TIFF this year, at least my favourites out of the ones I watched, features a lot of women’s stories. Sunshine is no exception, as it follows the protagonist (Maris Racal), a member of the Philippine National gymnastic team. Director Antoinette Jadaone, then, shows the teen as she experiences a pregnancy after an offscreen night with her boyfriend. While walking around Metro Manila to find solutions, she notices a little girl (Annika Co) following her around town. Despite that pesky presence, she gets her boyfriend, Miggs (Elijah Canlas) to pay for the pills to solve her problem. But she can’t solve her problem with her older sister (Jennica Garcia), but that might take her to harm’s way.
A female perspective is central here, and it’s aware of the distance between authentic young womanhood and mainstream viewers. Distance and filters reflect on the framing here, as there are shots where we see Sunshine from a distance. It’s reminiscent of Lino Brocka’s framing as it shows Sunshine through bedroom windows as she practises parts of her routine. Other shots in Sunshine are more direct, as Sunshine and the girl go through Metro Manila’s streets. It shows viewers grit through digital lenses, as women sell menstruation enhancers next to the Virgin’s statues. That girl counterbalances its dashes of magic realism, as the girl can mean whatever viewers think she means. The film makes the girl’s presence ambiguous enough to attract viewers of both political/ religious leanings but takes a side at the end.
- Rated: NR
- Genre: Drama
- Release Date: 9/13/2024
- Directed by: Antoinette Jadaone
- Starring: Annika Co, Elijah Canlas, Jennica Garcia, Maris Racal
- Produced by: Dan Villegas, Geo Lomuntad
- Written by: Antoinette Jadaone
- Studio: ANIMA, Project 8 Projects
