Casa (2007): Revisiting the Filipino Psychological Thriller That Built a Haunted Legacy
Ilarde, R. M. (Director). (2007). Casa [Film]. Cinema One Originals.
Kristeva, J. (1982). Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection. Columbia University Press.
Tioseco, A. (2008). “The State of Philippine Cinema: A Report on the New Wave.” Criticine, Issue 3.
De Jesus, M. L. (2010). “Haunted Houses and Haunted Histories: Postcolonial Gothic in Filipino Horror.” Philippine Studies, 58(4), 489-514.
Republic Act No. 9344. (2006). Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act. Congress of the Philippines.
Summary Recommendation
Option 3: The "Did You Know?" Angle (Best for Twitter/X or Threads)
Colonial Legacy: As a Spanish-era orphanage, it evokes the Catholic Church’s and colonial government’s history of controlling orphans and the indio underclass.
Martial Law Memory: Its conversion into a juvenile reformatory during the 1970s (the Marcos era) directly references the use of detention centers for political prisoners and “vagrant” youth.
Neoliberal Ruin: In the film’s present (2007), the building is abandoned, mirroring the state’s withdrawal from social welfare. The students’ trespass is an act of middle-class tourism into lower-class trauma.