The story takes place in one of those communities, where grownups bet on cockfights and children in spider fights, although without actual betting. 10-year-old Rene-boy is one of those children, and is about to be circumcised, by his father nonetheless. As he gets to a place near a small lake, where the “ritual” takes place, along with his friends, he becomes increasingly terrified, and after he listens to the other boys' screams, he escapes. This action makes him a pariah in the community, with the other children calling him Supot (uncircumsized) and his father wanting nothing to do with him. In his struggle to regain his father's appreciation he searches for the biggest spider he can find, in order to become the champion in the fights. In order to do so, he has to win against his brother, who is constantly bullying him.
Giordano directs a 12,5 minute film that works as a rite of passage, focusing on the relationship between father and son, and the courage one must muster in order to do what must be done. Although the above are evident, the cruelty of the ritual is impossible to ignore, even more so since it is stressed by the repeating image of the father sharpening his razor on a rock, with the sound making the sequence even more onerous. In that fashion, it is quite difficult to identify with a kid that has to face his fears in order to become circumcised by his own father. The fact that his brother is bullying him and his mother asks him to be courageous, makes the story even crueler.
Technically, the short is quite impressive, with great cinematography by Malay Prakash, who portrays realistic images of the rural Philippines. The fact that the movie has been shot in many different locations, including the lake, the jungle, a field, and the village is quite impressive and a distinct proof of the level of production. The scenes with the circumcision and the last duel of the spiders are the highlight of this prowess as much as the most memorable scenes in the short.
Andrei Fajarito as Rene-boy makes a wonderful debut, realistically depicting all of his character's conflicting emotions
Despite its shocking premises, “Supot” is a great short, that definitely deserves a watch
