Accompanying each of the official entries of this year's PPP are various short films, one short per full length feature. You may not have caught them in cinemas because the cinema operators don't really promote them, and I actually missed watching some of them because the cinema's screening sched was a a bit wonky.
In any case, here are some short thoughts.
Accompanying Ang Babaeng Allergic sa Wi-Fi is Anonymous Student Vlog. It starts off as your usual amateur student vlog, until things get hairy and eventually surreal. In a world prone to misinformation and developing a culture of shame, this short is quite relevant.
Alas Nuebe ng Tanghali precedes Bakwit Boys. It looks like a cutesy film about three kids having whatever they want (it's not much, but kids will be kids) and then reality sets in. It's probably one of the shortest films of the bunch, but it makes its point.
The companion to Madilim ang Gabi is Runner, my favorite Sine Kabataan Short of the lot. It's about a student who shows amazing promise in track and field, but is forced to use his talents as a drug runner instead. At some parts I felt it did a better job than the film that it accompanies in terms of pacing.
The reverse OFW film Signal Rock is accompanied by another reverse OFW film, Isang Tula Para sa Nawawala, about a young man searching for his OFW mother who has gone missing in Hong Kong. It's short and poetic, and filled with regret and uncertainty.
Koleksiyong Pamalo accompanies The Day After Valentine's. It's cute, though the implications behind the story are emotionally heavy. It reminds me of an old psychological experiment where children still seek the love of their parents even when they are neglected or hurt.
Unli Life talks about a major life change, and so does the film it is paired with: Bahay Bahayan, a tale about two girls who find a baby abandoned in front of their house. They both explore the possibilities of motherhood and wonder how they would fare as mothers. Well, they have some OJT right here, right now..It's light and relatively entertaining.
And finally, We Will Not Die Tonight and Masaya Ako both deal with people struggling against life, but while the former fights back using fists and guns, the latter uses a smile - and sometimes a smile is simply not enough. It's funny until things get dead serious, and it's a nice way to spread awareness.
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