Blankly talk, I never know about this film before, and I know it because I watch Zig Dulay another work, “Green Bones”
In the trailer, I see the promotions of this film, and here I am, write some review for this one.
Become a best picture winning award film from Manila, this fantasy adventure film mencuri perhatianku because I really like how Zig try to telling us something in his work, and this film ? Its good and really show us the bond and love between mother and son.
The film airing on December 21, 2023 with 103 minute screen time. If we compare this film with Green Bones, I love Green Bones more than this one, but honest opinions ?
I like how Zig deliver the story to us, for real.
Lately, Phillippines film become more interest because the plot is unpredict, they twist it in the end, they put some moral messages for us inside the film, and what is amaze me is how they delivery the messages. Not to speak highly, but this one is worth our time.
Tonton is 10 years old when his mother die. Like to drawing and believe in his mother bedtime stories, Tonton try to find the island that full of fireflies, to make a wish that his mom will be back to him.
In the story, we can see cleary that Tonton was afraid of the wolf. We will understand why he is scare, because the wolf is the picture of Tonton trauma. Having trauma as a child, run away and grow with his mom and losing the mom after that, we know how traumatic it was, right ?
As for growing up Tonton, he become a writer who write a story about “firefly”, the story that people claim doesnt his but he prove it real well. The story is his mom, and the adventure inside is his.
I like Zig work because he give us some POV from each character. The old Tonton and the child, how he telling his story while his recalled the past event ? Everything is so well and the bond between mom and son inside is really make us melt.
As a 10 years old child, going alone to find the island that his mom told him is calling brave. Bringing his mom ashes in his way ? OMG ! Its sad, actually.
Finding stranger and become his helper along the way. The trauma that he face when he is less than 10 years, the film wrap beeautifully, and I am not having second guess about everything inside.
If you want to see how beautiful Manila was in their countryside, watching this one will amaze you and make Manila become our next country to visit for real.
Countryside and nature, OMG ! Zig really capture everything for us.
