Three major awards went to Iti Mapukpukaw (The Missing): Best Supporting Actress for Dolly de Leon, NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) Award, and Best Film at the recently concluded 19th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
Why did it tug the hearts of the audience and jury? First, the theme of abuse to an innocent child by an adult relative is something very painful to discuss, but the director, Carl Joseph E. Papa, used a creative way to convey the trauma and healing of the parties involved.
It was a unanimous decision for the jury composed of actress Shamaine Centenera Buencamino, cinematographer Neil Daza, director Raya Martin, Busan International Film Festival programmer Park Sungho, and film producer-curator Lorna Tee to honor Iti Mapukpukaw’s unique and exception form for storytelling.
The use of rotoscope animation where animators trace the live-action film frame by frame was the correct avenue to create the lifelike characters of Eric (Carlo Aquino), his supportive mom (Dolly De Leon), and his co-worker Carlo (Gio Gahol).
Eric works in the creative industry as an animator, beating deadlines and comfortably sitting on his desktop all day and night. He has stopped using his voice. His character does not have a mouth and his way of communicating is by writing text on his whiteboard or typing on his mobile phone.
animator that has a crush on his coworker
played by Gio Gahol (Carlo)
One day, his worried mother requested him to visit his estranged uncle. After seeing the decomposing body of his uncle, life changed for Eric drastically. His normal life is now compounded, fighting aliens and hallucinations.
His officemate Carlo has accompanied him in this journey. Will love spark between the two? The instinct of Eric’s mom predicts there is a greater bond between the two officemates but Eric casually denies it.
As the alien abduction continues, Eric has distanced himself from Carlo and his mother. He seems lost and inconsolable. All his demons from his childhood keep coming back. As the film moves forward, our protagonist begins to lose his ear, eye, private part, and even a hand.
As a viewer, one feels uncomfortable watching a person with missing body parts. These symbolisms cast the darker side of Eric’s life. He lost his mouth because of his uncle’s threats.
His eye popped out when he saw his uncle’s casket for the first time. He lost his genitals when Carlo tries to make out with him. All these were attributed to the trauma he quietly suffered alone.
Eric has to face this trauma during the untimely death of his uncle. We see his struggles and pains. A mother’s unconditional love has made him strong. The support of his friend Carlo has given him hope.
One powerful scene was Eric cuddled under the bed with Carlo and his mother Rosalinda beside him, hugging and comforting him.
In the end, Eric digs his past and collects all his lost senses. He remains stronger with the love of his mother and Carlo. The lesson: Love indeed heals all traumas.