THE MOVIE
Gary Winstead and his wife Jerasol undertake to donate a small library to her home town of Poro in the Camotes Islands of the Philippines and film its opening.
EDITORIAL BEGAN REFERRING TO THIS SHOT AS “GARY AND THE BOOKSTALK”
The perfect way to facilitate this endeavor was to use the Balikbayan box, familiar to every Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) who must send care packages home to support their family. There are over a million and a half Filipinos living in California alone.
The Balikbayan Boxes begin their Journey
Around Poro, fully 150 languages are spoken locally, including the town’s language of Porohanan which is, sadly, dying out due to the influence of Tagalog and English.
Intending to shoot a video of the story of the founding of the library, Gary and his crew found the people of Poro so delightful and self-sustaining, that they ended up chronicling the life of the town in full!
The people of isolated Poro create their own society, from running local marathons, to beauty contests! Their transportation system is unique, functional, and fun, based on a flood of motor scooters, (upon which whole families ride), and including the fantastical “Jeepney,” a local little bus you can hop aboard, anywhere you can run fast enough to catch up with it!
THE THRILLED KIDS IN THEIR NEW, FREE TO ALL, LIBRARY
THE FINISH LINE!
IT’S NOT WHO WINS OR LOSES, IT’S HOW WELL THE RACE IS RUN.
Poro Welcomes You!
Enjoy Our Trailer!
Poro ForeverA 40 minute visit with the people who live, work and play in Poro, a remote island town in the Philippines. These isolated folk have created their own sophisticated culture with local Marathon Runs, classy Beauty Pageants, Ensemble Dance Extravaganzas, Religious Festivals and Baking that people cross oceans to enjoy! Salamat Po
FIESTA TIME WITH PORO’S OWN DANCING TEACHERS!
A FUNERAL
The Sto. Niño Church in Poro is the Oldest Intact Church in The Camotes. It was constructed in 1847 and eggs were used as binder in the mortar.
WHO COULD RESIST A SWIM WITH THE SHARKS?
We drive on the right-hand side of the road, just like in America.
A SHORT SCOOTER RIDE FROM PORO, THE TEEMING MARKET, FAMOUS THROUGHOUT THE ISLANDS!
Fish are a bargain, smiles are free.
Fish are a bargain, smiles are free!
PROCESSION HONORING THE VIRGIN MARY
Their deeply Roman Catholic life is so culturally alive, it led the editor of the movie to exclaim “Where do they find the time!”
PORO’S TRANSIT HUB
Let’s Watch It Again!
A PORO PAS DE DEUX – PLUS A ROSE
And the Audience “Just Lost It!”