Awards and festivals

Film description

Jane and Aries are very young, and at first they almost seem like regular teenagers. They like fashionable haircuts, taking selfies, they argue, break up and get back together. But they live on the streets of the hot, dangerous Manila, where glue sniffing, thefts, and sleeping in cardboard boxes is their day-to-day reality. Recently, a child came into their lives. They cope as best they can, even if it means taking drastic measures. But one day, the child disappears in mysterious circumstances.

Eduardo Roy Jr. shows the life of this (un)ordinary family in a frank, direct way, easily crossing the border between a para-documentary drama and an energetic thriller. The world of the streets, brutal and full of challenges, is intriguing and surprising. Its protagonists hypnotize with their energy and determination, although their behavior is definitely controversial. In his powerful script, Roy asks the most fundamental ethic questions, but avoids didacticism and opens the floor for debate. The dynamic camera closely follows the characters, inviting the audience into their lives, but the director also introduces footage from industrial cameras, reminding us that there is a lot we cannot see sitting in a cinema seat. He manages to show the ambivalent situation of his characters, who can only count on themselves, but are filled with emotions and ready to fight for what is most important.

Jagoda Murczyńska