It is estimated that as many as 80 percent of the people of the Philippines province believe this monster is real. They call it “Aswan”. For centuries it belonged to them, but after the Spanish colonists forced the natives into the Christian faith, it became truly scary. It comes in many forms and commits acts of violence against anyone who crosses its path. Is the creature just a myth, or are there some truths to these stories about Aswan?
Director Jordan Clark first met Aswan in a 1994 film in which Aswan settled in rural Wisconsin. Six years later, he visited the Philippines for the first time. Like many tourists, he spends his time in the metropolitan area, shopping, traveling around using the abundant local transport, and relaxing on some of the most breathtaking beaches in the world. He has visited only a few of the thousands of islands and met only a fraction of the 97 million people who live there.
The Philippines is 83% Catholic, and since Jordan was raised Catholic, he understands the strong moral and family values that most Filipinos embody. What he didn’t understand was their superstition. He started watching every Filipino folklore film he could get his hands on and was introduced to Aswan again. This creature seems to be omnipotent. It can shapeshift into animals, fly, cast spells, heal itself, and doesn’t really seem to need any particular food source…pregnant women, sick people, or children.
Jordan returned to the Philippines to film his rendition of their folklore. When he finished the film, he realized that the film would be meaningless without the general understanding and acceptance of aswang among many Filipinos, so he tried again to answer the enduring question: what is aswang?
