At the 49th Toronto International Film Festival, Antoinette Jadaone presented her latest, 12th feature in fourteen years. During her career, the prolific Filipina writer-director managed to collect many nominations and awards at festivals such as the Cinemanila International Film Festival or the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. “Sunshine” was also screened at the 36th Palm Springs International Film Festival, and as a part of the Generation 14plus section at the 75th Berlinale where it was awarded the Crystal Bear.
Sunshine is sceening at Berlin International Film Festival
Sunshine (Maris Racal), a gifted gymnast, is widely seen as a reliable candidate for the national Olympic team. Her coach (Meryll Soriano) tries to keep her determination at a high level by reminding her that this is her last chance to participate in the biggest sporting event in the world. However, during the tryouts, Sunshine learns she’s pregnant. Faced with the potential loss of the chance to fulfil her lifelong dream as well as her college scholarship, she considers getting an abortion. On her way to meet a dealer selling illegal abortion pills, she encounters a mysterious girl.
The first part of the film tracks Sunshine’s journey while she searches for proper medication. In the second part, the story appears to have no specific goal, as the heroine is thrown by the creators into new situations in which she encounters various people who contribute little to the narrative. Every now and then, she meets a mysterious young girl (Annika Co) who appears to know surprisingly a lot about Sunshine’s life. Although this subplot, reminiscent of magical realism, is left open to interpretation by the director, it gives the impression of a rather sloppy and sentimental attack on the audience’s emotions. Other characters appear too infrequently or are portrayed in such a shallow way that it is difficult to appreciate their contribution to the story.
The cinematography is one of the positive aspects of the film. Pao Orendain ensures that the colourful visual style of the entire story is consistent and doesn’t distract from the content of the movie, as the camera follows the heroine, giving the narrative a personal dimension. The creators make an excellent choice to show the whole story from Sunshine’s perspective, as there is no scene without her.
Maris Racal aptly plays the leading role, especially during more physical scenes that present her as a believable gymnast. However, the character she plays is not developed enough to show off her full acting skills. Sunshine doesn’t undergo much transformation, as the script refrains from giving her much to reflect on, only throwing obstacles in her way, such as the unavailability of abortion in the Philippines, or lack of support from her boyfriend. From the beginning, her goal is to have an abortion, and despite momentary doubts, the ending is easy to predict.
In the Philippines, Catholicism is the predominant religion comprising around 80% of the population. Because of the church’s influence, the country’s policy is restrictive and conservative, especially regarding family planning. Considering the social context, Jadaone’s attempt to address the topic of abortion is certainly admirable, but the simplistic and tear-jerking way it is done leaves much to be desired.
