Trans-nanay: Reconfiguration of Ilaw ng Tahanan in Filipino Cinema
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajiri.v5i2.7703Keywords:
Filipino Cinema, Gender Performativity, Queer, Queer Space Theory, Trans-NanayAbstract
This paper examines how the trans-nanay is reconstituted in contemporary Philippine cinema as a redefinition of motherhood beyond biological and heteronormative expectations. It addresses the gap in representing transgender maternal identities in Filipino cultural texts. Using an interpretive qualitative design, the study analyzes three films Die Beautiful (2016), Mamu: And a Mother Too (2018), and Call Me Mother (2025) through guided content analysis informed by Judith Butler’s gender performativity and Aaron Betsky’s queer space theory. Findings reveal that trans-nanay motherhood is constructed through bodily, emotional, and economic labor, where maternal identity is performed through sustained caregiving rather than biological ties. The films also depict space as a site of negotiation, where domestic and social environments shape inclusion, exclusion, and resistance. These representations position trans-nanay characters as active agents who create care and belonging despite marginalization. The study highlights that motherhood in Philippine cinema is relational, performative, and contested, contributing to Gender Studies, Queer Theory, and Film Studies. It argues that the trans-nanay embodies the ilaw ng tahanan through resilience, relational labor, and survival within constrained social spaces.
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