The UP Asian Center in collaboration with the UP Department of Sociology, the UP Film Institute, and UP CIDS, will be holding the onsite screening and talk back for the documentary, WASH OUT, on 14 April 2026, 2:00 - 5:00 PM, PST (GMT+8), at Cine Adarna, UP Film Center. The event is free and open to the public, but online registration is recommended.
ABOUT THE EVENT
Wash Out tells the story of how a group of landless farmers in Sicogon came together and stood up against a corporate behemoth, how they came so close to victory—and how they were betrayed, and continue to be betrayed, by a government that claims to be on their side. Following three women whose lives became intertwined in the course of this long struggle, the documentary reveals the lengths that the rich and mighty would go to in order to undermine reforms and prevent wealth redistribution from taking place. It sheds light on the role played by the state in land grabbing. And it exposes the more sophisticated tactics corporations now use to break resistance to dispossession. But more than just a story of how the powerful always get their way, the documentary is also a story of how, against all odds, the disempowered fight back.
The film screening will be followed by a talkback session with Isabelle Matutina (Filmmaker), Dr. Herbie Docena (Filmmaker), and Lirai Cordova (Community Organizer). The talkback session will be facilitated by the Department's very own Dr. Andoy Evangelista.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
ANNA ISABELLE MATUTINA
Filmmaker
Anna Isabelle Matutina graduated cum laude from the University of the Philippines, Diliman, with a degree in Broadcast Communications. In 2002, she became part of Ricky Lee’s Scriptwriting Workshop for Film and TV (Batch 14) where she met a group of people that would eventually form the Katorse Writers and Filmmakers Group. In 2004, she continued to pursue her interest in independent filmmaking through a digital film workshop at the Mowelfund Film Institute and started producing her own short films soon after. Since then, Matutina dabbled in both television and film as director, writer, and editor. Matutina has been working in television for over a decade. She currently works as a director and editor for the documentary program, IWitness, where she and her team have bagged multiple local and international awards, including the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award in 2009 and a nomination for the International Emmy Awards in 2013. Many of her films have also screened and competed in local and international festivals. Most of them are self-produced and tackling issues that concern women and human rights.
HERBERT RIZAL V. DOCENA, Ph.D.
Filmmaker and Professorial Lecturer, UP Department of Sociology
Herbert Docena, Ph.D. is an educator, organizer, and researcher. He is currently a lecturer in the Department of Sociology at the University of the Philippines, Diliman and one of the lead organizers of The Workers' School, an initiative aimed at helping members of oppressed groups educate themselves and each other. He received his undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of the Philippines, Diliman and his graduate degrees in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley.
LIRAI CORDOVA
Community Organizer
Lirai Cordova is a dedicated community organizer with a focus on grassroots mobilization and systemic change. With a background in building sustainable local coalitions, Lirai specializes in bridging the gap between marginalized voices and policy-makers.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS
This film screening is organized by the UP Asian Center, UP Department of Sociology, the UP Film Institute, and the Alternative Development Programs of UP CIDS. For inquiries, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 891-8500 loc. 3586.