The drama usually associated with life in the slums of the Philippines has been repeatedly portrayed on cinema, with directors like Brillante Mendoza, Khavn, Adolfo Alix Jr and many others presenting their version, in various cinematic styles. Arvin Alindogan Belarmino presents his own view of this life, through a rather harsh but also quite realistic approach that frequently borders on the documentary.
“Life's Pedal” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
Rodel is a pedicab driver who tries to make ends meet by working alongside his wife, Aya, who is a prostitute. She and a number of other “girls” hang out in the same place, where the boss seems to be Amir, whose wife is in prison for stealing. The women there take turns taking care of each other's children as they go with customers, in a rather extreme commune-style setting. Amir has an underage daughter who also hangs out in the area, although she is still a virgin. When a man, however, approaches Rodel and asks for her, her father is quickly persuaded through a large sum of money. Rodel is tasked with accompanying and looking after the girl, but eventually a woman asks for him to drive her and soon tragedy happens.
Despite the fact that Belarmino uses a documentary-like visual approach, with Tristian Cua's occasionally shaky digital camera avoiding any kind of beautification or cinematic “trick”, the shock from the reality presented on screen and even more, the ways the protagonists have gotten used to a situation that could easily be described as hellish, is quite impactful. Mothers prostituting around their children, fathers pimping and selling drugs paint a rather bleak picture, with Dan Masinsin and Augusto Amalejo's editing presenting a rather fast succession of scenes in order to highlight the concept as thoroughly as possible in the 15 minutes of the short.
At the same time however, and as we watch all of them continue living, despite their everyday hardships and the inevitable tragedies that occur, their efforts essentially emerge as nothing short of heroic. At the same time, Belarmino takes care of highlighting that some of them are actually ashamed of living like this, both them and their children, with a scene near the finale involving a mother and a daughter highlighting the fact in the most eloquent fashion.
The actors actually disappear into the setting, which, in this approach, emerges as definite tick in the pros column, although Nikko delos Santos as Rodel and Soliman Cruz as Amir stand out, particularly in their common interactions.
“Life's Pedal” highlights the life of the poor in the Filipino slums in a fashion that manages to be harsh, realistic and artful at the same time, while avoiding the reef of the misery porn with flying colors.
