The phenomenon that is Sunshine

WHEN Sunshine, the latest film by Antoinette Jadaone, won the Crystal Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival in February, it piqued Filipinos’ curiosity.

- By Brontë H. Lacsamana

It stars Maris Racal as a teenage Olympic gymnast who must discreetly explore her options to terminate an unwanted pregnancy.

As part of the Generation 14plus section in Berlin, among many other international films focused on the youth, its empathetic view on the matter of abortion resonated. Months later, with Sunshine garnering acclaim in the Philippines and approaching its 4th week in SM Cinemas, it’s safe to say it has resonated on home soil as well.

The fact that I was able to see it three weeks after its premiere is a testament to the power of storytelling as a means to tackle complex topics. The success of an abortion film in particular is quite meaningful in a Catholic-majority country like the Philippines, where the Reproductive Health (RH) Law was controversial and continues to be the center of discussions about lack of access to reproductive health services and information.

Sunshine indeed has a target audience. Young women are the ones who have been making an effort to watch the film and the ones powering discussions about it online.

Nearly half of the theater I was in was filled up, mostly college students (since I had opted to catch the film in an SM along the university belt). But the most memorable reaction I was privy to was actually that of two middle-aged ladies seated a few rows behind me.