by Philippine literature using new media technologies.

With the current trends in globalization, Filipino history and heritage must be preserved. Many Filipinos can easily identify Superman, Thor, and Wonder Woman in their various renditions -- but we also have characters of our own like Bernardo Carpio. Instead of remaining barely noticed in its current form, especially by our youth whose attention is geared more towards new media technologies, it can better find its way to modern consciousness by giving it modern updates such as this animated film.

Production Stills

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