Batang Bata Ka Lang: A Film Program
Batang Bata Ka Lang: A Film Program
They say the children are the future, but often the world moves too fast for them to be prepared. Pressure from their parents and especially social media can create unrealistic expectations for children, which in turn can lead to behaviors that aren’t necessarily age-appropriate. Difficult questions have to be asked if children are truly ready to face the world around them, and growing up is a critical development period for them. But what happens when they are forced to grow too fast?
The virtual film program Batang Kata Ka Lang (You’re Still A Young Kid) aims to dissect the perspectives of children as they navigate real-world problems as well as their own attempts to understand them. These problems can extend from their own basic understanding at home and conflicts with friends to being forced to take on responsibilities and confront issues not suited for their age. The program also poses questions about whether children are really innately kind or it’s the environment that makes them so, and whether the world is too harsh on them for being kind. Together, these short films aim to show the different narratives of how children, in their own ways of understanding, navigate their readiness to reality and the need for the space that allows them to develop before taking on the world.
Film still from Arena
Arena
Dir. Nicole Lee
Nicole Lee’s Arena centers on how children find ways to get their parents’ validation. The weight of being compared to others makes children doubt their own capabilities. Hence, they usually find other ways to validate themselves through unconventional means of achieving success in life. See, for example, Bochog, who tries to earn his mother’s affection by winning a thumb-wrestling competition.
Film still from Dahon
Dahon
Dir. Janelle Basallo
Janelle Basalo’s Dahon focuses on how children understand money. Mia collects leaves for her mother’s debt because that’s what she knows about currency. Gatekeeping information as critical as the concept of money, affects how children respond to situations involving finances and will develop poor behaviors in accordance with it. Hence, a space is needed for communication between the parents and the children to convey those ideas, as children will always respond with what they know and what they mimic from their environment.
Film still from Inbituin
Inbituin
Dir. Ronald Recalde Jr. and Jhon Michel Simon
Ronald Recalde Jr. and Jhon Michel Simon’s Inbituin looks back on the portrayal of children in old stories as figures of bravery, ready to confront the vast world. In the film, a young boy finds a fallen star and promises to return it to the heavens despite the unknown he is about to face. Most children’s adventure stories have always positioned children as the main characters who pursue this epic adventure, responding to their innate kindness to fulfill their promise. This innocence can be viewed as naive to adults, but they still cling on to hope and muster up the determination to see the world as a better place.
Film still from Fly, My Dear
Fly, My Dear
Dir. Angel Dizon
Angel Dizon’s Fly, My Dear navigates grief from a child’s perspective. Grief cannot be easily understood, and how much more from a child who is still processing the world around them, and at the same time, still figuring things out about themselves. The main character chooses a bird similar to her stuffed toy as her symbol of grief over the loss of her mother. Her act of flying around the city and being consumed by the darkness is a manifestation of how children cope with grief through their own understanding and ways of communicating it to other people.
Film still from Angela and Her Dying Lola
Angela and Her Dying Lola
Dir. Mark Terence Molave
Mark Terence Molave’s Angela and Her Dying Lola portrays how a child navigates poverty. Angela is an orphan and takes care of her grandmother, a responsibility that shouldn't be on her shoulders, but is forced to take on given their material conditions. The girl isn’t able to enjoy her childhood and is now forced to confront situations that she has no control over and make a decision for their survival—all done out of love for her Lola.
Film still from Anak ng Santol
Anak ng Santol
Dir. Karen Israel
Karen Israel’s Anak ng Santol mixes myth and reality in how a child understands the responsibility of caring for another person. Bajingjing believes in the myth that swallowing a seed will turn her into a tree, and this myth is recontextualized as a child is now forced to grow up to take care of her mother. Her supposed death or transformation into a tree marks the end of her childhood, and the film navigates the little sacrifices she makes before her eventual transformation.
