When Matthew Curran, an autistic Filipino-American creator, imagined the cyberpunk urban fantasy PROJECT GNOSIS, he aimed for cultural exchange.
The year is 2030, and the previously unknown realm of folkloric creatures has made its presence known. They appear with mechanical enhancements and ethereal weapons. The Aswang Brotherhood of Cebu are one such gang of monsters and they are planning something heinous for the upcoming Sinulog-Santo Niño Festival. Fei, a skilled fighter and our lead protagonist, has the ability to ‘phase’ through objects and transport herself to other areas. She is about to cross paths with Riz, a vigilante Tikbalang who keeps a watchful eye over the dangerous alleys and darker corners of the city. This is the set up for the first season of the cyberpunk fantasy, Project Gnosis – an audio drama now available on your favourite podcast platforms.
The characters in Project Gnosis come from all over the world. Fei is Chinese, and her partner is Finn, a 150-year-old European warrior. The setting is the Philippines, which introduces us to a slew of folkloric beasts and other characters who aid in the plot’s progression. Most notably, the main character of Riz will assist Fei and Finn in navigating the complicated underworld of the Philippines and correcting the mistakes they are making, which has attracted an unsettling amount of attention.
The first episode begins with Fei narrating, “Darkness.” Nothing but absolute darkness…” The first thing that drew my attention was Fei’s Chinese accent. Each month, I receive several komiks, podcasts, and books that delve into the realms of Philippine lore, and this was the first time a creator led with a foreigner as their lead. I was both intrigued and perplexed. As I progressed through the four available episodes, I was treated to something unique that struck me on multiple levels. I decided to contact the creator to find out more.
While listening to the episodes, I couldn’t help but think that Project Gnosis was written to express the author’s complicated journey of identity. In addition to introducing us to the international cast of characters, the episodes also address Asian stereotypes, belonging, and discovering one’s cosmic purpose. I asked the 28-year-old Texan creator, Matthew Curran, about it, and he had the following to say:
“This story is important because I wanted to envision a crossover of cultural exchange done by different cultures around the world and how it is important that we come together in solidarity rather than be apart.
As for future seasons, Project Gnosis will be more international. It will touch upon places all over the world, from the Middle East to Latin America to Eastern Europe. Filipinos are significant in this story as a people that lived at a crossroads in the presence of foreign forces that tried to change their country. In this, the main Filipino characters will play the role of carrying their experience to other places in the world, which will introduce ideas and elements that cause change. In this case, Riz is as much a main character as Fei.”
Having worked in TV and film for 15 years myself, I generally have a high expectation for production value. Project Gnosis did not disappoint. It delivers great quality voice acting, a top-notch score, and a superb sound mix. Curran notes, “I owe a lot to my team, especially my sound designer.”
There are also some extremely lovely quirks that are found between the expertly paced fight sequences of the show. An example would be when Fei travels by phasing herself out of a television and narrates what this looks like. She is one step ahead of the audience when she states, “Yes, I know the reference. No, I don’t care to hear it.” Perhaps ‘quirks’ is the wrong word. It just has an enjoyable element that I rarely encounter. I suppose the only way to describe it is to say that it has a certain je ne sais quoi.
I learned after listening to the show that Matthew is autistic. Perhaps this, on top of his talent, has something to do with what makes Project Gnosis deliver on a unique level. I wasn’t sure if this fact was important to mention, so I asked Matthew who stated, “Of course, I think it should be something of note to show that even autistic people are capable of creativity. I think it should be highlighted that autistic people are on a spectrum when it comes to interests and talents. I think many will appreciate it.”
There are two more episodes left in this season of Project Gnosis. I am looking forward to learning more about some of the other characters we’ve been given glimpses of, such as Ate Dalisay, a manananggal who chose augmentation, resulting in an incredibly long existence locked in monster form. Or there was that creepy American tourist who seemed to know just a little too much and appeared unphased by the magical events he witnessed.
As we all navigate this challenging time in history, where media manipulation has forcibly divided us into smaller groups and tribes, I find it refreshing to see a project that has thrown all that out the window and created a truly multi-cultural endeavour.
Check out Project Gnosis on your favourite podcast platform and show them some love on social media.
Project Gnosis Website
Project Gnosis Acast
Matthew Curran Instagram (Project Gnosis creator)
Jordan Clark is a Canadian born descendant of Scottish immigrants living on the homelands of the Lekwungen speaking peoples. His interest in Philippine myth and folklore began in 2004. Finding it difficult to track down resources on the topic, he founded The Aswang Project in 2006. Shortly after, he embarked on a 5 year journey, along with producing partner Cheryl Anne del Rosario, to make the 2011 feature length documentary THE ASWANG PHENOMENON – an exploration of the aswang myth and its effects on Philippine society. In 2015 he directed “The Creatures of Philippine Mythology” web-series, which features 3 folkloric beings from the Philippines – the TIKBALANG, KAPRE and BAKUNAWA. Episodes are available to watch on YouTube. Jordan recently oversaw the editing for the English language release of Ferdinand Blumentritt’s DICCIONARIO MITOLÓGICO DE FILIPINAS (Dictionary of Philippine Mythology) and is working on two more releases with fellow creators scheduled for release later this year. When his nose isn’t in a book, he spends time with his amazing Filipina wife of 20 years and their smart and wonderful teenaged daughter.
