2. Jepoy
Written and directed by Avid Liongoren
The animated short ‘Jepoy’ is a no-holds-barred commentary on various issues surrounding children — such as bullying, lack of parental guidance and presence, and the fantastical worlds in which they escape to (like comics) — while playing with the contrasting dissonance of the cutesy cartoon sketches of the world with its serious subject matter of the things written above.
The dissonance between the visual style and the subject matter is what gives ‘Jepoy’ its strength as it portrays a very realistic world in a very unrealistic depiction of it. It amplifies the themes through the contrast and really brings it out to the core. The film never sanitizes the story — the kids in protagonist Jepoy’s school bus talk like real kids about genitals while the element of bullying is present. And even when the story pushes towards the fantastical, the themes remain prevalent all-throughout.
What’s even more enjoyable is the little details of character behaviour that really pushes the work into more than just a little fantasy. Jepoy’s compulsion for neatness grounds his character while the characteristics of his mother and father evokes a familiarity outside of just archetypes. The world is real even if the artwork depicting it is very stylised. It’s a brilliant piece of work that shows off how animated films can really amplify very serious and adult issues in an inventive way.
3. Ang Meron sa Wala
Directed by Arby and Christine Larano
‘Ang Meron sa Wala’ is a moving documentary about Alfredo Larano, who recalls his youth when he got a woman pregnant and had to let her and the baby go. This 13-minute documentary profiles the emotional journey of its subject’s rationalization of his choices in his youth and how it changed him as a person. It’s a wonderful portrayal of a person’s humanity and offers a beautiful sense of redemption at its very end.
What is brilliant about ‘Ang Meron sa Wala’ is how Arby and Christine Larano never romanticize or exploit the dramatic undertones of Alfredo Larano’s story. Their choice of imagery, how they detail Alfredo Larano’s life in the documentary is one of peace and tranquility — underscoring the conviction of Alfredo Larano’s choices.
And then, the ending caps everything into a wonderful and poignant revelation that moves the piece from philosophy into the personal, becoming an act of forgiveness and redemption at the very end. This is a powerful use of the medium to truly create something that is emotionally honest while being profound and enriching.
