After 15 years of quiet development, acclaimed filmmaker and essayist Gutierrez Mangansakan II makes his fiction debut with Closing Party and Other Stories, a collection of thirteen short stories that delve into the intersections of tradition, politics, and mysticism in contemporary Bangsamoro life.
Known for his award-winning films and anthologies that champion Moro voices, Mangansakan transitions from nonfiction to fiction with narratives that span topics such as female genital mutilation, the COVID-19 pandemic, cinema, and superstition.
The collection reflects his layered identity as a Moro, a Maguindanaon, and a member of Mindanao’s traditional aristocracy—offering both insider insight and critical distance.
Mangansakan describes the book as a “homecoming,” bridging his work in essays and film with a more intimate form of storytelling.
“These are not just Moro stories,” he said. “They are human stories—about love, loss, desire, faith, survival.”
Written with cinematic precision and emotional depth, Closing Party and Other Stories invites readers into the textured realities of the Bangsamoro, challenging taboos while honoring cultural memory.
The author is currently working on a novel, continuing his journey into fiction as a space for transformation and truth.
###
0 Comments