Inquirer Indie Bravo Fest 2014: Ano ang Kulay ng mga Nakalimutang Pangarap?

Ano ang Kulay ng mga Nakalimutang Pangarap?
part of FDCP Sineng Pambansa 2013

The katulong or house help is, in my opinion, one of the most integral parts of a middle class Filipino family, yet one of the most overlooked. Jose Javier Reyes' treatment of this often overlooked member of the household is simple, yet emotionally devastating; it is a tragedy unfolding silently and inevitably.

The premise is very simple: after the death of their mother, three siblings who are based abroad go back to the house they grew up in, in order to sell their assets in the Philippines. There is one problem: they do not know what to do with Teresa, their ageing housekeeper who has served the family for at least two generations.

While the siblings argue and fret about her fate, Teresa feels convinced that things will somehow be taken care of, even though this is far from the case. And the three siblings feel obligated to the elderly lady who has taken care of them for many years, they are unable to do anything to help her. Even telling Teresa about their plans becomes a frustratingly difficult exercise, partly out of guilt over what they are planning to do. Interspersed with this are flashbacks to Teresa's past, which shows the extent of her sacrifice for this family, which makes everything all the more tragic.

Rustica Carpio really does a fantastic job portraying the elderly Teresa. A veteran of film and theatre since the golden age of Philippine Cinema in the eighties, she brings a certain pathos to the role that would fail had it been performed by a lesser actress. Her pain is invisible but palpable, her regrets unseen but felt deeply. I have to admit that this movie really affected me emotionally, as I have experienced kindness and love from many house helpers, some of which I consider to be family.

The film ends with a great sequence where we are asked the question: how important are these people  who help us? To what extent can we help them? How do they really figure in this gray area, where they are strangers yet family?