Skip to main content
Filmarian
All films
Poster for Treasure of the Rice Terraces
2025 · FILM

Treasure of the Rice Terraces

Released: October 5, 2025Runtime: 75 min

Documentary

Filipino Canadian filmmaker Kent Donguines travels back to the Philippines to reconnect with his roots. In a nation with over 134,000 years of history and centuries of colonization — under Spanish, American, and Japanese rule — Donguines notes a shared feeling of weakened traditional identity among many Filipinos he knows and meets. A vital part of their heritage, the centuries-old practice of tattooing, was banned by colonizers and even shunned by Filipinos. Donguines travels to Buscalan, a secluded mountain community, to discover more about the revival of Indigenous Kalinga tattoos. Guided by 107-year-old master artist Apo Whang-od, Donguines learns the deep history and symbolism behind the tattoos. The revival of this Indigenous body art tradition offers a powerful way to preserve culture, spark pride, and strengthen identity, and Treasure of the Rice Terraces shows how traditions can survive, evolve, and inspire both local communities and cultural identity worldwide.

Sign in to rateBe the first to rate
+ write a review

Related titles

No curated related titles yet. Use the edit affordance to add "More from this director", "Same franchise", or "Adaptation source material" entries — every change goes through the wiki review queue.

Sign in to claim that you worked on Treasure of the Rice Terraces. Claims go to a moderation queue and appear in the Self-Claimed Contributors rail once approved.

Technical specs

No technical specs (aspect ratio, sound mix, cameras…) documented yet. Know it? Add it →

Awards

No awards or nominations listed yet. Know it? Add it →

Connections

No connections (sequels, references, remakes…) mapped yet. Know it? Add it →

Soundtrack

No soundtrack documented yet. Know it? Add it →

Filming locations

No filming locations documented yet. Know it? Add it →

Sign in to track, collect & rate — keep your watchlist, collection, and lists across the network.

Community tags

Be the first to tag this page — tags appear right away. Try a theme, mood, or subject (e.g. WWII, heist, slow burn, time travel, A24).