Finding Rizal Review

FINDING RIZAL IN TIMES OF BARRIERS
REVIEW PAPER
In a time when Filipinos are still confined in the walls of our homes, how do we remember our
heroes? Little known aspects of Dr. Jose Rizal’s first trip to Europe are revealed in the new
documentary, Finding Rizal in a Time of Barriers.
The project, "Finding Rizal in Times of Barriers," began when former senator Loren Legarda
toured the small German town of Wilhelmsfeld in 2019 together with Dr. Fritz Hack Ullmer. Dr
Ullmer is the great grandson of Pastor Karl Ullmer who hosted Rizal for three months in
Wilhelmsfeld in 1886. The memories of that stay, as well as Rizal’s correspondence and
memorabilia have since become part of the Ullmer family’s legacy through three generations.
Lorna Regina "Loren" Bautista Legarda has dedicated her work to serve the Filipino people.
She's a Filipina politician, environmentalist, cultural worker, and former journalist who is
currently serving as the representative of Antique and as a House Deputy Speaker. With her
love for the Filipinos and our country and her heart as a journalist, it was not surprising that her
supposed to be a personal trip to Germany in 2019 became a serendipitous moment as she met
Dr. Fritz Hack Ullmer, whose family has a generational connection with Philippine national hero
José Rizal.
In the middle of production plans, the project came to a halt due to the global pandemic in
2020. However, with the perseverance of Berlin's Philippine Embassy Ambassador Theresa de
Vega, the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila and the Office of Deputy Speaker Legarda,
the documentary took shape and was finished in time for the celebration of our national hero’s
160th birthday this June 2021. Amidst the challenging circumstances, Legarda, who is the
visionary behind the project, was inspired and uplifted by Rizal’s life. “Rizal lived in a time of
barriers created by skin color, religion, political ideologies, and colonialism. Yet he broke
through these barriers to affirm his humanity and his genius."
Rizal is a genius tourist and an influencer, carrying with him the Philippine culture. This
character of Rizal was well interpreted in the film, from the things that he left in Germany to
the letters and books he wrote while staying their. The fact that Dr. Ulmer was able to answer
Loren Legrda's questions without taking a lot of time denotes that in three generations, Rizal
has really impacted their lives. He even guided Legarda to places where Jose left his foot print
and memorabilias, telling her the story behind it.
Indeed, Germany played a big role in Rizal's life especially the family of Pastor Karl Ullmer. Rizal
maybe far from home but he found one as a part of their family. He surely influenced the
Ulmers with our culture, but his stay their made him realized a lot of things that he wanted for
the Philippines as well.
This film is different with other documentary movies about Jose Rizal. In comparison with
Sandra Aguinaldo's "Mga Pahina ng Kasaysayan," which tackles about the books and studies of
Rizal with stories behind the pages of old papers, this definitely have a wider scale. It talks
about how Rizal overcame the barriers of skin color, religion, political ideologies, and
colonialism. What's more interesting about "Finding Rizal in Times of Barriers," was its clear
explanation of Rizal's goal and influence during his stay in Germany.
As for Loren Legarda, Rizal was a big part for her to press on and continue to do the project
despite the challenges they face. Along the way, she was reminded by Rizal's letters and words
that gave her encouragement and a reason to spread our hero's story. Legarda admits that she
is not a Rizal specialist, but an admirer. During her 2019 visit, she shot videos using her camera
phone and, with her journalistic personality still very much a part of her, found a story well
worth sharing with the new generation of Filipinos.
Such stories should hopefully inspire Filipinos today and set similar standards for how one
carries oneself in a much larger world, even one that has been put on pause by a pandemic.
These are but a small portion of the legacy Rizal left behind that the documentary “Finding Rizal
in a Time of Barriers” hopes to capture. Considered a passion project inspired by Legarda’s visit
to Willhemsfeld, the full-length film follows the documented journeys of the national hero
around Germany, and was launched online in time to commemorate Rizal’s 160th birthday on
June 19 this year.

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FINDING RIZAL IN TIMES OF BARRIERS

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