Asog

When disaster strikes, you’ve got to pick up the pieces and move on. In Sean Devlin’s feature film, Asog, we’re asked to open our eyes and see we’re not alone. After the devastating aftermath of 2013’s Typhoon Yolanda (internationally known as Typhoon Haiyan) in the Philippines, Jaya, a former TV host turned teacher, struggles to find happiness in their situation. Jaya is a trans woman and took up teaching to help the children cope with the disaster, but being a teacher and “therapist” is creating an emotional toll for Jaya. Simultaneously, Arnel is a loner. He lives with his hard-working father and is still coping with his mother’s death in the Typhoon.

To get out of their funk, Jaya tries to convince their boyfriend, Cyrus, to participate in the “Ms. Gay Sicogon” pageant in Sicogon. But after a disastrous local tryout, Cyrus refuses to look like a fool and make the long trip. Jaya then goes out alone and runs into Arnel along the way. Jaya’s charm convinces the shy Arnel to take a chance. The adventure begins.

As the journey begins, it becomes an emotional exploration as they encounter people whose lives and livelihoods have been devastated by the typhoon. Along their route, they meet fellow typhoon survivors attempting to rebuild their communities and their lives, witnessing firsthand the long-lasting impact of the disaster—from villagers forced into roadside commerce to farmers struggling after the destruction of coconut and banana plantations. Each encounter strengthens Jaya and Arnel’s connection to one another and themselves as they grapple with their losses.

Asog also spotlights the illegal land grab that took place after the typhoon. What do the government and corporations do after a tragedy? They steal the land from the people displaced by disaster.

“Each encounter strengthens Jaya and Arnel’s connection…as they grapple with their losses.”

Asog is a fascinating movie. Almost everyone in the film is a survivor of Typhoon Yolanda and, for the most part, plays themselves. Jaya is a transwoman (or asog) and deals with the discrimination and desires that come with it. Their boyfriend, Cyrus, wanted to have a family, and the two came close, but the dream slipped away. Arnel represents the youth who lost their parents in the typhoon and have gotten to face their grief and loss properly.

The second branch of the film tells the stories of the people Jaya and Arnel meet along the way. Almost like an odyssey, our heroes encounter a wide variety of people affected by the typhoon’s devastation. Yet, by the end, they learn lessons about nature’s resilience.

As a film, Asog is drop-dead gorgeous. The colors of the Philippine cities and countryside are vibrant blue and green, respectively. Remove the story, and you have a travelogue that begs you to come and see the beauty of the Philippine landscape and the warnings that come with trying to industrialize nature.

It’s Jaya’s story that stands out the most, and transgender issues have certainly been at the forefront of American culture. Here, Jaya is simply trying to exist as a transgender person. This is who they are. The discussions never surround themselves with talk of surgeries or hormones. Jaya’s story is about living life to the fullest and finding love and happiness in the end.

In the wake of unimaginable devastation, Asog gently yet boldly celebrates resilience—not just through the intimate journey of Jaya and Arnel but also through the countless survivors bravely rebuilding their lives from ruin. It’s a heartfelt tribute to the strength found in community, the courage of those forced to reinvent themselves, and the quiet heroism of simply living one’s truth amidst overwhelming adversity. Asog isn’t just a movie; it’s a luminous testament to the human spirit to move on after disaster.