Completed - FILIPINO - Drama - 92 minutes
A female director’s first feature about the depressing lives of Philippine laborers in Israel.
Year of production : 2013 Director(s) : Hannah ESPIA Writer(s) : Giancarlo ABRAHAN Cast : Adlawan IRMA, Medina PING, Cabral MERCEDES
The characters include Janet, who does not know when she will be deported because her work visa expired; Janet’s daughter Jael, a rebellious teen, who is suffering from an identity crisis because her father is an Israeli; single dad Moses, who works as a caregiver, and his young son Joshua. Their stories merge together with Joshua as the focal point. Israel’s new law requires that all children, five years and younger of immigrant labourers must leave the country. This forces the characters to come together to protect Joshua. Director Hannah Espia uses the story of these people to let us feel the facets of the psychological turmoil of the Filipino laborers. The immigrant children don’t know what nationality they belong to, while the adults - Filipino and Israeli alike harbor hostility amongst themselves. The finale at the airport brings all these themes together and will resonate with you for a long time.
Country(ies) : PHILIPPINES
Busan - BIFF/APM 2013 - New currents (Special Mention)Academy Awards 2014 (Official Entry of the Philippines - Foreign Language)