Bakunawa rose from the ocean, so mesmerized by the light of the seven moons that she devoured them all. Dismayed, the people emerged, making noise and begging Bakunawa to give them back the moonlight. Bakunawa agreed and returned the seventh moon back into the sky, thus creating the first lunar eclipse. Part sonic ritual, part diasporic storytelling, "BAKUNAWA: Opera of the Seven Moons" is an experimental opera-film based on Micaela Tobin's critically-acclaimed album of the same name that reclaims the pre-colonial mythology of the Philippines back from centuries of violent, colonial erasure.
A concert film organized by the Deathbomb Arc label during the lockdowns featuring: Miguel Mendez, SHADI, OHYUNG, The Holy Circle, J Fisher, Dis Fantasy, George Chen, Chaki, Rhys Langston, Books on Tape, Slowcoach, Cooling Prongs, O.L.I.V.I.A., SARN, clipping. + Christopher Fleeger, Scott Thiessen, White Boy Scream, Lauren Bousfield, Dos Monos, and Jonathan Snipes
The Arrivals wash up on the shore. They make contact with another civilization they call "the Hosts." And from there, the story splinters, following diverging perspectives. Starting as a procession through the LA State Historic Park, Sweet Land becomes an opera that erases itself.