Nervous Translation

Directed by SHIREEN SENO

Starring JANA AGONCILLO, ANGGE SANTOS, SID LUCERO

Released 5 APRIL

Many films adopt a child’s perspective, yet few truly see the world as a child would. Shireen Seno’s striking, scintillating burrows deep inside the head of its main character, eight-year-old Yael (Jana Agoncillo), showing what a strained, senseless place it is to be. Yael lives in Manila with her mother Val (Angge Santos). Her father works abroad, and is present in the film only as a voice on tape recordings. They are played mostly by Yael, who rewinds and replays them like puzzle loops, searching for something inside the words. To Yael, her mother seems frigid and remote, drilling her daughter with maths problems or demanding silence. Displays of affection are rare and abstract.